Lawrence Development Company

	SOUTHWARD HO! The American home-seeker has just recently begun to “discover” the South. With increasing clearness he is coming to realize that for two generations the American People in their rush westward have neglected to note the advantages of many older and better known sections, particularly in the South. An intense and ever growing demand has arisen for information concerning this new “frontier” that offers so many attractions to the man who is looking for an ideal home-site in a pleasant and healthful environment. This booklet has been prepared for this very purpose, to furnish quickly and clearly the facts about one of the most delightful sections of the state that is perhaps the fairest of all the Southland, Florida.

FLORIDA In the American imagination Florida has long been a place of romance. It has suggested waving palm trees and tropical fruits and flowers. The ruins of the early Spanish occupation and the surviving remnants of Indian tribes have always attracted the tourist. More recently Florida has become the playground for those who wish to escape the rigorous northern winter. There is more to Florida, however, than romance and recreation, much more. The modern American is coming to know that Florida is as good a place to live in as to visit; that it is a place in which to work as well as to play. The editor of FORBES, one of the most important financial and economic journals of the nation, published an editorial entitled “Florida Entering Era of Growth” in the July 7, 1923, issue of that magazine. His conclusions concerning Florida are very definite, for he says:	“Florida strikes me as entering an era of growth, not merely as a winter resort, but agriculturally, horticulturally, industrially, commercially, and real-estate-wise.... “During a recent visit I was impressed by the fact that Florida has attracted many notable men, particularly during the last winter season. Some of these men are investing extensively in the State. “With its great, growing, and profitable production of fruit, vegetables, cigars, minerals, fish, naval stores, etc., its wonderful climate, the spirit of enterprise and progress shown by its citizens, and now the bid for wealthy residents by exempting them from income and inheritance taxes, Florida is advancing at a rate calculated to cause other states to take notice,---and to bestir themselves lest they be left behind in the progress procession.”

	KEYSTONE HEIGHTS IN CLAY COUNTY, FLORIDA This spirit of progress and prosperity is particularly characteristic of a delightful district that lies in the lower portion of Clay County in northern Florida. Southwest Clay County is a land of rolling hills and picturesque valleys studded with sparkling spring-fed lakes. At the edge of the sandy shores begin woodlands of tall pines that march upward to the summits of the hills. From the Atlantic Ocean on the east the Gulf on the west come tempering breezes that insure a mild and even climate. In the heart of this district lies Lake Geneva, a body of clear, pure water with eighteen miles of dry, sandy shore. On the north shore of this lake is Keystone Heights, in many ways the most delightful and desirable of all the town-sites, existing and projected, in this superior portion of northern Florida. Under the direction of the Lawrence Developing Co., Incorporated, Keystone Heights is fast becoming an active and prosperous community. It is an ideal place to live in, to play in, and to invest in, and we want you to know why.

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS--- AN IDEAL PLACE TO LIVE Keystone Heights is very conveniently located. It is about sixty miles southwest of Jacksonville and lies on the line of the Georgia Southern Railroad. It is also near enough to the Seabord Air Line Railroad to make connection by automobile and bus very easy. The highway running east and west through Keystone Heights will be improved early in 1924. There is no more healthful town-site in the entire State than Keystone Heights. It lies at the very top of the ridge that forms the great divide for the waters of northern Florida. Graphic proof of this supreme elevation in the State is seen in the fact that some of the lakes of the vicinity drain westward into the Gulf, and that other lakes nearby drain into the Atlantic Ocean. Keystone Heights is about 175 feet above sea level and rises well above the level of Lake Geneva. The shoreline of this lake is free from swamp.	This healthful condition is also true of Lake Brooklyn, another large lake lying about one-half mile northeast from the town-site, of Keystone lake near the center of the town-site, and of the smaller lakes in the immediate vicinity. Indeed a summer along the shore of Lake Geneva is so delightful that every year families from Jacksonville come “south” to Keystone Heights and the neighboring vicinity to spend the season. The fertile soil in which the district abounds amply nourishes sturdy hardwood trees and tall pines that provide abundant shade. The soil and climate combined produce in the gardens of Keystone Heights fresh, green vegetables, strawberries, and luscious fruits almost the year round. In fact every feature of the location of Keystone Heights emphasizes the fact that an elevated semi-tropical district furnishes what is probably the most comfortable and enjoyable climate in the world.

