Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (November 21, 1930)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a letter from W. W. Wood, the possibility of filing a spray damage claim and other loss claims at Isleworth Grove, and the expected arrival of H. L. Frost around January 15th, 1931. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, November 21, 1930: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (November 26, 1921)
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 reading report of his visit to Isleworth Grove with Mr. Barger of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, research in developing mature color on citrus fruit peels in Florida, coloring arrangements made at Belair by Chase & Company in the past, a proposition to include Barger on a guarantee and commission basis at Isleworth, the poor market sales of grapefruit, and the slow output of Isleworth Seedlings. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, November 26, 1921: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (November 27, 1934)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a check collected from trucker T. W. Swope that has been put on hold by the Winter Park Bank. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, November 27, 1934: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Chase & Company Office, Sanford, Florida
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (November 3, 1924)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a lawsuit filed against the Windermere Company regarding its possession of land purchased from Sam Griffith. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, November 3, 1924: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Chase & Company Office, Jacksonville, Florida
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 14, 1919)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a clause in the Chase & Company's contract dealing with fruit prices and labor wages. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, October 14, 1919: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 19, 1934)
An original letter of correspondence written by Joshua Coffin Chase to his father and Chase & Company business partner, Sydney Octavius Chase. The letter discusses a meeting Joshua attended in Lakeland about the specifics on the proposed Federal Marketing Agreement on citrus and nationally standardized shipping rates. Chase participated in a meeting where citrus growers identified the production and merchandising issues they faced when selling grapefruit. Chase & Company was established 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, October 19, 1934: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.49, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Chase & Company Office, Orlando, Florida
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 25, 1923)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include information that Lee Guest would send to Sydney in regards to the Municipal Golf course and the rules and regulations. The Sanford Country Club and Golf Course, which is now named the Mayfair Country Club, was originally purchased as a portion of a 20,000-acre tract by General Joseph Finegan for $40. In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased the tract and sold some of it in 1878 to Charles Amory.In 1922, the City of Sanford bought 152-acres to design and construct a municipal 18-hole golf course. The course opened in October of 1922 with only four holes available for playing. The remainder of the golf course was opened in September of 1924. From the year 1927-1939, the golf course and country club experienced once of its most successful periods as it saw some of golfs greatest athletes, such as Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen. However, the club, for a time, saw a state of disrepair and depression. For a short time, the club became the Seminole County Club after renovation in 1945. Then, in the late 1940s, the New York Giants received the Mayfair Inn for Spring training, which allowed them to take control of the golf course. This led to the most prosperous period of the golf course and country club becoming a part of the PGA tour between 1955 to 1957, seeing players like Arnold Palmer tee-off on the course. In 2007, Maece Taylor, Inc. signed a 20-year lease with the City of Sanford for the golf course. In 2011, Maece Taylor filed a lawsuit against Sanford, claiming that the lease is invalid due to a clause in the contract that states that Donald Ross, a critically-acclaimed designer in the 1920s and 1930s, designed the golf course. The Chase papers contain letters that suggest that Cameron Trent designed the golf course, not Ross.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, October 25, 1923: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 50, folder 20.111, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Sanford Country Club and Golf Course, Sanford, Florida
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 26, 1931)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Joshua's visit to Isleworth Grove, the quality of grapefruit, and Joshua's letter to F. W. Davis regarding early varieties of citrus at Isleworth. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, October 26, 1931: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 3, 1924)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include the size, maturity, and quality of Isleworth grapefruit in comparison to grapefruit being shipped by the Manatee Fruit Company; the consumption of juice; and the inability of the authorities to end the Manatee Fruit Company's shipments. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, October 3, 1924: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 30, 1930)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Joshua's multiple visits to Isleworth Grove, the lack of maturity noted while inspecting crops, the estimated expenses of spraying, Joshua's introduction to the successor of Doctor O'Kane, the quality of tangerines, and the failed testing of grapefruit. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, October 30, 1930: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 14, 1923)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Honorable J. G. Bright's rejection of claims for abatement of the Isleworth Grove Company and C. C. Teague's and the California Fruit Growers Exchange's experience making abatement claims. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, September 14, 1923: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 20, 1919)
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 report regarding his visit to Isleworth Grove, the insufficient coloring and maturation of grapefruit, and a prediction of a very severe freeze by December 15, 1919. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, September 20, 1919: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 24, 1921)
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.
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.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 25, 1923)
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, an enclosed copy of a letter from the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to Sydney regarding the Isleworth Grove Company returns, and planning a trip to Washington, D.C. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, September 25, 1923: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chasee (December 8, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include the sale of Isleworth oranges to G. Angelo of Boston, Angelo's claim of 10 percent decay during shipment, the possible legitimacy of his claim, the low quality of the coloring process of oranges and tangerines at Isleworth Grove, and plans for the brothers to visit the grove. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, December 8, 1927: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to W. E. Edwards (April 26, 1928)
An original letter of correspondence between Joshua Coffin Chase and sales agent W. E. Edwards. Topics discussed in the letter include Isleworth packinghouse superintendent Corbett Hutchinson's upcoming business trip to New York City, New York, and Washington, D.C. and Chase's request to have Edwards visit Potomac Yards for inspection. 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.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to W. E. Edwards, April 26, 1928: box 49, folder 20.91, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Flacal Sales Agency, Star Building, Washington, D.C.
Letter from Joshua Coffin Coffin Chase to William Langford (March 27, 1922)
An original letter of correspondence between Joshua Coffin Chase and golf course engineer and landscaper William Langford. Topics discussed in the letter include Langford mapping a golf course for the Sanford Country Club and Golf Course. The Sanford Country Club and Golf Course, which is now named the Mayfair Country Club, was originally purchased as a portion of a 20,000-acre tract by General Joseph Finegan for $40. In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased the tract and sold some of it in 1878 to Charles Amory.In 1922, the City of Sanford bought 152-acres to design and construct a municipal 18-hole golf course. The course opened in October of 1922 with only four holes available for playing. The remainder of the golf course was opened in September of 1924. From the year 1927-1939, the golf course and country club experienced once of its most successful periods as it saw some of golfs greatest athletes, such as Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen. However, the club, for a time, saw a state of disrepair and depression. For a short time, the club became the Seminole County Club after renovation in 1945. Then, in the late 1940s, the New York Giants received the Mayfair Inn for Spring training, which allowed them to take control of the golf course. This led to the most prosperous period of the golf course and country club becoming a part of the PGA tour between 1955 to 1957, seeing players like Arnold Palmer tee-off on the course. In 2007, Maece Taylor, Inc. signed a 20-year lease with the City of Sanford for the golf course. In 2011, Maece Taylor filed a lawsuit against Sanford, claiming that the lease is invalid due to a clause in the contract that states that Donald Ross, a critically-acclaimed designer in the 1920s and 1930s, designed the golf course. The Chase papers contain letters that suggest that Cameron Trent designed the golf course, not Ross.
