Title and statement of responsibility area: Harry D. Biden fonds

Date(s) of creation: 1925-1927

Physical description area: 1 cm of textual records

Biographical sketch: Harry D. Biden was born circa 1878 at Digby, Nova Scotia, the son of Edmund Biden (d1908). The Biden family removed to Amherst, Nova Scotia in 1892. Here Edmund established a restaurant and later began making ice cream. Harry entered into business making ice cream with his father in 1902 under the name E. Biden & Son." Around 1920 Harry began a creamery which produced butter and ice cream. Biden also began a soft drink plant and became a wholesaler of cigarettes and candy. Combined, the creamery, soft drink plant and wholesale warehouse were called "Biden's Limited". In 1923, he was elected to Amherst Town Council. In 1925 he was elected mayor of Amherst by acclamation, a position he retained for three years. For several years he acted as manager of the Provincial Exhibition. During this period he combined the Maritime Winter Fair with the Exhibition. In 1929, he was appointed vice-president of the Amherst Board of Trade and in 1927 was named president. He also acted as president of the local branch of the Red Cross during World War II. Biden was a charter member of the Marshland Club and member of the Cobequid Angling Club. In 1930 the creamery was sold to Brookfield's Ltd. and Biden moved to Halifax, NS in 1931.

Scope and content: Fonds consists of petitions requesting the nomination of Biden as Chief Magistrate and Correspondence.

Source of supplied title proper: Title based on contents of fonds.

Associated material: Reference material regarding Biden can be found in the archives' reference collection.

Related Groups of records in different fonds: See also Cobequid Angling Club fonds and Town of Amherst fonds.

Retrieval Code: RG1 Biden 86-3

Provenance: Biden, Harry D. 1878-1931

Topical: Biden, Harry D, Amherst, NS, Amherst, mayors, Maritime Winter Fair