Wooden Doll Owned by Gertrude Biede

Otto and Marie Biede emigrated to the United States from Hanover, Germany in 1884. They arrived in Jacksonville in 1890. Otto owned a hardware and tinsmith business and Marie taught piano lessons. Their daughter, Gertrude, dropped and broke her porcelain head doll on the front steps of their home on S. Oregon Street. Her father carved this wooden doll as a replacement. Her mother made the calico dress using fabric that was purchased at Mrs. Ryan’s Dry Goods Store in Jacksonville for 5 cents a yard. This doll’s lamb’s wool hair is missing because the family dog chewed it off! Peter Britt took a photo (SOHS# 8921) of Gertrude and her sister with Gertrude holding this doll before it lost its hair, seen here.