Joseph Chaires Plantation Explained

Joseph Chaires Plantation was a large cotton plantation of 3800acres located in southern Leon County, Florida, United States owned by Joseph Chaires.

Location

The Joseph Chaires Plantation's northern border was located at the southeast tip of Lake Lafayette. The property extended southward across Old St. Augustine Road. Today that land encompasses part of U.S. 27, Louvinia Drive, County Road 2197 (Williams Road), County Road 2196 (Old St. Augustine Road), County Road 2195 (WW Kelly Drive) as far south as County Road 259 (Tram Road) near Lake Erie and Big Lake.

Plantation specifics

The Leon County Florida 1860 Agricultural Census shows that the Joseph Chaires Plantation had the following:

• Improved Land: 1400acres
• Unimproved Land: 3400acres
• Cash value of plantation: $50,000
• Cash value of farm implements/machinery: $150
• Cash value of farm animals: $6,500
• Number of persons enslaved: 130
• Bushels of corn: 5000
• Bales of cotton: 200

The owner

Joseph Chaires was the son of Benjamin Chaires and cousin of Green Chaires.

References

• Rootsweb Plantations
• Largest Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules
• 1845 voters
• Paisley, Clifton; From Cotton To Quail, University of Florida Press, c1968.

30.426°N -84.166°W