Paul L. Rumpsa and Boutique Citrus Gift Shipping (1923–1931)
In 1930, Avon Park citrus grower Paul L. Rumpsa published Citrus Par Excellence, a twelve-page illustrated treatise, promotional catalog, and seasonal price schedule.[fm-rumpsa-1930] Printed by the Drew Press of Jacksonville, the document provides detailed contemporary evidence of an alternative horticultural business model operating in Highlands County during the onset of the Great Depression: the small-scale, direct-to-consumer boutique gift-fruit shipping service.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
Whereas the dominant commercial entities along Avon Park’s rail corridors—such as the Avon Park Citrus Growers Association, the Lake Byrd Citrus Packing Company, and American Fruit Growers—processed high-volume bulk carlots consigned to northern commission merchants, Rumpsa’s enterprise operated as an independent, closed-loop system integrating grove management, tree-ripened custom harvesting, private packing, and retail express delivery.[fm-rumpsa-1930][maxwell-1976]
The Critique of Industrial Citrus Handling
In Citrus Par Excellence, Rumpsa formulated a systematic critique of contemporary commercial packing and shipping practices:[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Labor and Mechanical Bruising: Rumpsa observed that mass commercial picking and rough trucking to regional packing houses inflicted clipping cuts and pressure bruises that promoted mold and post-harvest decay before shipments departed Florida.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Artificial Coloring (Ethylene Sweat Rooms): Commercial shippers routinely subjected early-season fruit to artificial heat and ethylene gas chambers to break down green chlorophyll pigments. Rumpsa argued this practice impaired natural keeping qualities, destroyed delicate esters, and deceived consumers, insisting instead on shipping solely fruit “colored by nature.”[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Refrigeration Damage: He maintained that prolonged transit in iced refrigerator cars (reefers) dampened aromatic qualities and caused chilling injury, whereas immediate same-day dispatch via express courier allowed tree-ripened fruit to arrive in northern markets with natural flavor unimpaired.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
Operational Protocol and Express Logistics
To bypass the hazards of mass transit, Rumpsa established his own private packing facility and harvesting protocol:[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Harvested to Order: No fruit was picked in advance for speculative cold storage. When a telegraphic or mail order arrived, an experienced picker selectively harvested the specified varieties directly from the trees.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Custom Processing: Fruit was washed, carefully dried, individually wrapped in protective tissue paper, and nested into shipping crates designed to absorb rough baggage transit.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Multi-Varietal Packs: While commercial packing houses resisted split packing due to standardized sizing machinery, Rumpsa packed two, three, or four distinct citrus varieties into a single crate, offering customers mixed assortments of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and specialty tangelos.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Holiday Gift Presentation: Christmas consignments were decorated gratis with sprigs of fresh kumquats, wild mistletoe, and glossy loquat leaves, accompanied by donor gift cards or engraved cards for executive presentations.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
Rumpsa cited a verified seven-year carrier record (1923–1930) showing that only one shipment was lost, frozen, or damaged out of every 994 consigned to express carriers—a 99.9% safe delivery rate across national distribution zones.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
1930–1931 Varietal and Price Structure
Rumpsa’s catalog document provides a granular inventory of the specialty citrus cultivars thriving on the Lake Wales Ridge in 1930:[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Grapefruit: Silver Cluster, Excelsior, and Marsh Seedless, harvested from rootstock “more than thirty years old” (planted circa 1895–1900).[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Sweet Oranges: Florida Seedling, Navel, Pineapple, Homosassa, Mediterranean Sweet, and late-season Valencia.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Specialty Hybrids:
- Temple Orange: “Hybrid of unknown origin… oblate, color reddish or russet. Flesh melting, free from rag. Flavor unique, rich and spicy.”[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- King Orange (King of Siam): Late-maturing with rough, loose skin, abundant juice, and sprightly pulp.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Sampson Tangelo: Hybrid of tangerine and pomelo (grapefruit), promoted as a delicate sub-acid breakfast fruit.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
