Greater Kennebec Valley
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(continued from page 21) No one thought Chase could or would survive wounds of such grievous nature and extent. He was left alone, outside a barn, on the ground, with no protection from the elements or care. He was left alone for three days to die. But John Chase did not die. When John Chase went on the lecture circuit he talked of his experiences at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. As a way of introducing himself to prospective audiences Chase had special calling cards made up. On one side there was a distinguished older man with a beard. The reverse side of the card showed a young, bare-to-the-waist youth missing an arm, with chest and bellies a mass of cross-hatched scars. John Chase holds dozens of patents. The bulk of them are for devices to help people with disabilities to function independently. By and large the inventions are the result of Chase’s recovery experiences in the Kennebec Valley
and his struggle to adapt to a life with just one arm. John Chase spent some thirty years in Maine before doctors told him it was time to head for a warmer climate. This explains why he settled in St. Petersburg, Florida. Florida didn’t mean that Chase was ready to spend his days in the sun waiting for the final trump to call him to his last reward, though. Chase arrived in St. Petersburg in 1895. His first venture there involved a sawmill. Then he invested in a seventy-foot passenger steamer. He was directly involved in the management and running of both. With the declaration of war by the U.S. on Spain in 1898, Chase personally organized and commanded a cadre of guards to prevent possible enemy contamination of the local reservoir. Then he took on the task of community betterment. It took him two tries to get the St. Petersburg town council to approve his plan for an
electric power station and public transit system. Then Chase came up with the idea for Veterans City. John Chase introduced the idea for Veterans City in 1901. He got investors to purchase a tract of land on the white sand-bounded, gulf coast of Florida, purchasing 200 acres in his own right. The idea was to sell house lots at $100 and up a lot. If a veteran wanted a bit more so as to have an orange grove, two and one half acres to five acres could be purchased. Chase’s place was advanced for the times. It included parks and other green spaces and community houses. Service providers such as the local trolley system were expected to contribute to the general maintenance of the community. Veterans City was never a success. Among other things businessmen in St. Petersburg saw the community as a threat to their future development. In addition, Chase’s war wounds were Owner: Brent Dow 18 Years Experience
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