Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 24, 1921)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 24, 1921)
Alternative Title
Chase Correspondence (September 24, 1921)
Subject
Windermere (Fla.)
Chase, Sydney Octavius, 1860-1941
Chase, Joshua Coffin, 1858-1948
Sanford (Fla.)
Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)
Description
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 visit to Sanford, the resignation of Lambert Ross at Isleworth Grove, an enclosed letter from Mr. Harney about Mr. Heitman, and the death of Mrs. Magnuson.
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 & 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.
Creator
Chase, Joshua Coffin
Source
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, September 24, 1921: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Date Created
1921-09-24
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, September 24, 1921.
Is Part Of
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.
Is Referenced By
Folder referenced in Chase Collection finding guide, http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/chase.htm.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
217 KB
Medium
1-page typewritten letter
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Isleworth Grove, Windermere, Florida
Chase & Company Office, Sanford, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
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.
Rights Holder
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.
Contributing Project
Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida
Digital Collections (UFDC), University of Florida
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
Source Repository
University of Florida, Special and Area Studies Collections
External Reference
"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.
Transcript
Sept. 24 1921
Mr. S. O. Chase,
Sanford, Florida.
DEar Syd:
This will acknowledge your pencil note of the 23rd written after you reached Sanford. You do not make any mention of the trip, and hope it proved fairly comfortable. It certainly was awfully nice to find you here upon my arrival and I certainly appreciate the trouble and discomfort you underwent in order to be on hand.
Somehow we did not sees as much of each other Friday as I hoped would be the case. There were so many things that butted in that prevented talking over a number of matters in which we are both interested.
It is too infernally bad that Ross at Isleworth has quit cold after he has been carried during the entire summer. Can only hope that he has rendered sufficient service in over hauling the machinery and reequipping the packing house to make the expense worth while. If he had been white he would have given you an opportunity to go into this matter personally before he laid down.
Do you think you could get a wire to Lambert Ross wherever he is now, to secure a substitute? Whoever acts as superintendent should have the benefit of Ross' services in going over all of the changes and all of the improvements in the machinery and also the operation of the hot rooms so that same can be operated efficiently. If there is anything that I can do, let me know.
Enclosed find letter from Harney giving some interesting information about Heitman. His health for years has been poor and he is such a tough proposition that he will probably last longer than expected.
Regret to note the death of Mrs. Magnuson, but it may help to solve one of our problems and give us the services of Magnuson, who may prefer being away from his home rather than remaining without anyone to look after him.
I am trying to catch onto some of the matters
Mr. S. O. Chase,
Sanford, Florida.
DEar Syd:
This will acknowledge your pencil note of the 23rd written after you reached Sanford. You do not make any mention of the trip, and hope it proved fairly comfortable. It certainly was awfully nice to find you here upon my arrival and I certainly appreciate the trouble and discomfort you underwent in order to be on hand.
Somehow we did not sees as much of each other Friday as I hoped would be the case. There were so many things that butted in that prevented talking over a number of matters in which we are both interested.
It is too infernally bad that Ross at Isleworth has quit cold after he has been carried during the entire summer. Can only hope that he has rendered sufficient service in over hauling the machinery and reequipping the packing house to make the expense worth while. If he had been white he would have given you an opportunity to go into this matter personally before he laid down.
Do you think you could get a wire to Lambert Ross wherever he is now, to secure a substitute? Whoever acts as superintendent should have the benefit of Ross' services in going over all of the changes and all of the improvements in the machinery and also the operation of the hot rooms so that same can be operated efficiently. If there is anything that I can do, let me know.
Enclosed find letter from Harney giving some interesting information about Heitman. His health for years has been poor and he is such a tough proposition that he will probably last longer than expected.
Regret to note the death of Mrs. Magnuson, but it may help to solve one of our problems and give us the services of Magnuson, who may prefer being away from his home rather than remaining without anyone to look after him.
I am trying to catch onto some of the matters
Document Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1-page typewritten letter
Collection
Citation
Chase, Joshua Coffin, “Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 24, 1921),” RICHES, accessed April 25, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/2747.