Charles Delemere Haines
Encyclopedia
Charles Delemere Haines (June 9, 1856 – April 11, 1929) was an American
businessman and member of the United States Congress
.
, Albany County
, New York
. His parents, David Tompkins Haines and Emma De Maugh Haines, were prominent in Albany County, and Governor Daniel Tompkins was of this family. He moved with his parents to Coxsackie
where he attended the common schools.
, assistant superintendent, superintendent and owner of railroads.
and Mexico
.
(March 4, 1893-March 3, 1895). He was unsuccessful in his bid for reelection in 1894 and resumed his former business activities.
in 1913 for his health, Haines soon purchased property on the west side of Lake Orienta and began growing asparagus plumosa ferns shortly after World War I
. By the early 1920s he was shipping ferns to all parts of the United States via the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
. His Royal Fern Corporation was chartered in 1922 with an authorized capital of $450,000. Haines was the major stockholder with three hundred shares, but George Kingsley, the secretary/treasurer, was also a substantial investor with one hundred forty-five shares. Vice-president James A Cotting of Winter Park owned five shares. Ed W. Mitchell was general manager. With thirty-three acres in production at the time of its incorporation, the firm expanded until it was cultivating sixty-five acres by 1925. Since much of the area was under slat-roof covering to protect the tender plants, one over-enthusiastic reporter called it the largest industry in the world under one roof. The fernery had thirty miles of irrigation pipe, a pre-cooling plant, and its own electric light and water system. There was a complete company town with forty homes for employees, a commissary, a church, a school, a park, and a moving picture theater adjacent to the fernery. The Royal Fernery was the catalyst which made Altamonte Springs a center for fern growing for many years.
who was living in Miami
during the early 1920s. Bryan may influenced Haines in developing his ideas about the National Newspapermen's Home which he attempted to bring to Altamonte Springs.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and member of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Birth and Early Life
Haines was born in MedusaMedusa, New York
Medusa is a hamlet in Albany County, New York in the United States. The population was 376 at the 2000 census.Medusa is a community in the Town of Rensselaerville.-Geography:Medusa is located at ....
, Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His parents, David Tompkins Haines and Emma De Maugh Haines, were prominent in Albany County, and Governor Daniel Tompkins was of this family. He moved with his parents to Coxsackie
Coxsackie, New York
Coxsackie is the name of more than one place in New York, USA.*Coxsackie , New York*Coxsackie , New York*Coxsackie Correctional Facility...
where he attended the common schools.
Early business career
Starting as a telegrapher at age 16, he rapidly became a train dispatcherDispatcher
Dispatchers are communications personnel responsible for receiving and transmitting pure and reliable messages, tracking vehicles and equipment, and recording other important information...
, assistant superintendent, superintendent and owner of railroads.
Business Ventures
He moved to Kinderhook, New York in 1888 and built the Kinderhook & Hudson Railroad. In 1913, Haines joined with his brothers in the building and operation of numerous railroad lines; they built and managed eighteen steam railroads and sixteen street railways in fifteen states, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Public Office
He was elected as a Democrat to the 53rd United States Congress53rd United States Congress
The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...
(March 4, 1893-March 3, 1895). He was unsuccessful in his bid for reelection in 1894 and resumed his former business activities.
Royal Fern Corporation
Having first come to Altamonte Springs, FloridaAltamonte Springs, Florida
Altamonte Springs is a city in Seminole county in the U.S. state of Florida, which had a population of 41,496 at the 2010 census. Located primarily in Seminole County, the city is in the northern suburbs of the Orlando–Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the United States...
in 1913 for his health, Haines soon purchased property on the west side of Lake Orienta and began growing asparagus plumosa ferns shortly after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. By the early 1920s he was shipping ferns to all parts of the United States via the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
. His Royal Fern Corporation was chartered in 1922 with an authorized capital of $450,000. Haines was the major stockholder with three hundred shares, but George Kingsley, the secretary/treasurer, was also a substantial investor with one hundred forty-five shares. Vice-president James A Cotting of Winter Park owned five shares. Ed W. Mitchell was general manager. With thirty-three acres in production at the time of its incorporation, the firm expanded until it was cultivating sixty-five acres by 1925. Since much of the area was under slat-roof covering to protect the tender plants, one over-enthusiastic reporter called it the largest industry in the world under one roof. The fernery had thirty miles of irrigation pipe, a pre-cooling plant, and its own electric light and water system. There was a complete company town with forty homes for employees, a commissary, a church, a school, a park, and a moving picture theater adjacent to the fernery. The Royal Fernery was the catalyst which made Altamonte Springs a center for fern growing for many years.
Miscellaneous
In Altamonte Springs Haines entertained a number of national dignitaries with whom he had become acquainted during his long business and political career. One of his most famous visitors was William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
who was living in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
during the early 1920s. Bryan may influenced Haines in developing his ideas about the National Newspapermen's Home which he attempted to bring to Altamonte Springs.