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to William Langford, March 27, 1922: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 50, folder 20.111, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
West Palm Beach Golf Course, West Palm Beach, Florida
Letter from Kenneth A. Plante to Gary I. Sharp (June 27, 1975)
A letter from Senator Kenneth A. Plante (1939-2015) to Gary I. Sharp, dated June 27, 1975. In this letter, Sen. Plante states that he endorses a potential purchase by the State of Florida of the Gourd Neck Springs area for use as a potential recreational park. Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary I. Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Kenneth A. Plante to Gary I. Sharp, June 27, 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from Kenneth E. Metcalf to Edna P. Hancock (May 3, 1945)
A letter from Kenneth E. Metcalf to Edna P. Hancock dated May 3, 1945. In the letter, Metcalf, who was the chaplain of the 179th Infantry Regiment, expresses sympathy for the death of Hancock's husband, Sergeant John B. Hancock (1913-1944), who Killed in Action (KIA) while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Sgt. Hancock was born in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1913, but later migrated to Auburndale, Florida. Hancock managed a Great Atlantic Pacific Tea Company store in Haines City until he enlisted in the 45th Infantry Division's 179th Infantry Regiment. Sgt. Hancock served initially in Africa in 1943, until the 45th Infantry Division's participation in the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. The division then went on to participate in the Allied invasion of Italy, where Sgt. Hancock was injured. He was returned to duty in February of 1944 in southern France. On November 1, 1944, Sgt. Hancock went Missing in Action (MIA) after serving in the Allied invasion of Southern France, codenamed Operation Dragoon. He was eventually buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Kenneth E. Metcalf to Edna P. Hancock, May 3, 1945: Private Collection of Linda Hughes.
Letter from L. L. Faulk & Son to the Oviedo Woman's Club
A letter from L. L. Faulk & Son to the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) regarding a construction contract to build a new clubhouse. The Oviedo Woman's Club, which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original letter from L. L. Faulk & Son to the Oviedo Woman's Club: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
Letter from Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. to Mrs. Brashears and Herly Mae Wainright (February 13, 1981)
A letter from Senator Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. to Mrs. Brashears and Herly Mae Wainright dated February 13, 1981. In the letter, Senator Chiles declines an invitation to attend the 75th anniversary celebration of the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC), which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas. Chiles is best known for serving as the 41st Governor of Florida from 1991 to 1998. A veteran of the Korean War, Chiles attend law school in his home state of Florida. He began practicing in law in 1955 and was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1958. In 1970, Chiles defeated the incumbent in his bid for the U.S. Senate. He retired from politics in 1989, but was convinced to run for Governor in 1990. Chiles again beat his incumbent. As Governor, his legacy consisted of health care reform, hurricane recovery from Hurricane Andrew, and education reforms. Chiles died of a heart attack while in office.
Original letter from Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. to Mrs. Brashears and Herly Mae Wainright, February 13, 1981: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Letter from Letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford (April 24, 1884)
A letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford, dated April 24, 1884. The letter provided confirmation that Trafford received fived deeds that he had previously sent to Sanford for signing. He also updated Sanford on the status of several land grant requests to the federal government, adding that "some of our patents [land grants] are at Gainesville[sic]." Trafford was a company agent for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1882 to 1886. He served as the company’s local representative, managing the company office in Sanford, Florida. He was selected by the board of the FLCC, despite resistance from the President and Chairman of the Board, Henry Shelton Sanford. Unlike his predecessor, James Ingraham, Trafford provided Henry Sanford with little confidential, first-hand information about events in Florida. As a result, Sanford regularly advocated for Trafford’s replacement. However, the company’s other board members, distrustful of Henry Sanford’s business acumen, retained Trafford precisely because his first loyalties remained with the company in London and not Henry Sanford. His tenure as FLCC agent is reflective of the often tense relationship between Henry Sanford and his fellow board members as well as the increasingly limited influence Sanford had in company affairs. 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. Located at 13 Austin Friars in London, 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 and Marion counties. 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. As a result of consistently meager profits from its inception, 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.
Original letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford, April 24, 1884: box 54, folder 18, subfolder 54.18.30, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Florida Land and Colonization Company Office, Sanford, Florida
Letter from Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (December 22, 1913)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include A. Q. Lancaster's block contract to clean newly purchased land at Isleworth Grove, management plans for the acreage in case of decreased prices or a damaging freeze, and resuming operations on oranges. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. 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.
Original letter from Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, December 22, 1913: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
St. James Building, Jacksonville, Florida
Letter from Lillian Della Lee Lawton to the Oviedo Women's Club
A letter from Lillian Della Lee Lawton (1882-1977) to the President and members of the Oviedo Women's Club. In the letter, Lawton reports the purchases and finances of the Park Committee. The Oviedo Woman's Club was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the FFWC and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original letter from Lillian Della Lee Lawton to the Oviedo Women's Club: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Letter from Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. to George A. Chatelain (October 9, 1954)
A letter from Orlando Postmaster Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. (ca. 1919-2012) to George A. Chatelain of Mansura, Louisiana. This letter was written in response to Chatelain’s inquiry regarding the purchase of sweet potatoes. Bryant suggests Otto Cooper, presumably a local farmer. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Bryant settled in Orlando's College Park neighborhood. At the time of his death in 2012, Bryant was the longest-serving postmaster for Orlando, a position that he held from 1951 to 1983. In 1952, William Beardall (1890-1954) appointed Bryant to the local aviation advisory board, which he served of for 22 years.
Original letter, October 9, 1954 from Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. to George A. Chatelain: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Letter from Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. to Germain Gerin (December 12, 1966)
A letter from Orlando Postmaster Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. (ca. 1919-2012) to Germain Gerin. In the letter, Bryant invites gerin to visit the Downtown Orlando Post Office in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Gerin, an employee of a post office in Paris, was visiting her son, John Gerin, for Christmas. John was a French exchange student studying at Bishop Moore High School and living with Richard Rupp's family. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Bryant settled in Orlando's College Park neighborhood. At the time of his death in 2012, Bryant was the longest-serving postmaster for Orlando, a position that he held from 1951 to 1983. In 1952, William Beardall (1890-1984) appointed Bryant to the local aviation advisory board, which he served on for 22 years.
Original letter from Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. to Germain Gerin, December 12, 1966: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Letter from Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. to H. V. Campbell (November 11, 1975)
A letter from Orlando Postmaster Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. (ca. 1919-2012) to H. V. Campbell, the manager of the Tampa district. The letter is regarding a memorandum from November 3, 1973, that requests any obsolete artifacts from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), to be donated to the Florida Bureau of Historical Museums. The bureau was established in 1967 when the Florida Legislature established the Florida Board of Archives and History to replace the Florida Board of Antiquities. The board included three additional bureaus: the Bureau of Archives and Records Management, the Bureau of Historic Sites and Properties, and the Bureau of Publications. In 1969, the Florida Division of Archives, History and Records Management was created to replace the board. The division was later renamed the Florida Division of Historical Resources in 1986.
