Optimist-Outlook

Marianna Optimist Club Activities
By Don Jones - March 10, 2009
"Back To The Satsuma!"
Pat Crisp, Speaks
Pat Crisp, Guest Speaker, and Tommy Grainger, Marianna Optimist Club’s Programs Director are holding-up a slat from an orange crate that has the "Marianna Fruit Company" name on it. The orange crate it came from couldn’t be less than seventy-four years old because Marianna’s Orange Groves were destroyed by a severe freeze in the year 1935.
Satsuma Oranges are believed to be from China originally, and belong to one of the four groups of the mandarin family of oranges. They were imported to the United States from Japan as early as 1876 by George R. Hall, and to Marianna by J.C. Corcoran, who built the Chipola Hotel in the early 1920’s. When he learned, after experimenting, that the Satsuma Orange grew like a weed in Marianna’s soil and cooler climate; he quickly expanded his operation to include approximately 24,000 acres planted in oranges by the year 1928.
Also, by this time many farmers in the area had started their own orchards, making Jackson County the Satsuma Orange Capital of the United States, and the first Annual Satsuma Orange Festival was held in Marianna that same year. Charlie Reiff, who managed many of Corcoran’s businesses, including the Chipola Hotel business, planned the very successful event. Reportedly, there were more than 35,000 visitors in attendance that first year of festivities. Lucy Daffin was voted Queen of the Parade with a vote of 125,000 Pennies, or $1,250 dollars worth. Thelma Kerns came in second, but her vote amount wasn’t mentioned. Lucy was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S.A. Daffin of Marianna. William Wilson was elected King of the parade, and King and Queen were crowned by Amos Lewis of Marianna.
Not withstanding, before the big freeze of 1935 brought everything to a screeching halt, The Marianna Fruit Company was shipping a box car load of oranges out of their Compass Lake packing plant on a daily basis at a wholesale price, then, of $2 to $4 dollars a half strap, or half crate, making it a very profitable proposition. Also, the saplings could be purchased for as little as twenty cents each in batches of one thousand, and the tree produced fruit in as little as two years, making it very tempting for the farmer to plant. Better, yet, the Satsuma orange ripened six weeks earlier than the varieties grown in South Florida, and California, giving the farmers in Jackson County a perfect niche in the market. For this reason, many farmers, in the panhandle of Florida, are considering taking the gamble to bring the highly profitable Satsuma Orange back, again.