	KEYSTONE HEIGHTS HOMES Even before Keystone Heights became a town-site, the natural beauties and advantages of the place proved decidedly attractive to a number of wide-awake families who were seeking a home in the South. The enthusiastic satisfaction of these people once they had settled here and built homes influenced to no little degree the final decision of the Lawrence Developing Co., Inc., to offer the entire site to home-seekers. The “first settlers” and those who have followed them represent the substantial and alert business and professional classes of the nation. They have built attractive houses well fitted for permanent, all-year-round residence. Representative examples of these homes are shown in the accompanying illustrations. They definitely show that Keystone Heights is proving attractive to a high type of citizen. Additional houses are constantly in the process of construction, and the various building sites are being purchased at an increasingly rapid rate. In addition to the private dwellings a beautiful and spacious hotel and adequate business structures are being built.

This continued building activity will be stimulated greatly by the fact that the site is being equipped with modern municipal improvements: sidewalks, telephone, electric lights, water system. The school authorities of Clay County have definitely promised to have a school building at Keystone Heights ready for occupancy in September, 1923. Moreover, the cost of building in Keystone Heights is much lower than in many other portions of the country. This happy condition is in keeping with the general living economy that prevails at the Heights. KEYSTONE HEIGHTS --- AN IDEAL PLACE TO PLAY An old Spanish explorer came to Florida in search of the fountain of Youth. Just where in the State that magic water gushes forth is still uncertain. Keystone Heights does not claim the distinction, but those who live there and those who have visited there affirm that nowhere else do climate and nature afford more opportunities to preserve one's youth by outdoor games and life in the open. Lake Geneva with its clear water and sandy beach is an ideal place for bathing, swimming, and all kinds of aquatic sports the year round.	Imagine beginning your celebration of Christmas with an exhilarating plunge, and then repeating the same stunt on the Fourth of July. Delightful places for picnicking can be found along the shore. Boating and canoeing afford vigorous, healthful pastimes. About the shores of Lake Geneva, Lake Brooklyn, Keystone Lake, and smaller lakes and meadows within driving distance of Keystone Heights are always to be found as fine ducks as hunter ever drew bead on. In the adjoining woods are many varieties of small game. The clear open conditions of these woods make hunting a joy to man and dog. The waters of the lake abound in fish of various kinds and sizes. Twelve-pound bass are not an infrequent catch. Veterans who have fished the country over give the blue ribbon to the days they have angled in Lake Geneva. You can practically live and play out of doors in glorious sunshine and exhilarating breezes. Cool nights make sleeping a joy. In such surroundings your children will become rugged and sturdy, and you yourself will “live longer and better”. It is never too early in your life to pick a home-site where you can be sure of prolonging the vigor of your youth to a hale and hearty great-grand-fatherhood.

	KEYSTONE INN - A HOSPITABLE SOUTHERN HOME The enthusiastic praise of tourists and visitors early convinced the Lawrence Developing Co., Inc., that in addition to the many families who would find in Keystone Heights an ideal home, there would always be many others who could not make a permanent home there, but who would wish to spend several weeks or months each year in such a delightful environment. The hotel pictured on the opposite page is the result of that conviction. The first unit of this hotel is now under construction and will be ready for occupancy during the winter of 1923-24. It is a beautiful example of typically Southern architecture.

That long, deep veranda commands an unobstructed view of beautiful Lake Geneva. Directly in front of the veranda is a picturesque park shaded by wide-spreading live oaks on which Nature has hung graceful festoons of Spanish moss. Opening on to the veranda is a spacious lounge. All the rooms are “outside” in location and are well ventilated. All have running water and half of them have private baths. Plans for the cuisine provide for every modern aid to true Southern hospitality. The furnishings and appointments emphasize the home-like atmosphere of the Inn. Tennis courts for the use of the guests of the hotel are already under construction and will be completed before the opening of the	Inn. Plans are also rapidly maturing for the laying out of a modern golf links near the hotel. At a convenient distance from the Inn gun grounds for trapshooting are being laid out and equipped with a standard trap. Florida climate and atmosphere make Keystone Heights an ideal spot for these popular sports. Here is a delightful Southern home where the tourist of the North can fully enjoy the climate and sports of Keystone Heights. For those visitors who are investigating the Heights as a possible future home, the hotel offers a hospitality that will enable them to make their investigation and selection without haste or discomfort.