Original letter from Lucius A. Bryant, Jr. to H. V. Campbell, November 11, 1975: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Letter from M. C. Muddleson to James D. Beggs, Jr. (January 16, 1941)
A letter from M. C. Muddleson to Orlando Postmaster James D. Beggs, Jr., dated January 16, 1941. In the letter, Muddleson discusses plans for the dedication ceremony of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Original letter from M. C. Muddleson to James D. Beggs, Jr., January 16, 1941: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Letter from Mahim A. Leitzel to James D. Beggs, Jr. (April 10, 1941)
In this letter, Mahim A. Leitzel informs James D. Beggs, Jr. that he plans to attend the dedication ceremony of the Downtown Orlando Post Office in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on April 15, 1941. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Original letter from Mahim A. Leitzel to James D. Beggs, Jr., April 10, 1941: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Letter from Manager of the Evangelist to Sydney Ocatvius Chase (September 21, 1889)
An original letter of correspondence between the manager of The Chinese Evangelist, a Chinese-language Christian periodical founded in New York in the 1880s, and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a young man who was interested in working for Chase & Company. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter to Sydney Ocatvius Chase, September 21, 1889: box 173, folder 2.40, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
The Christian Evangelist, New York City, New York
Letter from Mary Crawford Williams to the Sanford High School Class of 1926 (June 5, 1976)
A letter from Mary Crawford Williams to the Sanford High School Class of 1926. The letter consists of a two-page list of graduates and their addresses as of 1976, as well as a typed letter informing the alumni of a manuscript written about Sanford and Lake Mary. The manuscript is titled "The Roaring Twenties in Lake Mary and Sanford, Florida," which was written by Margaret Sprout Green, and is about her school days in Sanford, Florida, from 1919 to 1929. It also gives a full history of Lake Mary to 1930. The end of the letter provides the recipient with the option to be notified when the book would be available for purchase. Sanford High School was originally established at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on Sanford Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. The building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012. In 1927, a high school campus was designed by Elton J. Moughton in the Mediterranean revival style and constructed at 1700 French Avenue. The school reopened on January 10 and was renamed Seminole High School. In 1960, the high school moved to a new campus at 2701 Ridgewood Avenue and the former building on French Avenue was converted to Sanford Junior High School, which was later renamed Sanford Middle School. The old building was demolished in the summer of 1991 and replaced by a $5.77 million school complex. As of 2013, Seminole High School offers various Advanced Placement courses, the Academy for Health Careers, and the International Baccalaureate Programme for students.
Original letter from Mary Crawford Williams to the Sanford High School Class of 1926, June 5, 1976: Sanford High School Collection, box 3A, folder Cornerstone 1926, item SCPS00529, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from Morris I. Diamond to All Distributors, Promotion Managers and Regional Managers (December 28, 1965)
Music--New York (State)--New York--20th century
A letter of correspondence from Morris I. Diamond, National Promotion Director of Mercury Record Corporation, to all distributors, promotion managers and regional manager. Diamond mentions a new Mercury single called "Everybody Do the Duck", that had been sent to the recipients the previous week. Diamond praises the song and the band, The Young Executives. A black and white promotional photograph of the group is attached. The word "Young" is handwritten in between the typed words "The" and Executives", indicating that the band's name had been updated. Initially called the Executives, the band was formed in 1963 by Jesse Cutler (then known as Lou London), Ricky Shutter and Steve Wagner. The band signed to Mercury Records in 1964, where they recorded a hit single called "Everybody Do the Duck". That same year, the band appeared as guests on the Joe Franklin Show, Wonderama, The Clay Cole Show, American Bandstand, Hullaballoo and Shindig. Over the next two years they performed at charity events and private celebrity parties all over Long Island and New York City. They played in the company of the Rolling Stones, Sammy Davis Jr., Barbra Streisand, Anthony Newley, Joan Collins and the Beatles. The group broke up in 1966. Jesse Cutler has spent an illustrious career, beginning at age 12, as a musician, composer, actor, producer, and entrepreneur. Starting in New York City in the 1960s and then in Los Angeles from the early ‘70s through the late ‘90s, Jesse performed with his bands and in the original cast of Godspell on Broadway, made records that saw Billboard’s Top 100, formed his own companies and appeared on TV and radio and in national print.
1-page typewritten letter, December 28, 1965: Personal Collection of Jesse Cutler.
RICHES
Mercury Record Corporation, Chicago, Illinois
Letter from Morris I. Diamond to Lou Gibaldi (December 20, 1965)
A letter of correspondence from Morris I. Diamond, National Promotion Director of Mercury Record Corporation, to Lou Gibaldi. Diamond informs Gibaldi that he received his letter and picutres of The Young Executives, and requests that a few thousand more be sent so that he could mail them to all radio stations. Diamond says that they all like the record and asks if the band is available to do some promotion. He asks if the kids in the band go to school and requests a complete biography on all three of them. Initially called the Executives, the band was formed in 1963 by Jesse Cutler (then known as Lou London), Ricky Shutter and Steve Wagner. The band signed to Mercury Records in 1964, where they recorded a hit single called "Everybody Do the Duck". That same year, the band appeared as guests on the Joe Franklin Show, Wonderama, The Clay Cole Show, American Bandstand, Hullaballoo and Shindig. Over the next two years they performed at charity events and private celebrity parties all over Long Island and New York City. They played in the company of the Rolling Stones, Sammy Davis Jr., Barbra Streisand, Anthony Newley, Joan Collins and the Beatles. The group broke up in 1966. Jesse Cutler has spent an illustrious career, beginning at age 12, as a musician, composer, actor, producer, and entrepreneur. Starting in New York City in the 1960s and then in Los Angeles from the early ‘70s through the late ‘90s, Jesse performed with his bands and in the original cast of Godspell on Broadway, made records that saw Billboard’s Top 100, formed his own companies and appeared on TV and radio and in national print.
1-page typewritten letter, December 20, 1965: Personal Collection of Jesse Cutler.
