Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Summer II/Section 10/Caleb Carter

Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Summer II/Section 10/Caleb Carter
Born	July 1, 1893 Asheville, NC
Died	May 1, 1974 Asheville, NC
Other names	Carson Sevier
Occupation	Mushroom Grower
Spouse(s)	Helen Brooks and Mary Jane Millender

Early Life

Naval stores processing plant under construction.

Carson Sevier, originally named Caleb Carter, was a white male born in Asheville, North Carolina in 1893. In his childhood, he was educated at a private school as well as a military school. His schooling at the private institutions occurred due to his family holding high socioeconomic status from his father being a lawyer. After high school, Carter job-hopped until the First World War, where Carter enlisted in the National Guard after working in the naval-stores industry in Georgia and the traction company in Florida. While it is not known why Carter enlisted, historically American youth join the National Guard or Reserve for the retirement benefits, guaranteed paid college, and/or job specialization. Additionally, during this time many young, American men listened to the call to arms to help the war efforts. However, Carter never got to see the war in Europe, as the war ended on April 18, 1918 while he was aboard a ship setting sail for France. Regardless of his lack of action, he had spent time in the officers training camps and earned the title of second lieutenant. He was discharged soon after the conclusion of the war. Shortly after, he studied electrical and civil engineering at two different colleges. While Carter never graduated with a degree, he would use his engineering skills later in life in his mushroom growing business.

Carter in Real Estate

Real estate sign near Utica, New York.

After dropping out of college, Carter experimented with a variety of trades. However, he eventually gave up his job as a civil engineer to get into the real estate business in Florida. It was becoming a trend in the 1920s for many Americans to pursue the real estate business due to the rise in the United States economy and the lack of business regulations in that sector. In a journal article that analyzes the real estate trends in Manhattan before, during, and after the Great Depression, the findings parallel the real estate experience of Carter in Florida in the 1920s. “Our indexes reveal that prices for a typical property reached a local peak in 1926. They then fell and rebounded to reach their highest peak in 1929, coincidently with the high point of the late 1920s stock market run‐up.” In the early twenties, Carter moved to Florida to take part in the Florida Land Boom, a movement in which large populations of people from across the United States were migrating to Florida to establish a residence, or in Carter’s case, make money off of this migration pattern. Carter became a wealthy man after moving to Florida. He claims in his interview with Douglas Carter that at one point he owned up to $250,000 worth of property. However, much like many others in the real estate business, the properties were not fully paid for. This led to his financial demise when the market collapsed. In 1928 at about 35 years of age, Carter went to live with his father in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Florida Land Boom

In “Built on Sand: The Get-Rich-Quick Scams of 1920s Florida” Daniel Okrent highlights the magnitude of the Florida Land Boom: “In 1925, some 7,000 people seeking a new life and perhaps a new fortune entered Florida each day. In Massachusetts alone, owners of more than 100,000 bank accounts used their savings to invest in Florida land. Deposits in Florida banks increased 400 percent in three years.” Those in the real estate industry were quick to take notice of this trend. Many people in the real estate industry purchased numerous lots of land for cheap and flipped them for much more. This was often done in a corrupt manner, as many took advantage of naïve consumers by exaggerating the actual value of the Florida land. In some cases, real estate agents sold unbuildable land, unbeknownst to buyers. All this corruption was taking a heavy toll on banks. “In time, nearly 90 percent of Florida’s municipalities were compelled to default on their bonds. Overleveraged banks collapsed. Empty lots stretched across mile after mile of unbuildable land.”

Carter's Mushroom Growing Business

Carter's interest in mushrooms began after he answered a call to an advertisement that persuaded him to attempt to grow mushrooms. Carter learned the science and business behind mushroom growing, becoming an expert over the years. Business was slow at first, but after perfecting the mushroom growing process and expanding his mushroom beds using his engineering skills, his company grew. He became one of the most prominent mushroom growers in the industry and in North Carolina, while contributing to the local Asheville economy with his business's success. His business eventually sold on a scale larger than the Carolinas, shipping to Florida, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. His mushroom growing business in North Carolina gave Carter a steady income, despite being one of the most difficult crops to grow. Carter went from unemployed and in debt to a successful entrepreneur within a decade. Mr. Carter died on May 19, 1974 in Asheville, North Carolina.

Mushroom Horticulture

Mushroom cultivation is a process that utilizes edible fungi and a substrate. Substrates in mushroom cultivation are decaying organic matter. After mycelium is produced on the substrate—the webby, thread-like stage of the fungi—mushrooms will start to grow. This process is time consuming and difficult to mass-produce, given the nature of mushrooms. Different than other cultivated fruits and vegetables, mushrooms do not require sunlight, but rather count on other controlled variables to prosper. Mushrooms should be grown indoors in an insulated and ventilated environment. Mushrooms must cycle carbon, nitrogen, and other elements in the air effectively and require specific hydration levels in the soil to flourish, making ventilation and watering crucial to their development. Temperature control is very important in mushroom horticulture, which is why a thermostat is often used to regulate temperature. The best substrate to grow mushrooms on depends on the type of mushroom; however, using compost that contains the correct ratio of nutrients is optimal for producing them. Cultivating mushrooms is a difficult process but can be lucrative when grown in optimal conditions.