	KEYSTONE HEIGHTS --- AN IDEAL PLACE IN WHICH TO INVEST Every one of the many features that make Keystone Heights an ideal place in which to live and play, also, of course, makes it an ideal place for investment. Real estate that has attractions for the home-seeker is always doubly valuable.. Within the short time that Keystone Heights lots have been on the market several lots have netted the original owners handsome profits. The present activity of the Lawrence Developing Co., Inc., the large amounts being spent in civic improvements, the extensive building already under way, and the satisfaction of the owners of home-sites are continually increasing the retail value of all the lots. Lot values in Keystone Heights have already increased more that 100% since the beginning of the development of the town-site. Just as the advantages of Keystone Heights make it an ideal town-site, so the fertility and formation of the soil in the immediate vicinity of the Heights make the surrounding land an ideal source of natural wealth, and therefore a good investment. For after all, a rich soil will amass more wealth with a minimum of labor and investment than any other natural agent.

According to scientific surveys made by state and federal agricultural departments Keystone Heights is situated in the heart of a district whose soil and climate make it one of the most reliable sites for the production of natural wealth in the entire South. The various agricultural products officially recommended for this district naturally include Satsuma oranges, peaches, plums, grapes, figs, and other semi-tropical fruits for which Florida has long been famous. Asparagus and strawberries flourish with abundant yields. The berry plants bear throughout the winter. Beans and other leguminous vegetables produce wonderfully heavy and profitable crops. PAPER-SHELL PECANS The particular natural products, however, which the rich acres around Keystone Heights are particularly fitted to grow are, according to expert opinion, peaches and paper-shell pecans. The important place the latter product is rapidly assuming in national and world markets has encouraged the Lawrence Developing co., Inc., to give special attention to pecan orchards. This company owns an extensive tract of the fertile land in the immediate vicinity of Keystone Heights that is ideally adapted to the intensive cultivation of these delectable nuts. The orchard sites into which the Company has plotted this tract offer an investment whose possible profits can only be appreciated after a consideration of the pecan and its market. Horticultural experts are thoroughly convinced that the pecan is a highly important item of our agricultural wealth and that it merits much more attention that it has received. Among nut trees it has few equals and no superiors.	High Food Value of Paper-Shell Pecans Seventy per cent of the paper-shell pecan kernel is fat. This percentage makes it richer in fat than any other nuts. One pound of pecan kernels contains practically the entire number of calories of energy required by an adult in one day. In view of the fact that physicians and dietetic specialists everywhere are predicting that table menus of the future will use nuts as a standard item, the food value of pecans is every day becoming more and more important. Dr. J.H. Kellog, of the famous Battle Creek Sanatorium, Michigan, says: “I regard the pecan as one of the very finest of nature's choice products. A pound of pecans contains more nourishment than any other known food. In the next century nuts will largely, if not entirely, take the place of meats on the bill of fare -- and the pecan will assume its rightful place at the head of the list of nourishing and digestible foodstuffs.” Assured Market for Pecans -- Over Production Impossible No matter how great the demand for paper-shell pecans may become, it will always be greater than the available supply. Today the general public has practically no opportunity to purchase pecans. Crops from available orchards are taken by nurseries and private individuals almost exclusively. No attempt is made to export pecans because the domestic market has hardly been touched. In 1920 America imported almost sixty million dollars worth of nuts. The pecan, with its high food value, can be expected gradually to capture this domestic market, and there then remains the foreign market. For the demand for pecans is bound to grow as population increases and the delicious qualities of the pecan become more widely known.

	Limited Area for Pecan Cultivation The certainty that the supply of paper-shell pecans can never equal the demand is further strengthened by the fact that pecans can by no means be grown successfully everywhere at home and abroad. In fact paper-shell pecans can be properly cultivated and profitably grown in a very small portion of the entire world. Keystone Heights in Clay County, Florida, is practically in the heart of this favored district. Paper-shell pecan orchards do very well in high rolling land, gentle slopes and valleys, with natural drainage, in a warm climate. The previous descriptions of Keystone Heights country emphasize how well it fits these requirements. Pecan trees do very well in a sandy loam soil and a clay sub-soil. This is the kind of ground that covers the rolling hills about the town-site of Keystone Heights.