Letter from Mrs. G. A. Fulmer to the Oviedo Woman's Club (February 13, 1981)
A letter from Mrs. G. A. Fulmer to the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) dated February 13, 1981. In the letter, Fulmer declines an invitation to attend the 75th anniversary celebration of the Oviedo Woman's Club, which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original letter from Mrs. G. A. Fulmer to the Oviedo Woman's Club, February 13, 1981: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Woman's Club of Leesburg, Leesburg, Florida
Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (February 23, 1957)
A letter from the manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, Myrtle Colson, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated February 23, 1957. Colson expresses her belief that the upcoming tourist season would be one of the best yet, for both Weeki Wachee Springs and for the museum. She provides May with an anecdote of the Springs manager, Joe Seltzer, having to help sell tickets because there were so many people at the Springs, and that on the same day, the museum sold 168 tickets. As John May lived in Colorado and the May Museum of the Tropics was located in Florida, communication between employer, employees, and other staff at Weeki Wachee Springs was limited predominantly to letters of correspondence. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original 1-page typed letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May, February 23, 1957: May Natural History Museum
May Museum of the Tropics, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (February 25, 1959)
A letter from Myrtle Colson, manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated February 25, 1959. Colson discusses a surprise audit from the owners of Weeki Wachee, The Florida Chain of Theaters. She writes that a comptroller visited the museum, inquiring about the museum's accounting books and records of business. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original 2-page typewritten letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May, February 25, 1959: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (June 1, 1958)
A letter from Myrtle Colson, manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated June 1, 1958. Colson tells May about the increasing sales to the museum due to efforts of the new owner of Weeki Wachee Springs, and discusses a new employee. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original 1-page typewritten letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May, June 1, 1958: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (March 1, 1959)
A letter from the manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, Myrtle Colson, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated March 1, 1959. The letter celebrates the recent high number of visitors that the Museum had. Additionally, the letter informs May that the management of the Weeki Wachee Springs, where the museum was located, wanted a daily report of sales as well as weekly and monthly reports. As John May lived in Colorado and the May Museum of the Tropics was located in Florida, communication between employer, employees, and other staff at Weeki Wachee Springs was limited predominantly to letters of correspondence. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original 1-page typed letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May, March 1, 1959: May Natural History Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (March 28, 1956)
A letter from Myrtle Colson, manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated March 28, 1956. Myrtle writes that earlier in the day, she allowed an African-American couple to enter the museum, as he had instructed employees to do. Later in the day, after news spread to Joe Seltzer, manager of Weeki Wachee Springs, he reprimanded her and instructed her not to let any other African-Americans in the museum. He also told her to put up a sign that read, "We reserve the right to refuse admission to anyone". Myrtle writes that she tried to defend her decision, citing a Supreme Court decision, to which Seltzer replied that the decision did not apply to the Springs. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original 2-page typewritten letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May, March 28, 1956: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from Myrtle Colson to John May (February 11, 1961)
A letter from the manager of the the May Museum of the Tropics, Myrtle Colson, to the owner of the museum, John May. The letter details concerns that the manager was having with an employee as well as her complaints about being excluded from certain business matters. As John May lived in Colorado and the May Museum of the Tropics was located in Florida, communication between employer, employees, and other staff at Weeki Wachee Springs was limited predominantly to letters of correspondence. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original 3-page letter from Myrtle Colson to John May, February 11, 1961: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to Arthur W. Sinclair (February 9, 1967)
A letter from O. E. Frye, Jr., director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, to Arthur W. Sinclair, executive manager of the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce, in response to Sinclair's questions about seining viability in Lake Apopka. Frye states that the seining experiments in Lake Griffin are not yet complete, and that in general, seining alone will not be sufficient to restore Lake Apopka. Frye stresses the need for a concerted effort between government agencies to begin restoring the lake.
Original 2-page typewritten letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to Arthur W. Sinclair, February 9, 1967: binder 1967, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, Florida
Letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to Claude Collins (April 25, 1966)
A letter from O. E. Frye Jr., the director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, to Claude Collins. Frye writes in response to Collins' concerns regarding sportsfishing in the St. John's River, and informs him that Florida Governor William Haydon Burns is reforming the St. John's River Advisory Committee to investigate problems on the river.
Photocopy of original typewritten letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to Claude Collins, April 25, 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, Tallahassee, Florida
Letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to John A. Sutton (June 21, 1962)
A letter of correspondence from O. E. Frye, Jr., Assistant Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, to the Honorable John A. Sutton. The letter discusses possible legal action against those responsible for the 1962 Lake Apopka fish kill. Frye considers a successful legal action to be unlikely, and states his intention to explore possible regulations that could be applied to those responsible for the fish kill. The letter also congratulates Sutton on his success in the Democratic Primary Election, representing Florida's district 11, newly created that year, in the 1962 elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was later defeated by Republican Edward Gurney.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to John A. Sutton, June 21, 1962: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Orange County Courthouse, Orlando, Florida
Letter from Oland J. Kershaw to Arthur W. Sinclair (May 23, 1966)
A letter from Oland J. Kershaw, chairman of the Indian River Shellfish Association, to Arthur W. Sinclair, Executive Secretary-Manager of the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce. Kershaw writes in response to a letter by Sinclair published in The Sentinel calling for action on water pollution. Kershaw tells Sinclair of his organization and their goals, and that they hope to work with Sinclair and other anti-pollution groups to rally citizen support for environmental restoration.
Original typewritten letter from Oland J. Kershaw to Arthur W. Sinclair, May 23, 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from Paul H. Heimer to J. P. Cullen & Son (April 28, 1941)
A letter from Construction Engineer Paul H. Heimer to J. P. Cullen & Son regarding final photographs of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office. J. P. Cullen & Son was the general contractor for the construction of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Original letter from Paul H. Heimer to J. P. Cullen & Son, April 28, 1941: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Letter from Paul H. Heimer to J. P. Cullen & Son (May 3, 1941)
A letter from Construction Engineer Paul H. Heimer to J. P. Cullen & Son acknowledging receipt of their letter from April 30, 1941. J. P. Cullen & Son was the general contractor for the construction of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. J. P. Cullen & Son was the general contractor for the construction of the new building. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land of Jefferson Street for the new building. The building was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Original letter from Paul H. Heimer to J. P. Cullen &amp
Son, May 3, 1941: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Letter from Paula Fickes Hawkins to the Oviedo Woman's Club (February 12, 1981)
A letter from Senator Paula Fickes Hawkins to the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) dated February 12, 1981. In the letter, Senator Hawkins declines an invitation to attend the 75th anniversary celebration of the Oviedo Woman's Club, which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas. Hawkins migrated to Winter Park, Florida, in 1955. In 1971, Hawkins became the Florida Republican National Committeewoman. In 1972, she became the first woman to be elected to a statewide office in Florida when she won a seat on the Florida Public Service Commission, a position to which she was re-elected in 1967. Hawkins ran for the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate race in 1974, but lose. In 1978, she unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor. In 1980, Hawkins was elected to the U.S. Senate, effectively become Florida's first female elected to the Senate and the Sout's fifth woman. Hawkins' tenure as senate is best known for her activism in child welfare. She lost her reelection bid to then-Governor Bob Graham in 1986 and returned to her home in Winter Park in 1987. She served as the U.S. representative to the Organization of American States Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) for 7 years before retiring from politics.
