Meridian Plantation was a

quail hunting plantation A quail hunting plantation is a large tract of land typically with a natural wooded and grass habitat for the purpose of recreational hunting of bobwhite quail. Range Quail hunting plantations are found throughout the Southern United States, from ...

in central Leon County, Florida. It was established by Arthur Lapsley in 1915. Lapsley was from Pomfret Center in

Pomfret, Connecticut Pomfret is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,266 in 2020 according to the 2020 United States Census. The land was purchased from Native Americans in 1686 (the "Mashmuket Purchase" or "Mashamoquet Purchase ...

. Meridian Plantation had previously been

Mossview Plantation Mossview Plantation was a medium-sized cotton plantation of located in Leon County, Florida, United States established by Amos Whitehead. Location Mossview Plantation was located in north central Leon County on the southeast shore of Lake Jacks ...

, and owned by the Whitehead family. In 1933, Meridian Plantation was purchased by

Dwight F. Davis Dwight Filley Davis Sr. (July 5, 1879 – November 28, 1945) was an American tennis player and politician. He is best remembered as the founder of the Davis Cup international tennis competition. He was the Assistant Secretary of War from 1923 to ...

. Davis was

Assistant Secretary of War The United States Assistant Secretary of War was the second–ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to thMilitary Laws of the United States "The act of August 5 ...

under President Calvin Coolidge and

Governor General of the Philippines The Governor-General of the Philippines ( Spanish: ''Gobernador y Capitán General de Filipinas''; Filipino: ''Gobernador-Heneral ng Pilipinas/Kapitan Heneral ng Pilipinas''; Japanese: ) was the title of the government executive during the col ...

from 1929-1932. Davis also founded the tennis world's prestigious Davis Cup. In 1945, Davis died with Meridian becoming the property of Griscom Bettle, nephew to Lloyd C. Griscom of

Luna Plantation Luna Plantation was a quail hunting plantation located in northeastern Leon County, Florida, United States established by Lloyd C. Griscom. Lloyd C. Griscom was the son of Clement A. Griscom from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Clement was a ship ...

. Bettle would also acquire

Rose Hill Plantation Rose Hill Plantation may refer to: * Rose Hill Plantation in Leon County, Florida * Rose Hill Manor in Frederick, Maryland * Rose Hill Plantation in Port Tobacco, Maryland * Rose Hill Plantation in Caswell County, North Carolina * Rose Hill P ...

, a smaller plantation which bordered Lake Elizabeth on its east and also had considerable acreage near Lake Jackson. Rose Hill would be sold to Ralph Nicholson, former publisher of the ''

New Orleans Item-Tribune The ''New Orleans Item-Tribune'', sometimes rendered in press accounts as the ''New Orleans Item and Tribune'', was an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, in various forms from 1871 to 1958. Early history The newspaper, ref ...

'' and other newspapers.Paisley, Clifton; ''From Cotton To Quail'', University of Florida Press, c1968, pp. 83-84. Adjacent plantations: * Ayavalla Plantation to the west * Live Oak Plantation to the south

References

{{coord missing, Florida Plantations in Leon County, Florida 1915 establishments in Florida