Kings County Biographies

Transcribed by Craig A Hahn


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


 
BIDDLE, JOSEPH D.
 
     The forceful character of the citizenship of J. D. Biddle during the past 
quarter of a century has given him for all time a place in the annals of the 
state as well as Hanford, which has been his permanent home during this time and 
the scene of his activities to a large extent. A native of Tennessee, born in 
Bedford county, April 30, 1852, he passed his boyhood, youth and young manhood 
in the vicinity of his birth and the home of his parents, and at the age of 
twenty-seven, 1879, made his first trip to the west. After a stay of two months 
he returned to the south, but in 1882 retraced his steps and this time remained 
six months. It was in 1887 that he made his third and last journey to 
California, his prior two trips of inspection thoroughly satisfying him that 
here as nowhere else were opportunities awaiting the young man of push and 
determination. Having disposed of his merchandise and milling business in 
Shelbyville, Tenn., in 1887 he came that year to California and located in 
Hanford, his first work here being as auctioneer of livestock. As an adjunct to 
this business he bought livestock and sheep, as well as wool, the latter being 
gathered from a large territory, extending from Mexico to the Oregon line. His 
shipments of this commodity are large, being made to all parts of this country, 
as well as to Canada. His first experience in the wool business was in his early 
days in the west, when he was a representative for the Thomas Dunnigan & Son 
Co., a well-known wool house of San Francisco. The live stock which Mr. Biddle 
handles he secures from all parts of the state, and he has had as high as 
twenty-five thousand sheep in his possession at one time. 
 
     In financial circles throughout the San Joaquin valley few names are better 
known than that of Joseph D. Biddle, and to his splendid judgment and 
conservatism may be given much credit for the substantial character of the 
monetary institutions with which he has had to do. Among the latter may be 
mentioned the Sacramento Bank, German Savings & Loan Society of San Francisco, 
Savings Union Bank of San Francisco, Union Trust of San Francisco, and he has 
also made large loans of money through independent capitalists. He also 
represents several of the largest and best insurance companies of San Francisco, 
and is largely interested in the oil industry. His first venture in this field 
was the purchase of some of the best oil lands in the Coalinga district, and 
following this he organized several oil companies which are now organizations 
controlling great wealth these and the banks through which the business is 
carried on representing a combined capital of over $150,000,000. Mr. Biddle made 
large expenditures in drilling on his oil fields, but owing to the low prices of 
oil at the time it was deemed advisable to suspend operations until it demanded 
a better price. The property is still owned by the various companies in all of 
which Mr. Biddle is a director as follows: Investment Oil Company and the 
Phoenix Oil Company. Other companies were also organized in the Bakersfield 
district, but these have since been disposed of. 
 
     Not only was Mr. Biddle a pioneer and moving spirit in the industries above 
mentioned but he has been equally forceful along agricultural lines. During his 
early years here he bought and platted the Bonanza vineyard, embracing a tract 
of three hundred acres, Later acquisitions were the Silva ranch of one hundred 
acres, the Griswold apricot orchard of eighty acres (at that time the largest 
orchard of the kind in that section, but which has been sub-divided into small 
holdings), the Haywood vineyard of eighty acres, the Redwood vineyard and 
orchard of one hundred and twenty acres, the Savings Bank vineyard and orchard, 
consisting of eighty acres south of Hanford, which has since been sold, the 
Happy Home vineyard of twenty acres and the A. P. Dickenson ranch of eighty 
acres. For five years he also leased and operated the Banner vineyard of three 
hundred and twenty acres and for a number of years also leased Mrs. M. S. 
Templeton�s vineyard of one hundred and sixty acres northeast of Hanford. In 
connection with his large fruit interests Mr. Biddle erected a grading plant on 
the Bonanza ranch, where he was prepared to dry, cure and bleach the fruits from 
his various ranches, all of which found a ready sale in eastern markets. Besides 
handling and shipping all of his own fruit, be also bought raisins and peaches 
all over this section, paying the local packers in the country to pack his 
raisins and peaches under his own brand and ship them direct to the eastern 
markets. In order that the fruit should be wasted, he bought peaches and sacked 
them at the depots when the packing house was filled to its capacity. 
 