Original letter from Paula Fickes Hawkins to the Oviedo Woman's Club, February 12, 1981: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Letter from Percy D. Blunt to the Editor of The Winter Garden Times (April 1, 1966)
A letter to the editor of The Winter Garden Times from Percy D. Blunt, who served as the Mayor of Winter Garden, Florida, from 1963 to 1965. In the letter, Blunt comments on a previous editorial which called for rejuvenation of tourism and water sports on Lake Apopka. Blunt believes that for this to be possible, citizen advocacy groups must form to combat the special interests groups who benefit from the pollution of the lake. Blunt mentions several state legislators that he appealed to for help in restoring the lake, without success. He also mentions the polluted state of Lulu Creek, which flows through Winter Garden and carried citrus processing discharge into Lake Apopka.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: Blunt, Percy D. "Letter to the Editor." The Winter Garden Times, April 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from Peter C. H. Pritchard to Gary I. Sharp (June 3, 1975)
A letter from Peter C. H. Pritchard (b. 1943) to Gary I. Sharp, dated June 3, 1975. In this letter, Dr. Pritchard, Vice President of the Florida Audubon Society, writes in support of Sharp's proposal that the Gourd Neck Springs area of Lake Apopka be acquired for use as a public park. Dr. Pritchard states that the area is too small for purchase under the State of Florida's Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) program, but that the area has environmental value and would be worth acquiring by the public. Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary I. Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Peter C. H. Pritchard to Gary I. Sharp, June 3, 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from Pierre B to the National Personnel Center (May 17, 2012)
English translation of a letter written in French from Pierre B to the National Personnel Center (NPRC), asking for Harry Weber’s contact information and detailing how Weber saved Pierre and a friend from a grenade left behind by the Germans. Pierre was a boy of 9 when Harry Weber saved him from a grenade the Germans left behind in his village after the D-Day invasion. Harry Weber’s family received the letter with his records from the NPRC. Harry Weber was born on July 11, 1917. His mother, Eva, and father, Abraham, immigrated to the United States from Russia. Harry entered the United States Army in January 1943, at the age of 25 during World War II. Ten months after entering the Army, he married Edith Chizefsky. After returning to the United States, Harry Weber worked as a salesman and a librarian. He and Edith had three daughters. Weber is buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of typewritten translated letter.
Letter from R. R. Reid to Bishop John Moore (June 6, 1881)
A letter of correspondence between R. R. Reid, a property and store owner in Palatka, and Bishop John Moore over the purchase of a plot of land. At the time, Bishop Moore was in charge of the St. Augustine Catholic Diocese, which included Orlando, Florida. In 1881, he purchased a block in Downtown Orlando that was encompassed by Magnolia Avenue, Orange Avenue, Jefferson Street, and Robinson Street. The church was finished in 1887 and was originally named the Holy Nativity Catholic Church. In 1888, the name was changed to St. James Catholic Church.
Original handwritten letter from R. R. Reid to Bishop John Moore, June 6, 1881: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Letter from Randall Chase to A. Q. Lancaster (August 9, 1919)
An original letter of correspondence between Randall Chase and A. Q. Lancaster. Topics discussed in the letter include Mr. Watkins' request for his son's employment at Isleworth Grove, Chase's request for Lancaster to allow Watkins' son to board with him, and the employment of an Army veteran with experience as a packing house foreman and picking foreman. 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to A. Q. Lancaster, 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.
Letter from Randall Chase to Corbett Hutchinson (March 20, 1931)
An original letter of correspondence between Randall Chase and Isleworth packinghouse superintendent Corbett Hutchinson. Topics discussed in the letter include the positive results from the Isleworth shipments via Clyde Line and instructions to continue shipment along said route. 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Corbett Hutchinson, March 20, 1931: box 49, folder 20.91, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Randall Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (August 9, 1919)
An original letter of correspondence between Randall Chase and his uncle, Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a fight between a white laborer's 13-year-old son and a colored laborer at Isleworth Grove and the boarding arrangements for the boy once he is released from the hospital in Orlando. 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Joshua Coffin 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.
Letter from Randall Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (February 29, 1928)
An original letter of correspondence between Randall Chase and his uncle, Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a laborer Smith's release from jail after a fight with another laborer's son and allowing Smith to return to work 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, February 29, 1928: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 49, folder 20.83, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Randall Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, Sydney Octavius Chase, Sr., William A. Leffler, and Sydney Octavius Chase, Jr. (January 9, 1934)
An original letter of correspondence from Randall Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, Sydney Octavius Chase, Sr., William A. Leffler, and Sydney Octavius Chase, Jr. A portion of the letter discusses Harold Mowry and Arthur Forrest Camp's experiments using zinc sulphate on soil to help absorb fertilizers. In 1934, Mowry and Camp wrote a detailed report on their findings called, A Preliminary Report of Zinc Sulphate as a Corrective for Bronzing of Tung Trees. Other topics discussed in the letter include issues surrounding packaging and shipments in the Florida citrus industry and innovative cooling systems used to ship fruits and vegetables out of Jacksonville. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, Sydney Octavius Chase, Sr., William A. Leffler, and Sydney Octavius Chase, Jr., January 9, 1934: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.48, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase (May 12, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Randall Chase to his father and Chase & Company business partner Sydney Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include the marketing of the Sunniland brand, selling celery, and company shipments. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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. 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, May 12, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.48, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase (October 29, 1936)
An original letter of correspondence written by Randall Chase to his father and Chase & Company business partner Sydney Chase. A portion of the letter includes information about Chase & Company's involvement at Wabasso Grove, Vero Beach, and Fort Pierce. Other topics mentioned include color added treatments, and tangerine and orange production. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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. 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, October 29, 1936: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.48, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, and Sydney Chase, Jr. (December 28, 1936)
An original letter of correspondence written by Randall Chase to his father and Chase & Company business partner Sydney Chase. The letter discusses the troubles the Florida citrus industry faced in 1936 in selling grapefruit to its fullest potential. Randall Chase participated in a meeting where citrus growers identified the production and merchandising issues they faced when selling grapefruit. In that same year, a W .C. Daniells of Eustis wrote an article entitled, "The Plight of Grapefruit." In the article, Daniells stressed citrus growers and producers in Florida to start advertising the importance of grapefruit to a healthy life. Chase & Company was established by the brothers 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. 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, and Sydney Chase, Jr., December 28, 1936: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.48, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, Sydney Chase, Jr., and William A. Leffler (November 9, 1935)
Holland, Spessard L. (Spessard Lindsey), 1892-1971
An original letter of correspondence between Randall Chase and a group of business partners from Chase & Company. A portion of the letter discusses the issue surrounding Florida citrus growers and coloring adding. The color-added process involved spraying oranges with edible food coloring to make the citrus products more appealing to consumers. Similar coloring was used in butter, ice cream, and candy. In 1936, L.P. Kirkland, mentioned in the letter, wrote an article for the Florida State Horticultural Society entitled, "The 'Color Added' Situation." According to the letter and the report Kirkland wrote, he and other Florida citrus growers supported coloring their oranges since consumers usually associated oranges with the color added stamp with a higher quality product. Other topics discussed in the letter include information collected during a citrus meeting in Lakeland regarding the Federal Marketing Agreement, and the disagreement between Florida citrus growers and Chase & Company Sales Manager, W.H. Mouser, on increasing the unit of sale of citrus products in New York City. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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. 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, Sydney Chase, Jr., and William A. Leffler, November 9, 1935: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.48, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase (February 17, 1931)
An original letter of correspondence between Randall Chase and his father Sydney Octavius Chase and his uncle Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company's proposition to set poles through 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.
