Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (May 20, 1925)

Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (May 20, 1925)

Chase Correspondence (May 20, 1925)

Windermere (Fla.)

Chase, Sydney Octavius, 1860-1941

Chase, Joshua Coffin, 1858-1948

Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)

An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include the Florida Public Service Company, the extension of a power line to Isleworth Grove, and proposing an arrangement with the Town of Windermere in regards to the new power line.

Chase & Company was established by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. By 1886, the Chase brothers purchased several citrus groves to expand their business, including Isleworth Grove in Windermere, Florida. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. Between 1894 and 1895, Central Florida was hit by several freezes and most of the citrus crop was destroyed. Chase & Company did not grow citrus crops again until 1904 when Joshua came back from an extended stay in California. Between 1894 and 1900, different types of pesticide equipment was created, including equipment driven by steam, machines, and horses.Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965. The Isleworth property stayed in the Chase family until 1984 when Franklin Chase, the son of Sydney Chase, sold the property to famed golfer Arnold Palmer.

Chase, Joshua Coffin

Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, May 20, 1925: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

1925-05-20

Digital reproduction of original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, May 20, 1925.

Chase Collection (MS 14), box 49, folder 20.84, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Isleworth Collection, Citrus Collection, Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

Folder referenced in Chase Collection finding guide, http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/chase.htm.

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188 KB

1-page typewritten letter

eng

Text

Isleworth Grove, Windermere, Florida

Chase & Company Office, Sanford, Florida

Windermere, Florida

Donation

History Teacher

Civics/Government Teacher

Economics Teacher

Geography Teacher

Entire Chase Collection is comprised of four separate accessions from various donors, including Cecilia Johnson, the granddaughter of Joshua Coffin Chase, and the children of Randall Chase.

The displayed collection item is housed at Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Rights to this item belong to the said institution, and therefore inquiries about the item should be directed there. RICHES of Central Florida has obtained permission from Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida to display this item for educational purposes only.

Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida

Digital Collections (UFDC), University of Florida

Cepero, Laura

University of Florida, Special and Area Studies Collections

Warner, S.C. "Development of Marketing Citrus Fruits in Florida." Florida State Horticultural Society vol. 36 (1923): 198-200.

Hopkins, James T. Fifty Years of Citrus, the Florida Citrus Exchange: 1909-1959. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press: 1960.

"Joshua Coffin Chase (1858-1948)." Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Copyright 2012. http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/index.php/inductees/inductee-name/?ref_cID=89&bID=0&dd_asId=960.

"Sydney Chase Sr. (1860-1941)." Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Copyright 2012. http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/index.php/inductees/inductee-name/?ref_cID=89&bID=0&dd_asId=600.

May 20 1925

Mr. S. O. Chase,
Sanford, Florida.

Dear Syd:-

FLORIDA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY: I am returning herewith a letter to you of this outfit, signed by T. B. Brodwater.

If the line the Isleworth is to be an extension and come under the contract with the Town of Windermere, don't you think that we would be entitled to full information concerning same? If we make use of the power in the contemplated pre-cooling plant and in the operations of the packing house, and perhaps opearing the irrigating plants, we would be the largest individual users of power under this arrangement.

The writer is not posted on the cost of installing the Isleworth extension of about one-half mile, but might be able to secure pointers from Mr. F. H. Owen, who has charge of such work in connection with the JAcksonville Electric plant.

If there is any way of getting an outline of the proposed arrangement with the Town of Windermere and also just what the sub-arragement will be with us, the writer could take it up with Mr. Owen and see if it could not be checked out with a view of determining whether it is reasonable or unreasonable, or whether the arrangement could be improved upon to our advantage.

The writer realizes that drawing power from the Florida Public Service Company would also enable us to take out spoilage insurance in event of any break-down on the part of the power when we had the storerooms filled with fruit which we were holding there for future shipment. We can look into this feature when we are in Philadelphia.

There will be no time for you to answer this letter before you leave, so that we can talk it over when you are here Thursday afternoon.

Yours very truly,

1-page typewritten letter