Nestled along the east bank of the Anclote River in an area historically considered as the western boundary of Seven Springs, the Perrine Ranch property has played an important role in West Pasco history. Owned beginning in the late 1930s by Lester Perrine, it was completely different from the other large ranches in the area owned by the Mitchells and the Starkeys.
But before we dive into the details and legacy of Perrine Ranch, we need to go back a few generations for a glimpse of the famous people and events that contributed to the history of the property. At its height, the Perrine Ranch occupied hundreds of acres, but a small 20-acre tract of land serving as the family homestead is going to be our focus. Getting there today is easy – it’s on the north side of Perrine Ranch Road about a quarter-mile east of the Anclote River bridge. There’s still an elegant mansion on the site that was built in 2003.
In the late 1800s, there was no road and no bridge. Access to the property was by boat, following a narrow, serpentine, section of the Anclote through what many deemed a “tropical paradise.” The land was owned at that time by John Morgan Weeks and his three brothers, who ran a turpentine business named J.M. Weeks & Company. In December of 1908, they sold the property to George Inness Jr.
Son of George Inness, one of the most influential American landscape painters of the 19th century, he was raised in the Northeast, but frequently accompanied his father on European trips, where he studied art under the tutelage of several French masters – and followed in his father’s footsteps as a landscape artist. After his father’s death, and completing his studies in Paris, he returned to the United States in 1900 to continue his own career as an artist. He spent his summers in New York, and his winters in Tarpon Springs.
Inness expanded his Tarpon Springs home into a 27-room house with a large studio and cottages for visiting artists. Yet, George wanted a place to get away from the town life – where the natural surroundings would inspire his landscape art. He chose the property along the Anclote River northwest of Tarpon Springs as his retreat, and named it “Camp Comfort.” Many of his most acclaimed works were painted at Camp Comfort, and depict the countryside there, and scenes of the Anclote River.
Even though he enjoyed spending time at Camp Comfort, George always remained connected to Tarpon Springs society. In 1918, when a ferocious storm blew out the windows of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Tarpon Springs, he agreed to create paintings to fill in the spaces where the sanctuary windows were lost. Today, 11 of George Inness Jr.’s most famous paintings are on display at the church. Two of the paintings were on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris until finally being gifted to the church by Inness’ widow Julia after his death in 1926.
History is not clear exactly when the first bridge was built over the Anclote River to Camp Comfort. However, one existed by the mid-1920s, and was probably the first bridge over the river in West Pasco County. The original bridge was a rickety one-lane wooden structure.
In the mid-1920s, the newly incorporated city of New Port Richey, located several miles to the north, was promoting the idea that it would become the “Hollywood of the East.” But surprisingly, George Inness’ Camp Comfort had already toyed with that idea years earlier. In 1919, silent film director Will Bradley began shooting a feature film named “Bitter Fruit” about two sisters on a yachting expedition near the mythical island of Palmera off the coast of Africa, who were captured by pirates.
The film was shot on location — partly in the Florida Everglades, but mostly along the Anclote River. “Palmera Island” in the movie may have actually been Anclote Island. And many of the scenes depict lush tropical foliage along the Anclote River. Stories in the New Port Richey Press and the Tampa Morning Tribune both reported that the film staff were located at Camp Comfort and at Seven Springs.
George Inness Jr. was married to Julia Goodrich Smith, the daughter of Roswell Smith, who was the founder of Will Bradley’s publishing company. That was probably the connection that brought the film production to West Pasco County. The film “Bitter Fruit,” originally filmed under the pseudo-name “The Black Lagoon,” and was released in October of 1920 as a six-reel feature film. It was produced by Dramafilms, released by Arrow Film Corporation, written and directed by William H. Bradley. It starred Jane Gail, John Charles and Ruth Pecheur.
By 1920, George was spending more time at his Tarpon Springs estate – now known as “Inness Manor,” and made fewer trips to Camp Comfort. In April of that year, he sold the property to Wilbur and Zella Hagans. Wilbur was a superintendent for the Rand, McNally Company, where his father was a major stockholder. The Hagans were not simply wealthy investors looking for a property investment. They were serious art lovers from Illinois who had many of Inness’ paintings in their collection. And they were part of George’s social circle. They seemed to have the intention of keeping Camp Comfort as a retreat for artists. In July of 1922, just before her death, Zella transferred ownership of Camp Comfort to her daughter, Grace.
It appears that Grace and her husband, Joseph Jerger, both noted physicians in Illinois, had no intention of moving to Florida. So they sold the property to engineer and developer Wayne Darlington, who was also a member of the Tarpon Springs elite. He had visions of continuing to operate a tourist business at Camp Comfort – which had become a stop-off point for scenic boat rides up the Anclote River from Tarpon Springs to Pinder’s Landing and back.
Apparently, Wayne Darlington was involved in a mortgage dispute, and there was a court-ordered sale in November of 1931 transferring ownership to Clarence H. Mackay. Clarence owned it until April 1937, and then sold the property – consisting of some 400 acres – to Lester Perrine.
We have now come full circle back to Lester Perrine. He operated a battery manufacturing business in Massachusetts, and first got interested in the land while visiting his sister on a trip to Tarpon Springs. After his purchase he and his wife wintered in Pasco County and continued to operate Camp Comfort. The Perrine’s were also avid world travelers. They were known to share details of their journeys to Europe, Russia, and the Holy Land in local social gatherings.
Lester hired Dave Baillie as a foreman and started a venture of farming sweet potatoes and melons. But by the mid 1950s, he lost interest in farming and converted his land to pastureland for cattle – operating the ranch primarily as a dairy farm with Guernsey cows.
Lester Perrine died in 1965, and his wife, Doris, unable to manage the expansive dairy operation, entered into a lease agreement with the Borden Company in September of 1966. A few years later, the lease was transferred to the Tampa Independent Dairy Farmers Association. Doris continued to live on a 58-acre parcel of the original ranch until she died in June of 1996. By that time, the rest had been sold and subdivided into housing projects.
Camp Comfort and the Perrine Ranch were unique ventures in West Pasco County. In a land devoted almost entirely to citrus groves, logging, and beef cattle ranching, they left a lasting legacy of culture, eco-tourism, and entrepreneurial effort.
Paul Herman is the Digital Media Archivist for the West Pasco Historical Society.