Editing Sam Zemurray (section)

=== Sale of Cuyamel and first retirement ===
In 1913, Zemurray bought back the portion of his company owned by United Fruit, a transaction that was made possible by increasing [[United States antitrust law|anti-trust]] pressure on United Fruit from the United States government.<ref name=":0" /> Fully in control of the company, he expanded by buying 20 ships by 1915 that were outfitted with refrigerated holds. Cuyamel Fruit began to cultivate crops beyond bananas: [[coconut]]s, [[pineapple]]s, [[palm oil]], [[cattle]], [[lumber]], and [[sugarcane]].<ref name=":0" />

During the 1910's and 1920's, Zemurray continuously conflicted with United Fruit. Their competition over land in Central America included pranks, sabotage, legal challenges, and approached outright violence. In 1928, a Cuyamel Fruit boat was discovered with a cache of weapons aboard. In 1929, the [[United States Department of State]] facilitated discussions between Zemurray and United Fruit to merge their companies and end the conflict, which was endangering American interests abroad.<ref name="Salon">{{cite web|author=Steven Heller|date=March 13, 2012|title=America's Original Fast Food|url=https://www.salon.com/2012/03/14/americas_original_fast_food/|work=[[Salon.com]]}}</ref> A deal was completed in 1929, in which Zemurray sold Cuyamel to United Fruit for $31.5 million in stock, making him one of the richest people in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1929-11-26|title=CUYAMEL ACCEPTS UNITED FRUIT OFFER|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/11/26/archives/cuyamel-accepts-united-fruit-offer-holders-vote-for-merger-of.html|access-date=2020-10-18|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Though Zemurray had prided himself on independence, he sold his company because of increasing pressure from the Department of State and because of the financial insecurity brought on by the [[Great Depression]] in 1929.

[[File:StChasZemurry2.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Formerly Zemurray's home, this mansion on [[St. Charles Avenue]] in New Orleans is now the residence for presidents of [[Tulane University]]]] As part of the deal with United Fruit, Zemurray agreed to retire from the banana business entirely, to make sure he would not start a new fruit company and continue to compete with United Fruit. During this two year period, Zemurray remodeled his ornate [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux Arts]] mansion in New Orleans at 2 Audubon Place. He also acquired in 1928 [[Zemurray Gardens Lodge Complex|Houltonwood]], a 25,000-acre plantation located near [[Hammond, Louisiana]], which became a favorite retreat of Zemurray for the rest of his life.<ref>{{cite web|title=Zemurray Gardens|url=https://myhammond.com/tangi/historic/zemurray-gardens/|website=My Hammond / My Ponchatoula|access-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref> United Fruit suffered financially because of mismanagement and the [[Great Depression]], so much so that its stock declined in value by 90% after it acquired Cuyamel.<ref name="BusWk" />  This encouraged Zemurray to return to the banana business by buying a controlling share of United Fruit and voting out the board of directors.  Zemurray reorganized the company, decentralized decision-making and made the company profitable once more.