1928 Satsuma Orange Festival, Marianna, Florida

This entry is a listing for the 1928 motion picture of the Satsuma Orange Festival held in Marianna, Florida, on November 8-9, 1928. It is available on this site by searching for Satsuma, or you can paste the following link into your browser.

  &nnsp; http://archives.uwf.edu/Archon-DF/Manuscripts/M2015-12/1928SatsumaOrangeFestivalMariannaFL.mp4

  &nnsp; By 1924, Jackson County, Florida, had 50 tobacco farms (700 acres), 2000 acres in watermelons, 100 acres in cucumbers, 100 acres of cantaloupes, the largest sugar plantation in Florida (located at Grand Ridge), and 7 Satsuma groves. The Satsuma is a mandarin orange, deep orange in color, and flat at the top and bottom (or blossom and stem) ends. It has a paper-thin skin that can be easily peeled, and it can withstand cooler weather.

  &nnsp; Most sources say it was introduced into the United States in 1876, probably at the Japanese exhibit at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The Japanese exhibit features many plants, flowers, and fruits and cuttings were acquired by a number of nurseries. In 1923, a display of Satsuma oranges won a prize at the Pensacola Fair, and by the late 1920s, at least 265 acres of Satsuma orange trees were growing in Jackson County, mostly near Round Lake.

  &nnsp; The Marianna Floridan newspaper, in its second year at Marianna, called itself a "Progressive" newspaper. Its articles and features boosted the positive aspects of West Florida--its climate, industry, and agriculture. 1928 was a crucial time for West Florida. The Old Spanish Trail (Highway 10, or what would become U.S. 90) had just reached completion, bringing people traveling the 2500-mile stretch between San Diego and St. Augustine. The Hotel Chipola had just been built in Marianna; this five-story hotel boasted 75 rooms and a miniature golf course on its east side.

  &nnsp; Charles E. Jones, an energetic editor, proposed that Marianna should have a Satsuma Orange Festival to celebrate the crop and boost the community. A committee of 57 citizens was formed. They solicited horticultural displays from all counties of the Panhandle, sponsored a parade, arranged for displays to be shown in the "new" plate glass windows of Marianna stores, and other events. The 1928 Satsuma Orange Festival was held November 8-9, 1928. Because the national elections occurred on November 6, Florida voted Republican, choosing Herbert Hoover, and voted Democratic to elect Governor Doyle Carlton. Carlton made his first address as Governor-elect at the 1928 Festival.