Letter from A. Q. Lancaster to Randall Chase (August 9, 1919)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from A. Q. Lancaster to Randall Chase (August 9, 1919)
Alternative Title
Chase Correspondence (August 9, 1919)
Subject
Windermere (Fla.)
Orlando (Fla.)
Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)
Labor--Florida
Description
An original letter of correspondence between A. Q. Lancaster and Randall Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a fight between a white laborer's son and a colored laborer at Isleworth Grove. The white laborer was taken to the hospital and the colored laborer was arrested.
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
Lancaster, A. Q.
Source
Copy of original letter from A. Q. Lancaster to Randall Chase, August 9, 1919: box 49, folder 20.83, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Date Created
1919-08-09
Has Format
Original letter from A. Q. Lancaster to Randall Chase, August 9, 1919.
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of copy of original letter from A. Q. Lancaster to Randall Chase, August 9, 1919.
Is Part Of
Chase Collection (MS 14), box 49, folder 20.83, 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
129 KB
Medium
1-page typewritten letter on Chase & Company letterhead
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Gotha, Florida
Chase & Company Office, Sanford, Florida
Isleworth Grove, Windermere, Florida
Orlando Jail, Orlando, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Civics/Government 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
"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
CHASE & CO.
SANFORD, FLA.
OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE
United States Food Administration
License Number 04516
COPY.
GOTHA, FLA., Aug. 9, 1919
Mr. Randall Chase,
Sanford, Fla.
Dear Sir:
Lawrence Watkins, (white,) James Davis, (colored) both came from Ga. with Mr. Bona. These boys had a fight this morning with shuffle hoes. Watkins cut Davis on the leg slightly, and Davis struck at Watkins' head and he threw up his hands and the hoes struck both his hands and cut him bad. We taken Watkins to the hospital in Orlando and Davis is in jail at Orlando. Will have Davis in court Monday morning at 10 o'clock. Davis ran when he struck Watkins, and as soon as we got Watkins started to the hospital we got our guns and started to capture Davis, and made quite a search before we found him. He passed through Windermere about 10 minutes before we got there and got a machine there and started after him and went to Gotha but saw nothing of him, and the sheriff came out on the rialroad[sic] to find where he left the road, and they found him just the other side of Windermere hid behind a pile of railroad ties, and the other sheriff taken him to Orlando.
Yours very truly ,
A. Q. Lancaster.
SANFORD, FLA.
OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE
United States Food Administration
License Number 04516
COPY.
GOTHA, FLA., Aug. 9, 1919
Mr. Randall Chase,
Sanford, Fla.
Dear Sir:
Lawrence Watkins, (white,) James Davis, (colored) both came from Ga. with Mr. Bona. These boys had a fight this morning with shuffle hoes. Watkins cut Davis on the leg slightly, and Davis struck at Watkins' head and he threw up his hands and the hoes struck both his hands and cut him bad. We taken Watkins to the hospital in Orlando and Davis is in jail at Orlando. Will have Davis in court Monday morning at 10 o'clock. Davis ran when he struck Watkins, and as soon as we got Watkins started to the hospital we got our guns and started to capture Davis, and made quite a search before we found him. He passed through Windermere about 10 minutes before we got there and got a machine there and started after him and went to Gotha but saw nothing of him, and the sheriff came out on the rialroad[sic] to find where he left the road, and they found him just the other side of Windermere hid behind a pile of railroad ties, and the other sheriff taken him to Orlando.
Yours very truly ,
A. Q. Lancaster.
Document Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1-page typewritten letter on Chase & Company letterhead
Collection
Citation
Lancaster, A. Q., “Letter from A. Q. Lancaster to Randall Chase (August 9, 1919),” RICHES, accessed December 22, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/2763.