Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to S. M. Crowell (February 15, 1929)

Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to S. M. Crowell (February 15, 1929)

Chase Correspondence (February 15, 1929)

Chase, Joshua Coffin, 1858-1948

Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)

Citrus fruit industry--Florida

Citrus--Florida

Orange industry--Florida

Oranges--Florida

Labor--Florida

Irrigation--Florida

An original letter of correspondence between Joshua Coffin Chase and S. M. Crowell, a laborer at Isleworth Grove. Topics discussed in the letter include the employment of Reid Rogers to assist Crowell in irrigation, spraying, fertilizing, and other tasks at Isleworth Grove.

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 S. M. Crowell, February 15, 1929: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

1929-02-15

Digital reproduction of original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to S. M. Crowell, February 15, 1929.

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.

image/jpg

160 KB

1-page typewritten letter on Chase & Company letterhead

eng

Text

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.

For J.C.C

CHASE & CO.
SANFORD, FLORIDA

Februaary 15, 1929.

Mr. S. M. Crowell,
Windermere, Fla.

Dear Sir:

This will confirm my conversation with you today with reference to the employment of Mr. Reid Rogers, who has been working in orange groves for the past four or five years in and around Thonotosassa.

Mr. Rogers has been employed without any definite time being agreed upon as to the length of his employment. Personally I believe he will make a good man, and will be of great assistance to you. He has been instructed to work under your instructions, and to do whatever you want him to do, at any time and anywhere, to assist in the irrigation, spraying, fertilizing, and other work which you find him capable of doing. Unless we have rain in the net dew days we will have to plan to start irrigating , and I believe it would be well to put him in charge of the irrigating crew.

He is scheduled to arrive at Isleworth Monday afternoon, or evening. Please speak to the party running the boarding house and arrange for a good, comfortable, room for him. If his services are found satisfactory it may be that some different living arrangement can be made outside of the barracks.

Yours very truly,

J.O.C

SOC:HMR.

1-page typewritten letter on Chase & Company letterhead