     Mr. Biddle�s interests in another direction are apparent in a number of 
substantial structures in Hanford, One of his first ventures along this line was 
the rebuilding of the block formerly occupied by the city stables, the site now 
occupied by the Old Bank. He also owns the building occupied by the Hanford 
Mercantile Corporation. This organization is capitalized for $100,000, and Mr. 
Biddle is one of the largest stockholders and secretary, and a director also. He 
was also one of the prime movers in the organization of the Hotel Artesia, which 
was built by the corporation of which he was a member and subsequently sold to 
B. J. Turner. Through an exchange of property Mr. Biddle became the owner of the 
Axtell block at the corner of Seventh and Irwin streets, the name of which has 
been change to the Sharpless block. He also moved the postoffice from its old 
site and placed it on Irwin street; and he moved both the telegraph offices into 
the Hotel Artesia, their present location. He at one time owned what is now the 
Vendome hotel, and he also bought and moved the first hotel erected in Hanford 
to the corner of Fifth and Douty streets, remodeling it and ultimately selling 
it to B. J. Turner. 
 
     Reference has elsewhere been made to Mr. Biddle�s interest and activities 
in the stock business. It was no uncommon thing for him to have on hand from ten 
to twenty thousand hogs on the McJunkin ranch, one and a half miles north of 
Hanford. It was during his earliest experiences in the business that he 
attempted to fatten his hogs on grain that had been salvage from a large fire in 
Stockton. He purchased the damage grain to the extent of one hundred thousand 
sacks, or one hundred cars, and shipped it to Hanford. It required all of the 
vehicles available to haul the grain to the Bonanza vineyard, where it was 
spread over eight acres of ground to dry in the sun. It was then resacked and 
stacked in the dry yard, the whole presenting the appearance of hay stacks in a 
field. He then bought steam engines and large tanks in which to steam the wheat, 
after which he fed the grain thus treated to the seven or eight thousand hogs 
which he had on his ranch at the time. The experiment proved a failure, it being 
demonstrated that charred grain was injurious to hogs, as they sickened and died 
under the diet. The experience was a costly one, but it did not deter Mr. Biddle 
from making further investigations as to the most desirable methods of feeding.  

 
     Owing to his wide experience and versatile knowledge it is not surprising 
that Mr. Biddle has been called upon from time to time to act in the capacity of 
administrator and transact other business of a similar nature. On numerous 
occasions when a difference of opinion arose as to the proper settlement of 
legal matters he has been called into consultation with attorneys, not only in 
Hanford, but also in Fresno, Visalia, Sacramento and even to San Francisco. At 
one time he was called to Portland, Ore., to settle a law suit involving 
$30,000, and he was also called to Nevada in the adjustment of a suit with 
Carmen & Richey involving $1,000,000, and this also was equably adjusted. At the 
present time Mr. Biddle is interested in the live stock, wool, oil, insurance, 
real estate and merchandise business, being in close touch with all the details 
of each, and he is also actively interested in all of the organizations of his 
home city which have for their objects the uplifting of the citizens and the 
general welfare of town and county. He is a valued member of the Chamber of 
Commerce and he was also a member of the committee appointed to attend the 
convention held in Los Angeles for the purpose of discussing matters relative to 
the Panama canal. He has also been an active member of a committee appointed by 
the supervisors of Kings county for the purpose of preparing a petition for 
bringing the main highway through Hanford, the county seat, through Visalia to 
Bakersfield. He has also been appointed a member of the highway commission to 
meet in Sacramento in January, 1913, when the above matter will come before the 
commission for discussion and settlement. 
 
     In the early days of Hanford did not boast a railroad Mr. Biddle started a 
donation to get the Santa Fe to run its road through Hanford and the valley. The 
completion of the road was celebrated in royal style, and in this too Mr. Biddle 
took the lead. In the display was one wagon to which were attached twenty-four 
large white horses, followed by three large wagons loaded with hundred bales of 
wool, another wagon showing the quality of sheep and hogs, and still another 
containing a large prune tree which Mr. Biddle dug from his orchard, full of 
growing prunes. Mr. Biddle had the honor of shipping the first three carloads of 
wool from Hanford over the road, the cars bearing large banners on which was 
printed in large letter, �Hanford the first city to patronize the Santa Fe 
railroad out of the Valley.�
 
     On May 1, 1878, Mr. Biddle was united in marriage with Miss Sallie M. 
Landis, a native of Tennessee. The success that has rewarded Mr. Biddle�s 
efforts is commensurate with his industry and perseverance. It is rare indeed 
that one is privileged to meet a man of such versatility, resolute character and 
determined will as Mr. Biddle possesses, and Hanford is proud to claim his 
citizenship.  
 
SOURCE:  History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical 
Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913 Pp 315, 316, 317, 
318, 319