John Biddle (Michigan)

John Biddle (March 2, 1792–August 25, 1859) was a delegate to the United States Congress from the Michigan Territory.

Biddle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended the common schools before attending Princeton College. At the outbreak of the War of 1812, Biddle enlisted in the U.S. Army and was appointed a second lieutenant in the Third Artillery on July 6, 1812 and promoted to first lieutenant March 13, 1813. He became captain in the Forty-second Infantry October 1, 1813 and served as assistant inspector general with the rank of major, from June 19, 1817 to June 1, 1821. He was attached to the staff of General Winfield Scott on the Niagara Frontier and then paymaster and Indian agent at Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1821 and 1822. He was register of the land at Detroit, Michigan in of Michigan Territory, 1823-1837; commissioner for determining the ancient land claims at Detroit, Mackinaw, Sault Ste. Marie, Green Bay, and Prairie du Chien.

Biddle served as mayor of Detroit in 1827 and 1828. He was elected a Delegate from the Territory of Michigan to the Twenty-first Congress and served from March 4, 1829 until his resignation on February 21, 1831. He was president of the convention that framed the State constitution for Michigan in 1835; president of the Michigan Central Railroad, 1835; unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate in 1835; unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Michigan; member of the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1841 and served as speaker; retired from public life and active pursuits and resided on his farm near Wyandotte, Michigan; later spent much time on his estate near St. Louis, Michigan. Jefferson Avenue, which stretches from New Baltimore, Michigan to East Rockwood, Michigan, is named Biddle Avenue through Wyandotte.

In 1859, Biddle went to White Sulphur Springs in what is now West Virginia, for the summer, and died there. He is interred in Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan.

References

*CongBio|B000441
*cite web
url = http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/biddle.html#RNX03551X
title = Index to Politicians: Biddle| accessdate = 2006-07-06
author = Lawrence Kestenbaum
date = 10 March 2005| work = Political Graveyard
publisher = Paul Haas