Unusual Hardiness of Pecan Trees The endurance, vitality, and long life of the pecan tree is phenomenal among nut and fruit trees. After the first few years it will stand all kinds of abuse from man and Nature, and up to date it has proved to be very much more immune from the various blights and pests than the majority of fruit trees and other nut trees. This fact in particular has prompted the Lawrence Developing Co., Inc., to concentrate on pecans rather than on any of the other fruits or products which their acreage round Keystone Heights is adapted to grow successfully. It is true that there are fruit and nut trees that bear more quickly than pecans, but there are none that bear so long and with such constant increase in size of the crop. The life and productiveness of a pecan tree is measured by centuries. It is a hardy, long-lived producer of natural wealth. The natural hardiness of the pecan tree extends to its product. Although the paper-shell of the pecan is so thin that a pound of nuts contains as much as twelve ounces of pure kernel, nevertheless, it is such an efficient covering that the pecan is one of the hardiest of all nuts.	This quality is of course of infinite advantage to the owner of a pecan orchard. His product does not need to be rushed to market when prices are low. They can be safely held for a rise. The hardiness of the pecan nut also protects it against shipping abuse and makes sure that it will reach the market in a saleable condition. PECAN ORCHARDS ARE A SAFE AND PROFITABLE INVESTMENT Every detail that has already been presented concerning the pecan -- high food value, increasing demand, limited area of cultivation, hardiness and long life -- definitely proves that a pecan orchard is a safe source of natural wealth for the careful investor. The actual returns form orchards are even more convincing. At the present time first grade pecans bring from 50 to 70 cents a pound at the orchard, wholesale. If this price were reduced to 10 cents a pound, the profit would still be as attractive as that afforded by any standard agricultural crop, and it would be safer and surer. The following records taken from typical Clay County orchards offer further evidence of the steadily increasing wealth that pecans can store up for you.

	Records of Pecan Orchards A seven-acre orchard began to bear three years after planting, producing 10 pounds of nuts. In the eleventh year this orchard bore between seven and eight thousand pounds of pecans. An orchard of 100 trees bore 70 pounds in its fifth year and increased to practically 400 pounds by its sixth year. A single tree produced seven pounds five years after planting and over 300 pounds in its twenty-fifth year. A ten-acre orchard bore practically 7,000 pounds of pecans in the thirteenth year after planting. A three-acre orchard in the eighth year after planting produced over 1,500 pounds of nuts. Charles Lathrop Pack in his book on “Trees as Good

Citizens” cites the example of a Southern farmer who was confronted with an annual rent of $600 and the expense of supporting a large family. This was the solution of the farmer's difficulty as reported by Mr. Pack. “Prices for cotton, corn and other staples were low and the demand light. During this period of depression, the tenant-farmer found financial salvation in the harvest from 73 pecan trees clustered about the residential buildings of the farm. These trees had just come into bearing, and from this crop the tenant netted eight hundred dollars, practically a third more that his rent.”	Best Old Age Insurance This steady increase in yearly yield plus the long life and hardiness of pecan trees furnishes proof for the oft-repeated statement that a pecan orchard is the best form of old-age insurance. It offers you a safe and secure opportunity to build up a lasting source of natural wealth that will bring independence, not only to those dependent on you, but to you yourself in your best years. And there is no place in the world where you can take out this insurance with greater safety and at a lower premium that in Keystone Heights.

Expert Advice and Assistance The Lawrence Developing Co., Inc., has from the very beginning worked in close co-operation with the leading pecan nurserymen of Florida as well as with the horticultural experts of the State University. This fact assures you that orchard sites offered to you by this Company are located and prepared according to the highest standards of pecan growing. It also means further that when you come to plant your orchard you can secure the hearty assistance of experts in the choice of trees, planting, and general cultivation. This assistance will enable you to cultivate pecans successfully with only a minimum of agricultural knowledge.

LAWRENCE DEVELOPING COMPANY, INC. Keystone Heights lots and land clearly offer sound values to the well-informed investor. These values are all underwritten by the financial stability of the Lawrence Developing Co., Inc., and the experience and integrity of its officers. The Honorable Frank P. Miller of Meadville, Pennsylvania, is President of the Company. He is a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He is also General Manager of the McCrosky Tool Corporation, producers of nationally-known high grade tools for automotive plants and machine shops. Mr. F.M. Walrath, Director of Sales, was for many years Vice-President and Sales Manager of the Keystone View Company, the largest manufacturers of stereoscopic views in the world. Mr. J.J. Lawrence, Vice-President and General Manager of the Company, is well equipped for the work of actually directing the development of Keystone Heights by twenty years successful experience in similar work and by a thorough knowledge of Florida land values.	Both the New First National Bank of Meadville, Pa., and the East Florida Savings and Trust Company of Palatka, Florida, can supply complete information concerning the financial stability of the Lawrence Developing Co., Inc. WE WANT YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS This booklet has presented to you in a concise way the reasons why Keystone Heights in Clay County, Florida, is a good place to live in, to play in, and to invest in. There are many details about which you will want further information. We are here to give it to you. LAWRENCE DEVELOPING COMPANY, INCORPORATED KEYSTONE HEIGHTS BROOKLYN, CLAY COUNTY, FLORIDA