Randall Chase at Belair Grove

Randall Chase at Belair Grove

Randall Chase at Belair

Lake Mary (Fla.)

Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)

Camellias

Citrus fruit industry--Florida

Agriculture--Florida

Randall Chase, son of Sydney Chase, examining a camellia bush at Belair Grove. In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased 23 square acres of land known as the Sanford Grant. The acreage included an experiment station called Belair located just three miles southwest of the city named after Sanford. By 1889, Sanford extended his land purchase to 145 acres and contained mainly orange and lemon trees. In Belair alone, Sanford introduced over 140 varieties of citrus plants. All were tested to determine if Florida citrus growers could introduce new varieties into the growing citrus market. Sanford also grew exotic plants acquired from Central and South America, many of which survived the 1886 freeze, including the camellia bushes. Sanford mainly used Belair as his own experiment station, but ultimately the findings and reports would be used by other citrus growers throughout Florida. Eventually, Sanford handed over the operations of Belair to Sydney and Joshua Chase. In 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. When Sydney Chase died in 1941, the family-operated company was handed down to his sons, Sydney Chase, Jr., Randall Chase, and Franklin Chase.

Written on back of photograph, "Cammellia Bush planted by Gen. Henry S. Sanford."

Chase & Company

Original black and white photograph by Chase & Company, January 1953: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.3C, item CC82, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

1953-01

Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph by Chase & Company, January 1953.

Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.3C, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Belair 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/jpeg

209 KB

1 black and white photograph

eng

Still Image

Lake Mary, Florida

28.779371, -81.301996

1953-01-01/1953-12-31

Donation

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

Marra, Katherine

University of Florida, Special and Area Studies Collections

Westgate, Philip J., and R. Bruce Ledin. "Belair Groves, Sanford, Pioneer in Sub-Tropical Horticultural Introductions." Florida State Horticultural Society 66 (1953): 184-187.

Some Account of Belair, Also of the City of Sanford Florida, With a Brief Sketch of Their Founder. Sanford, Florida: 1889.

Warner, S.C. "Development of Marketing Citrus Fruits in Florida." Florida State Horticultural Society vol. 36 (1923): 198-200.

"Belair Groves, Sanford, Pioneer in Sub-Tropical Horticultural Introductions"

"Development of Marketing Citrus Fruits in Florida"

1 black and white photograph