Original letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase, February 17, 1931: box 49, folder 20.83, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Richard H. Langley to Gary I. Sharp (February 24, 1975)
A letter from Florida State Representative Richard H. Langley to Gary I. Sharp, dated February 24, 1975). In this letter, Rep. Langley endorses the potential acquisition of the Gourd Neck Springs area by the State of Florida. Rep. Langley states his endorsement is given only on the condition that the state prohibits further discharge into Lake Apopka. Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary I. Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Richard H. Langley to Gary I. Sharp, February 24, 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Gourd Neck Springs, Lake Apopka, Florida
Letter from Robert "Bob" W. Sherman to Henry F. Swanson (June 19, 1963)
A letter of correspondence from Robert "Bob" W. Sherman, the Killarney Fish Camp Operator, to Henry F. Swanson, the Orange County Agriculture Extension Agent. The letter is written in response to a farming brochure, "A to Zellwood", describing the Zellwood Drainage and Water Control District. Sherman disputes some of the claims made in this brochure, and reminds Swanson that experts convened by the State in June 1963 to examine the fish kills in Lake Apopka did not rule out pesticides as the cause of death.
Photocopy of original 2-page typewritten letter from Robert "Bob" W. Sherman to Henry F. Swanson, June 19, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from Robert D. Moran to Pilgrim Black
A letter of correspondence from Robert D. Moran, administrator of the Workplace Standards Administration in the United States Department of Labor, to Pilgrim Black. In the letter, Moran informs Black that the minimum wage for nonfarm employees was to be raised from $1.45/ per hour to $1.60 per hour effective February 1, 1971 and that the minimum wage for farm workers would remain unchanged at $1.30 per hour. Black was born in 1905, although some records list 1907 as his birth year. Pilgrim and Lula Mae Haynes (1917-2007) Black were migrant crew leaders, and thus migrated to Wayne County in Upstate New York in the summers and back to their home in Sanford for the rest of the year. Pilgrim was the son of Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca.1870-ca.1934), who migrated to Sanford from South Carolina in the 1800s. Harry and Maggie had several children: Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Leatha Black Walker (1889-1976), Pilgrim Black, Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. In 1911, Harry owned a grocery store at 206 South Sanford Avenue. One day, he came home from work with pneumonia and passed away shortly thereafter. Pilgrim was nine years old when his father passed away. Maggie was the daughter of former slaves, Isaac and Roseanna Benjamin, and the sister of Nathan Benjamin, Pledge Benjamin, Sam Benjamin, Loui Benjamin, Chainey Benjamin, Lara Benjamin, Melvina Benjamin, and Katie Benjamin. Pilgrim had to quit school at age 11 in order to provide for his mother, originally working in a mill house until he was 18 years old. After declining a management position, he traveled to Wayne County to pick cherries, apples, pears, and other crops. He broke a bone after falling from an apple tree his first year and decided to try farm labor on a potato farm in Red Creek, New York, instead. Don Holdridge, the farmer who owned the land, noted Pilgrim's high rate of productivity and offered him a management position supervising up to thirty workers at once, which he accepted. While in Sanford, Pilgrim also worked as a foreman in Sanford for Chase & Company for over 30 years. He married Lula in 1937 and they had several children together, including Vivian Louise Black (1940-); Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-), and Patricia Ann Black (1956-).
Original letter from Robert D. Moran to Pilgrim Black: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.
Letter from Robert W. Hunt to Members of Temple of Liberal Judaism (March 31, 1960)
A letter from Robert W. Hunt, President of the Orange County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), to the members of the Temple of Liberal Judaism, on March 31, 1960. A memorandum received from the national office of the NAACP was attached to the letter. Hunt states that anyone who reads the memorandum would be in sympathy with the cause of the NAACP. He urges all sympathizers to boycott shopping at Woolworth, Kress, Grant, Kresge and McCrory.
Original typewritten letter from Robert W. Hunt to Members of Temple of Liberal Judaism, March 31, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
First Unitarian Church of Orlando
Temple of Liberal Judaism, Orlando, Florida
Letter from Sally Cameron to Arthur W. Sinclair (July 25, 1966)
A letter from Sally Cameron, Director of Research for Claude Roy Kirk, Jr.'s (1926-2011) gubernatorial campaign, in response to an earlier letter from Arthur W. Sinclair, the Executive Secretary-Manager for the City of Winter Garden, asking for future action on Lake Apopka if Kirk becomes governor. Cameron writes that Kirk has personally read Sinclair's letter, and has included Lake Apopka restoration within his conservation program. Claude Roy Kirk, Jr. was elected governor in 1966, and formed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection during his time as governor.
Original typewritten letter from Sally Cameron to Arthur W. Sinclair, July 25, 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Kirk for Governor State Headquarters, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Letter from Senior Materials Engineer to J. P. Cullen & Son (April 23, 1941)
A letter from Senior Materials Engineer of J. P. Cullen & Son to coworkers regarding the use of Magnolia non-staining cement for the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, in Downtown Orlando, Florida. J. P. Cullen & Son was the general contractor for the construction of the new building. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Original letter from Senior Materials Engineer to J. P. Cullen & Son, April 23, 1941: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Letter from Shlora Bruth to Herly Mae Wainright (February 13, 1981)
A letter from Shlora Bruth to Herly Mae Wainright dated February 13, 1981. In the letter, Bruth declines an invitation to attend the 75th anniversary celebration of the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC), which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original letter from Shlora Bruth to Herly Mae Wainright, February 13, 1981: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Letter from Steen Nelson to Annie Tes Rae (July 20, 1938)
A letter of correspondence from Steen Nelson, co-founder of Nelson and Company, to Annie Tes Rae, a representative of the Southern Women's Study Club, dated July 20, 1938. In the letter, Nelson explains how the town of Oviedo was named. Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918) was the Swedish immigrant credited with naming the town of Oviedo, Florida. Aulin immigrated to Oviedo in 1870 and, in 1879, he was appointed the postmaster of the area formerly called the Lake Jesup Settlement. Aulin also founded the local Ionic Lodge, which was the predecessor to the Masonic Lodge. Aulin was married to Emma Leonora Lawton Aulin (1853-1907) and had five children: Theodore Aulin (1874-1907), Willie Aulin, Martha Lenora Aulin (b. 1844), Mary Hannah Aulin (1887-1974), and Andrew Aulin, Jr. (1893-1964).
