Letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford (February 10, 1883)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford (February 10, 1883)
Alternative Title
Letter from Trafford to Sanford (February 10, 1883)
Subject
Sanford, Henry S. (Henry Shelton), 1823-1891
Migrant labor--Florida
Immigration
Description
A letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891), dated February 10, 1883. The letter concerned the fate of one of Sanford's former employees, a Swedish immigrant who was arrested, presumably for theft, but never charged because of a lack of evidence. Trafford informed Sanford that the Swede had been advised to sue Sanford for some $3,000 in damages, adding that the ex-employee had indicated that he would be willing to drop the suit for a sum of $1,000. Trafford wrote that he had responded that it was a "case of black-mail" and that he thought that "we should put both him and his lawyers in jail." The letter demonstrates the role of Sanford's Florida agents and managers in maintaining affairs in Sanford's absence, as well as the conflicts between Sanford and the Swedish laborers.
Trafford was a company agent for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1882 to 1886. The FLCC was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board.In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County.
Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Trafford was a company agent for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1882 to 1886. The FLCC was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board.In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County.
Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Creator
Trafford, E. R.
Source
Original letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford, February 10, 1883: box 54, folder 18, subfolder 54.18.3, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Date Created
1883-02-10
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford, February 10, 1883.
Is Part Of
Box 54, Folder 18, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Florida Land Colonization Company Collection, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Requires
Format
application/pdf
Extent
357 KB
Medium
2-page handwritten letter
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Sanford, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by E. R. Trafford.
Donated to the Connecticut Historical Society after 1901.
Loaned to the Tennessee State Library and Archives for processing until June 1, 1960.
Donated by the General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum in 1960.
Rights Holder
The displayed collection item is housed at the General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum in Sanford, 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 the Sanford Museum to display this item for educational purposes only.
Curator
Fedorka, Drew M.
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
Fry, Joseph A. Diplomacy and Business in Nineteenth-Century America. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, 1982.
Munro, J. Forbes. Maritime Enterprise and Empire: Sir William MacKinnon and His Business Network, 1823-1893. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 2003.
Collection
Citation
Trafford, E. R., “Letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford (February 10, 1883),” RICHES, accessed November 17, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/4303.