Lue Gim Gong collection, 1886-1935, Acquired
Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Lue, Gim Gong (1860-1925)
- Extent:
- 0.42 Linear Feet
- 1.00 boxes
- Language:
- English Chinese
- Preferred citation:
Lue Gim Gong Collection, USF Libraries - Tampa Special Collections, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.
Background
- Scope and content:
The collection primarily consists of photographs of Lue Gim Gong with the Burlingame family, the citrus grove in DeLand, and the many visitors who came to the family home. Also includes newspaper clippings, legal papers, and a Bible study journal.
- Biographical / historical:
Lue (pronounced Loo-ee) Gim Gong grew up in the southern Chinese village of Lung On, where he first began experimenting with horticulture as a child. In 1872, at the age of twelve, he came to the United States, where he found work in shoe factories, first in San Francisco, and then in North Adams, Massachusetts. His Christian tutor, Fanny Burlingame, took an interest in his gardening skills and became his sponsor, eventually taking Lue into her family's home. When Lue became ill with tuberculosis, Fanny suggested he relocate to her family's citrus groves in DeLand, Florida. In 1887, with the help of Fanny, Lue became a United States citizen.
Lue developed both an orange and a grapefruit variety that could withstand freezes and were more flavorful than previous varieties. Lue gained much respect and admiration from the horticulture community, receiving the Silver Wilder Medal from the American Pomological Society in 1911. On June 3, 1925, the "Father of Florida's Citrus Industry" died in DeLand, FL.
Arson, Virginia. Gift of the Unicorn: The Story of Lue Gim Gong, Florida's Citrus Wizard. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, 2002.
Lue Gim Gong, 1859-1925: Father of Florida's Citrus Industry. http://www.firn.edu/civiced/games/faces/gong/html. Retrieved April 6, 2005.
Note written by Jenica Ibarra, 2011
- Acquisition information:
Mickler's Floridiana
acquistion
- Arrangement:
Organized by subject.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Terms of access:
None. The contents of this collection may be subject to copyright. Visit the United States Copyright Office's website at http://www.copyright.gov/for more information.
- Preferred citation:
Lue Gim Gong Collection, USF Libraries - Tampa Special Collections, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.
- Location of this collection:
-
The University of South Florida, Tampa Campus4202 East Fowler Ave. LIB122TampaFL33620-5400USA