Original letter from Steen Nelson to Annie Tes Rae, July 20, 1938: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (September 2, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include information about Chase & Company operations, the company's status on growing celery, and the controversy surrounding the Seminole County Bank and its founder, politician Forrest Lake. By the 1890s, Lake became known as a local politician in Sanford, Florida, and later became a member of state government. He was charged with bank fraud in 1928 and was forced to close the Seminole County Bank. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, September 2, 1927: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (August 26, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include the proposed creation of a Clearing House organization led by Chase & Company, and the brothers' reaction to Archie Pratt's, chairman of the Florida Citrus Exchange, comments on the matter. Sydney also enclosed a copy a letter from Joshua address to Pratt on August 21, 1927. Chase & Company was established by the brothers 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. The Florida Citrus Exchange was founded by a group of growers on June 21, 1909 to help improve production of citrus in the state. Members shared facilities and helped establish operation and shipping standards. Both Sydney and Joshua Chase were hesitant to join the Exchange because they did not want to jeopardize the business they had successfully managed. Chase & Company eventually became a part of the Exchange, but backed out three years later.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, August 26, 1927: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (August 29, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. The letter contains information about an interview Sydney and other members of the Florida Citrus Exchange had with a Mr. Edward Fisher, an examiner from the Federal Trade Commission. The topic of discussion between the group of men related to the Florida Citrus Exchange's methods in marketing in comparison to independent marketing campaigns. Sydney also recounts a trip through Gainesville, Florida, to inspect tung oil groves. Chase & Company was established by the brothers 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. The Florida Citrus Exchange was founded by a group of growers on June 21, 1909 to help improve production of citrus in the state. Members shared facilities and helped establish operation and shipping standards. Both Sydney and Joshua Chase were hesitant to join the Exchange because they did not want to jeopardize the business they had successfully managed. Chase & Company eventually became a part of the Exchange, but backed out three years later.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, August 29, 1927: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (February 18, 1928)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include information about an annual banquet held at Penney Farms, and other information about members of the Florida Citrus Exchange including L. W. Tilden and Earl Work. Chase & Company was established by the brothers 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. The Florida Citrus Exchange was founded by a group of growers on June 21, 1909 to help improve production of citrus in the state. Members shared facilities and helped establish operation and shipping standards. Both Sydney and Joshua Chase were hesitant to join the Exchange because they did not want to jeopardize the business they had successfully managed. Chase & Company eventually became a part of the Exchange, but backed out three years later.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, February 18, 1928: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (January 11, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. The letter contains information about the Federated Fruit & Vegetable Association of America and how growers from the West Coast were urged to join the organizations. Sydney also includes information about cold weather conditions and what needs to be done to certain Chase & Company groves. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, January 11, 1927: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (March 17, 1928)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. The letter contains information about W. J. Lee, an agent in the Florida Citrus Clearinghouse, and his motive for other Florida agents to use content in a recently printed newspaper article to interest potential customers. Sydney's disapproval on the matter and the need for the Exchange's chairman, Archie M. Pratt, to be the sole person making decisions for all Florida agents is also discussed in the letter. Carbon copies of Sydney's letter to Lee and Lee's letter to all Florida agents were also enclosed. Chase & Company was established by the brothers in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was established by the brothers 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. The Florida Citrus Exchange was founded by a group of growers on June 21, 1909 to help improve production of citrus in the state. Members shared facilities and helped establish operation and shipping standards. Both Sydney and Joshua Chase were hesitant to join the Exchange because they did not want to jeopardize the business they had successfully managed. Chase & Company eventually became a part of the Exchange, but backed out three years later. In 1928, Pratt operated and managed the Florida Citrus Clearinghouse.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, March 17, 1928: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (March 27, 1928)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Eli Walker (the "Granddaddy of the citrus business" in the Vero and Wabasso area of Florida); Chase & Company's acquisition of more land in Orlando and the McNiff Grove in Wabasso, Florida; Sydney's suggestion on obtaining citrus land near Quincy, Florida; and his observations on guava plants. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, March 27, 1928: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (March 31, 1928)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Sydney's reaction to a Florida Times-Union article about agricultural businesses in Florida and how he disagrees with a "Mr. Penny" in establishing similarities between non-perishable and perishable items. The Mr. Penny mentioned in the letter is likely James C. Penney, the founder of the JCPenney department store. Penney also founded Penney Farms in 1924, an experimental farm located in Clay County, Florida. Chase &Company was established by the brothers in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, March 31, 1928: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (October 18, 1928)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include information on the family's annual move back to Sanford, Florida, from Asheville, North Carolina; the Southern Railway; and discounts on oranges. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, October 18, 1928: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Joshua Chase (October 19, 1928)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. The letter discusses a variety of topics, including Sydney's response to an article in The Tampa Tribune about the relationship between the citrus industry and the Florida Citrus Exchange. Chase & Company was established by the brothers 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. The Florida Citrus Exchange was founded by a group of growers on June 21, 1909 to help improve production of citrus in the state. Members shared facilities and helped establish operation and shipping standards. Both Sydney and Joshua Chase were hesitant to join the Exchange because they did not want to jeopardize the business they had successfully managed. Chase & Company eventually became a part of the Exchange, but backed out three years later.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, October 19, 1928: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to Messrs. Landis, Fish & Hull (March 3, 1915)
An original letter of correspondence between Sydney Octavius Chase and the attorneys of Landis, Fish & Hull. Topics discussed in the letter include the County Commissioners' decision to complete brick roads. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Chase to Messrs. Landis, Fish & Hull, March 3, 1915: box 173, folder 2.51, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase to N. D. Cloward (April 17, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Chase to N .D. Cloward. Cloward worked as a representative for Babson Park Citrus Growers Association in Lake Wales, Florida. In the letter, Chase is informing Cloward to recruit growers who dropped out of the Florida Citrus Exchange and join Chase & Company. This letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies and unregulated membership guidelines. Chase & Company was established 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to N. D. Cloward, April 17, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Chase, Jr., to Sydney Chase, Sr. and Joshua Chase (June 13, 1933)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Chase, Jr. to other Chase & Company business partners and family members. The letter summarizes a meeting Sydney, Jr. attended relating to the marketing and selling of citrus products throughout the United States. The marketing strategies described throughout the meeting pertained not only to the state of Florida, but to other farmers and growers throughout the nation. Techniques included the overseeing of shipments to different markets by a government inspector and the use of an innovative teletype machine. Between the years of 1932 and 1933, growers in the Florida citrus industry faced controversy in attempting to regulate the shipment and selling of its products. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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.
