John Biddle was born in Philadelphia in March 1792 to a prominent
American family. He was the son of Charles Biddle, Vice President
of Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War and nephew of Commodore
Nicholas Biddle who later became President of the United States
Bank. A brother, Major Thomas Biddle, served in the U. S. Army and
another brother, Commodore James Biddle, was a noted Naval officer.
A few years after graduation from Princeton College, John Biddle
entered the United States Army, serving for most of the War of 1812
in the Niagara Frontier under General Scott. He was promoted from
Captain of Artillery to Major. While in the military, he was assigned
to Fort Shelby in Detroit as Commander. In 1821, Biddle left the
Army and was appointed Indian Agent at Green Bay.
After returning to the East and finding a bride, Eliza F. Bradish
of New York, John Biddle began the political phase of his life becoming
prominent in affairs connected with the Territory, the State of
Michigan and the City of Detroit. His political accomplishments
were impressive. In 1820, he was appointed Associate Justice of
County Court, Judge of Probate and Brown County Commissioner. From
1823 to 1837, he served as Register of the Land Office for the District
of Detroit, selling farms and lots to new arrivals. From 1827 to
1828, he served as the Mayor of the City of Detroit. From 1829 through
1831, he was the Territorial Delegate to Congress from the State
of Michigan. In 1835, he was a member of the Constitutional Convention
and President of the first State Constitutional Convention. In 1841,
he served in the State Legislature.
In addition to his military and political achievements, Biddle was
a civic and cultural community leader. In 1835, he was elected President
of the Detroit-St. Joseph Railroad which later became Michigan Central
Railroad. Three years later, he became the first President of Farmers’
and Mechanics’ Bank having served as Director from 1829 through
1838.
Biddle displayed an interest in the general religious and philanthropic
reforms of his time. He was a member and vestryman of St. Paul’s
Episcopal Cathedral and became personally responsible for the expense
of St. Paul’s first building. He helped organize the Episcopal
Church Society in Detroit on March 8, 1825 and, on November 3, 1830,
was elected Vice President of the County Bible Society which distributed
Bibles and Testaments.
On July 15, 1831, he was elected Vice President of the Detroit Athenaeum
which was established as a club reading room. His was the first
name on a notice list of the Association for Promoting Female Education
in the City of Detroit (December 4, 1834) and elected as a Trustee
of the University of Michigan, an “English Classical School”.
The Historical Society of Michigan was organized on July 3, 1828
at Mansion House and Biddle was asked to be the first Vice President
(1828–1837). In 1837, he was elected President of the Society.
His lecture of September 15, 1830 can be found in the book “Historical
and Scientific Sketches of Michigan”. Biddle helped organize
and participated in plays which were given in an amateur theater
located in the upper part of a large brick storefront at the foot
of Wayne Street.
For the people of southeastern Michigan, this man of so many accomplishments
is perhaps best noted for his connection to the City of Wyandotte.
Land on which the Village of Maquaqua had previously been located
was auctioned off in 1818. Biddle acquired 2,200 acres and proceeded
to construct his summer estate where he could retreat from Detroit
and entertain. The buildings were completed in 1835 and the estate
was named “The Wyandotte” after the Indian tribe that
had lived on the land. The family moved there from Detroit a year
later.
The white colonial-style home was built on the corner of Vinewood
and Biddle on the land presently occupied by the McNichol-Ford House
(Wyandotte Historical Museum). The front lawn, filled with flowers,
went to the road running along the riverbank. It is reported that
runaway slaves escaping to Canada and Wyandotte Indians were used
for farm labor.
A lack of interest in farming led to the sale of “The Wyandotte”
and Major Biddle and his wife left the area to return to his old
home in Philadelphia. The property was sold for $44,000 in 1853
to Eber Ward of Eureka Iron and developed into the town of Wyandotte.
The house was used as a hotel (some accounts say used as a carriage
stop) for the workingmen of the village. A fire partially destroyed
the house in 1860. It was moved in 1896 to its present location
at 2114 Biddle, the second house south of Spruce. Some changes were
made but many original beams and structural details remain.
After selling the property, Biddle went to Paris for a retirement
vacation. His wife’s ill health prompted a trip to White Sulphur
Springs, Virginia in 1859. He died there on August 25, 1859. Survivors
were listed as four “recorded” children: William S.,
Major James, Edward J. and Margaretta.