- Kumquats: Nagami (oval) and Marumi (round), packed on leafy twigs and paired with Rumpsa’s recipe for boiled whole preserves.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
The 1930–1931 schedule quoted prepaid express delivery across three standard box sizes:[fm-rumpsa-1930]
| Grade / Variety | Whole Box (80+ lbs.) | Half Box (40+ lbs.) | Quarter Box (20+ lbs.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Seasonable Grapefruit | $6.75 | $3.50 | — |
| Best Seasonable Oranges | $7.75 | $4.00 | $2.25 |
| Mixed Half-and-Half (Oranges & Grapefruit) | $7.25 | $3.75 | $2.00 |
| Specialty (Tangerines, Temples, Tangelos, King) | — | $4.75–$5.25 | $2.50–$2.75 |
| Assorted Fancy Fruit (all in season) | $8.00 | $4.25 | $2.25 |
| Special U. S. Fancy Grade Surcharge | $1.25 | $0.75 | $0.50 |
Pioneer Lineage and Settlement Context
Rumpsa’s path into citrus culture reflects the transformative role of regional infrastructure construction during the late 1910s.[maxwell-1976] Rumpsa originally came to Avon Park in May 1917 as an employee of the W. P. Kennedy Construction Company, which operated a trackside Cummer asphalt mixing plant to pave Main Street and construct the first asphalt highway south to Sebring.[fm-rc10107][maxwell-1976]
Remaining in Avon Park after the road contracts finished, Rumpsa purchased residential property at 24 East Walnut Street, entered citrus horticulture, and maintained lifelong ties to the community.[maxwell-1976] He continued his membership in the Florida State Horticultural Society into the 1950s, co-founded Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in 1956, and supported the civic beautification initiatives of the Avon Park Garden Club co-founded by his wife Anna in 1946.[fshs-1951][maxwell-1976]
Grove Location and Surviving Records
Although Rumpsa operated a successful direct-to-consumer enterprise, specific physical coordinates for his grove are not detailed in general public records. His mailing address was listed as Drawer 608, Avon Park, in horticultural society journals, and he maintained a permanent homestead at 24 East Walnut Street.[maxwell-1976][fshs-1951] While a 1920 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map details the commercial and residential layout of Avon Park during this era, it does not explicitly demarcate the boundaries of Rumpsa’s agricultural parcels.[loc-sanborn-1920]
Furthermore, exhaustive queries across public archives, state databases, and library catalogs indicate that no personal ledgers, customer manifests, or unpublished business manuscripts from Rumpsa’s enterprise survive. His entire documented business operation is currently sourced exclusively from his 1930 published promotional booklet, Citrus Par Excellence.[fm-rumpsa-1930]
References
- fm-rumpsa-1930 — Paul L. Rumpsa; printed by Drew Press (Jacksonville, Fla.). Citrus Par Excellence by Paul L. Rumpsa, 1930 (State Library of Florida, Federal Documents Collection, call number Fla 634.3 R937, item flc_634.3-r937_01). 1930. citrus-par-excellence_paul-l-rumpsa_1930.md
- maxwell-1976 — Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida. 1976. the-first-hundred-years-of-avon-park_leoma-bradshaw-maxwell_1976.md
- fm-rc10107 — State Archives of Florida. Cummer road asphalt plant, W. P. Kennedy Construction company - Avon Park, Florida, 8 May 1917. 8 May 1917. avon-park-street-paving-asphalt-plant-1917-photograph.md
- fshs-1951 — Florida State Horticultural Society. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society, Sixty-Fourth Annual Meeting (1951), page 298. 1 November 1951. https://journals.flvc.org/fshs/article/view/83543
- loc-sanborn-1920 — Sanborn Map Company. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Avon Park, Highlands County, Florida. 1 November 1920. sanborn-fire-insurance-map-avon-park-1920.md
Where this comes from
- Evidence
- corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
- Review
- unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
- Rights
- society
Sources
- Paul L. Rumpsa; printed by Drew Press (Jacksonville, Fla.), Citrus Par Excellence by Paul L. Rumpsa, 1930 (State Library of Florida, Federal Documents Collection, call number Fla 634.3 R937, item flc_634.3-r937_01) (references/citrus-par-excellence_paul-l-rumpsa_1930.md) (1930)
- Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell, The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (references/the-first-hundred-years-of-avon-park_leoma-bradshaw-maxwell_1976.md) (1976)
- State Archives of Florida, Cummer road asphalt plant, W. P. Kennedy Construction company - Avon Park, Florida, 8 May 1917 (1917)
- Florida State Horticultural Society, Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society, Sixty-Fourth Annual Meeting (1951), page 298 (1951)
- Sanborn Map Company, Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Avon Park, Highlands County, Florida (media/sanborn-fire-insurance-map-avon-park-1920.md) (1920)
Something here wrong, or incomplete? The Society would rather know. Tell a volunteer.
Have a question about this record?