Original letter from Sydney Chase, Jr., to Sydney Chase, Sr. and Joshua Chase, June 13, 1933: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.49, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Cary D. Landis, Esq. (December 6, 1921)
An original letter of correspondence between Sydney Octavious Chase and Cary D. Landis, Esq. Topics discussed in the letter include a Ku Klux Klan demonstration in Sanford, rumors that the H. R. Stevens campaign was mobilizing African-American voters, and a satchel found in front of the Chase & Company office the evening of the demonstration. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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 Ku Klux Klan was first organized by ex-Confederate soldiers in in Tennessee in 1866, but was disbanded by the first Imperial Wizard Nathan Bedford Forest in 1869 in order to avoid government sanctions. The second Klan was reformed in 1915 by William J. Simmons. Although the KKK deteriorated nationally during the Great Depression, it still flourished in Florida until a $685,000 lien was filed against the national Klan in 1944 for back taxes from the 1920s. In 1948, Dr. Samuel Green of Atlanta revived the KKK in Georgia, which spread to Florida and other states. In 1951, the Florida KKK responded violently to the activities of Harry Tyson Moore's Progressive Voters' League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) during a period dubbed "The Florida Terror." As of the early 2000s, the Florida KKK remained to be on of the more active Klans in the country.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Cary D. Landis, Esq.: box 173, folder 2.36, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Original newspaper article: "Ku Klux Klan 120 Parades Sanford By Night." December 5, 1921: box 173, folder 2.36, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members (April 10, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to employees at Chase & Company in Orlando. The letter identifies that Chase & Company played an active role in recruiting dissatisfied members from the Florida Citrus Exchange in order to build and extend their own business throughout the state. With an increased membership in the company, Chase hoped that including more growers would help balance out the less productive crops in the previous growing season. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members, April 10, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company members (April 13, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase (1860-1941) to employees at Chase & Company in Orlando, Florida. The letter identifies that Chase & Company played an active role in recruiting dissatisfied members from the Florida Citrus Exchange in order to build and extend their business throughout the state. With an increased membership in the company, Chase hoped that including more growers would help balance out the less productive crops in the previous growing season. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust that Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange (FCE), a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the FCE praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company members, April 13, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members (April 8, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to employees at Chase & Company in Orlando. The letter identifies that Chase & Company played an active role in recruiting dissatisfied members from the Florida Citrus Exchange in order to build and extend their own business throughout the state. One marketing strategy Chase & Company implemented included comparing sales numbers between the Exchange and its own production numbers. Members within the company solicited and circulated the information to growers in nearby districts. With an increased membership in the company, Chase hoped that including more growers would help balance out the less productive crops in the previous growing season. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members, April 8, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members (March 11, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to employees at Chase & Company in Orlando. In the letter, Chase identifies his dissatisfaction with the Florida Citrus Exchange and its role in negatively impacting the market value of Florida grapefruits. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. These opinions were apparent during the 1924-1925 growing season when the Exchange underwent major changes. On June 5, 1924, Dr. John Harvey Ross resigned as president of the Exchange, a move that upset a large portion of members. The Exchange immediately elected L. C. Edwards of Thonatasassa as the new president. Chase & Company was established 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members, March 11, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to E. Magnuson (December 2, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between Sydney Octavius Chase and E. Magnuson. Topics discussed in the letter include Chase's instructions for Magnuson to assist C. Hutchinson in the packinghouse at Isleworth Grove and how to grade and pack the fruit at a higher standard. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to E. Magnuson, December 2, 1927: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (April 19, 1924)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include the Lem Woods' intention to partner with the Florida Citrus Exchange and how to respond to the revival of the Exchange. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, April 19, 1924: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.11, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (August 10, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include an enclosed copy of a letter from Mr. Newton, J. Curtis Robinson's documents regarding the Prune growers clearing house in California, Newton's scheduled speech for a joint citrus growers and farmers meeting in Gainesville, Joshua's letter to Mr. Commander, the resignation of Forrest Lake as Commissioner and Mayor of Sanford, Sydney's scheduled interview with Chair of the County Commissioner L. L. Payne, strategies to bear some of the expenses of the brothers' road proposition. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, August 10, 1927: box 173, folder 2.51, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (August 26, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Sydney Chase's discussion he had on a train from Asheville, the success of the fruit trade in the rest of the country, the Clearing House's proposition, the Growers & Shippers League, the deterioration of the Growers Sale Agency, the disposition of Will Lee. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, August 26, 1927: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.11, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include city bonds held by the Chase National Bank, securing the services of a legal firm in New York, and the possibility of the City of Sanford using George M. Powell for an attorney. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, August 26, 1927: box 173, folder 2.51, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (August 29, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include deciding what attorney to use in Sanford and Ernest Amos' neglect of duty in his failure to inform the Chase brothers of the activities of the Seminole Bank. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, August 29, 1927: box 173, folder 2.51, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (December 6, 1921)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a copy of a letter to Cary D. Landis in regards to the Brevard County Road, a copy of a letter to Landis regarding a Ku Klux Klan demonstration in Sanford on the eve of an election, a rumor that Forrest Lake arranged for the KKK to intimidate African-American voters, and movement of fruit at Isleworth Grove. Chase & Company was established by the brothers in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. 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. The Ku Klux Klan was first organized by ex-Confederate soldiers in in Tennessee in 1866, but was disbanded by the first Imperial Wizard Nathan Bedford Forest in 1869 in order to avoid government sanctions. The second Klan was reformed in 1915 by William J. Simmons. Although the KKK deteriorated nationally during the Great Depression, it still flourished in Florida until a $685,000 lien was filed against the national Klan in 1944 for back taxes from the 1920s. In 1948, Dr. Samuel Green of Atlanta revived the KKK in Georgia, which spread to Florida and other states. In 1951, the Florida KKK responded violently to the activities of Harry Tyson Moore's Progressive Voters' League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) during a period dubbed "The Florida Terror." As of the early 2000s, the Florida KKK remained to be on of the more active Klans in the country.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, December 6, 1921: box 173, folder 2.36, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (July 11, 1924)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include the Florida Citrus Exchange's guarantee policy with the Hartford Insurance Company, the freeze on co-operative associations in 1923, and the burden placed on taxpayers for this type of financing. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, July 11, 1924: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.11, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (March 2, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include accounts of a wreck involving a train pulling refrigerator cars carrying Seald-Sweet oranges, information about various packinghouses in Florida, and information about the Railroad Commission. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, March 2, 1927: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.46, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (May 3, 1924)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Sydney Chase's conference with Mr. Yothers and the number of shipments made by the Florida Citrus Exchange that year. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, May 3, 1924: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.11, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (May 7, 1924)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Sydney Chase's meeting with Forrest Lake and Doctor McKenzie, the future of the Florida Citrus Exchange, and voting for William Gibbs McAdoo for the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase, May 7, 1924: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.11, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Landis, Fish & Hull (March 9, 1915)
An original letter of correspondence between Sydney Octavius Chase and Landis, Fish & Hull. Topics discussed in the letter include the County Commissioners' meeting on March 8th, George A. DeCottes' legal advice, and disagreements about how to fund the completion of brick roads. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Landis, Fish & Hull, March 9, 1915: box 173, folder 2.51, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Lucian Boggs (August 29, 1927)
An original letter of correspondence between Sydney Octavius Chase and Lucian Boggs of Barnett National Bank. Topics discussed in the letter include arranging to have Boggs handle some legal matters for the City of Sanford after he visit Sanford and meet with City Attorney George A. DeCottes. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Lucian Boggs, August 29, 1927: box 173, folder 2.51, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Barnett National Bank Building, Jacksonville, Florida