Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 20, 1919)

Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 20, 1919)

Chase Correspondence (September 20, 1919)

Windermere (Fla.)

Chase, Sydney Octavius, 1860-1941

Chase, Joshua Coffin, 1858-1948

Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)

Citrus fruit industry--Florida

Citrus--Florida

Grapefruit industry

Grapefruit

Freezes (Meteorology)--Florida--History

An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Sydney's report regarding his visit to Isleworth Grove, the insufficient coloring and maturation of grapefruit, and a prediction of a very severe freeze by December 15, 1919.

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, September 20, 1919: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

1919-09-30

Digital reproduction of original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, September 20, 1919.

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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1-page typewritten letter on Chase & Company letterhead

eng

Text

Chase & Company Office, Jacksonville, Florida

Chase & Company Office, Sanford, Florida

Isleworth Grove, Windermere, Florida

Donation

History 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.

CHASE & CO.
CARLOT DISTRIBUTORS
CITRUS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

Sept 20 1919

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

Dear Syd:

ISLEWORTH: Note yours of the 19th reporting on your visit to Isleworth. From your report the grapefruit is not yet sufficiently colored or sufficiently matured to give satisfaction to the customer. We wish we could do something to improve the color as that is the matter that counts.

Just as soon as you can give a date to start picking operations arrange to do so as we believe the bulk of the fruit now going forward consists of small sizes that have colored up and the large sizes will command a premium especially at auction. last year we disposed of the bulk of the Isleworth crop at New York auction.

Very glad to have such a good report on the general appearance of the trees and the fruit. Yesterday Mr. Skinner took the joy out of life by telling me of a prediction made by a man who foretold the Key West hurricane, that we would be visited by a very severe freeze on or before December 15th. This man gave very good reasons why this disaster should overtake the present crop. We hope Isleworth escapes.

Yours very truly,

J.C.C.


JCC/fs

Sunniland
TRADEMARK
UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION LICENSE NUMBER G-04516

1-page typewritten letter on Chase & Company letterhead