George Lash Biddle
George Lash. Biddle was born 07 Nov 1881, PA and died 26 /Feb 1974, Volusia CO, FL, married 29 Jun 1905, McKeesport, Allegheny CO, PA, Mary Elizabeth Brown, dau of James B Brown, born about 1885 in Scotland, died 20 Apr 1961, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL. She is buried in Bellevue Mem Cemetery, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL.
The doctor had advised Mr Biddle to move to Arizona or Florida and they chose Florida. The family arrived in Bunnell on 24 Sept 1918 and are listed on page 5 of the 1920 census of Flagler County with his occupation given as "Auto Mechanic-Garage." The daughter Ruth tells of the family's move, which gives most interesting details of one mode of travel to reach the Sunshine State.
George Biddle had fallen in love with Florida on a previous trip and thus with his brother James M. Biddle and their families, consisting of thirteen persons, which included Elizabeth's aunt Charlotte Butchard of France, and the little dog, left McKeesport, Penn on the 9th Sept 1918 in route to Flagler County. Their transportation consisted of a touring car and a new Ford truck, which the men had equipped for camping on the way. They built boxes on both sides of the truck bed to hold the camp stove, groceries, tools, tent, etc. However the block and tackle they brought along proved to be a very important necessity as the roads were often either muddy or of soft sand and they were stuck several times.
During World War I you were called a "scab" if you used gas to travel on Sunday, so this was a day of rest and doing the laundry, drying the clothes on bushes or tree limbs. Camping was just a matter of finding a suitable place for most land was not posted in that day. The main requirement for selecting a site was finding water.
With eight children ranging in age from about three to fifteen, it was an eventful trip but the most excitement was on a stop in Washington D.C. They were parked by a tall building with a big clock on it and when departure time came, Homer who had been riding in the car with his father wanted to ride in the truck with his Uncle George, so he embarked from the car but Uncle George did not know of the switch so both vehicles took off. However a policeman came along and advised Homer to stay right where they had left him. On a stop down the road they discovered there was no Homer in either vehicle. Both men took the car and drove back to find the tall building with the big clock and there was Homer crying his eyes out.
The brothers had planned to farm in Flagler County but on inspection of the property they had purchased it was found to be partly in Gore Lake, so they rented a farm from L.S. Cody, a few miles out from Bunnell and planted potatoes. The farmers all made good crops that year but the price was so low no money was made. While living on the farm the younger children had their first experience of attending a one-room school.
Both families moved to Bunnell and the brothers opened a garage west of the railroad in Bunnell. In Nov 1927, George announced that he planned to open a garage on the new Dixie Highway that December, the firm name to be the George L Biddle Garage. The place was located north of Moody Boulevard on the Dixie, east of the Palm House Café. It was to a general repair business with an up-to-date filling station.
He later took over the management of the new Gulf Oil service station on the corner of Moody Blvd and State Road No 4 (now U S 1) in Bunnell, FL in Feb 1934. In Nov 1934 he announced that he was building an artistic lunch room at the service station where drinks, sandwiches and quick lunches would be served. His wife operated this lunch room called the Wee Nippe.
They had purchased a house adjoining the Methodist Parsonage in Bunnell. George Biddle served several terms as a member of the Board of Public Instruction. The family was active members of the Bunnell Methodist Church where Mrs. Biddle sang in the choir. They were the parents of two children;
1. Ruth E Biddle, born 24 Sep 1906 McKeesport, Allegheny CO, PA, died 16 Aug 2005, Flagler Pines Nursing Home, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, married 11 Aug 1929, Orlando, Orange CO, FL, Lawrence Owen. Upson, son of Luther Orlando. Upson and Ida A Fuquay, born 31 Mar 1905, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL, died 29 Dec 1978, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL..
He homesteaded in Ocean City on 15 Feb 1914 and filed three year proof on 21 Mar 1919. In Apr 1927 he accepted a position as bookkeeper for Mr E S Lathrop of the Texas Oil Company in Bunnell. Issue;
(1) Richard Biddle (Bobby) Upson, born 06 Mar 1932, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL, married Maggie.
(2) James Douglas (Jimmy) Upson, born 01 Mar 1939, Palatka, Putnam CO, FL, married, 06 Jun 1964, Wesley Chapel, Iowa City, IA, Beverly Jean Moore, Issue;
A. Doug Upson
B. Johnny Upson
C. Teddy Upson
2. Clare George Biddle , born 05 Dec 1914, McKeesport, Allegheny CO, PA, died 26 Dec 1992, Volusia CO, FL, married First Baptist Church, Auburn, Lee CO, AL, Gwendolyn (Gwen) Tucker, dau of Arlie Daniel Tucker and Callie Mae Hancock born about 1924 GA,
Clare graduated from Bunnell High School and was graduated from Florida Southern College, Lakeland, in June 1941. He is a member of the Alpha Sigma Fraternity and was its treasurer. He received his commission in the Army Air Forces on May 20, 1942, at Turner Field, Albany, Ga. The following August, he was sent on foreign duty to England and was in North Africa during the Tunisian campaign. He returned to America in September, 1943. He was a transport pilot. Issue:
(1) George Blane Biddle, born 05 Jan 1956, Halifax Hospital, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL.
Source: The First Families of Flagler by Mary Ketus Deen Holland who cited the following as her source, Census and Ruth Biddle Upson.
Additional sources used by the compiler were: World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Record; Florida Death Index, 1877-1998 Record ; Social Security Death Index; and Family information posted on ancestry.com.
Please send questions, corrections or additions to Sisco Deen, P.O. Box 637, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 or email him at Sisco_Deen@hotmail.com
