Odet Phillippe (abt. 1780 - 1869)

Born about 1780 in Lyon, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France

Descendants

Died 1869 at about age 89 in Safety Harbor, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA

Biography of Odet "Count" PHILLIPPE of 1780

Odet Phillippe was born in Lyons or Rhône-Alpes, France in the 1780s.

Odet Phillippe immigrated to the United States, lived in Charleston, South Carolina before 1820, and eventually moved to Hillsborough (now Pinellas) County, Florida

Odet Phillippe married first Dorothée Desmottes circa 1812 and had children:

• Louise Poleanna Phillippe, born July 8, 1814
• Charlotte Septima Marie Phillippe, b. 17 February 1820 in Charleston, South Carolina

Odet Phillippe settled near present day Safety Harbor, Pinellas County, Florida, where he founded St. Helena Plantation.

Odet Phillippe grew grapefruit and other citrus crops.

Odet Phillippe was inducted into the Citrus Hall of Fame for his pioneering efforts to grow grapefruit and citrus in new areas.

Odet Phillippe remarried to Marie Charlotte Florance Fontane, and had at least one child:

• Merliney A. Phillippe who married Richard J. Booth.

Odet Phillippe survived the Great Hurricane of 1848, partly because of shelter provided by the existence of a large Indian mound to block some of the wind. Parts of the Indian mound were destroyed in the storm as was much of St. Helena's Plantation. Phillippe rebuilt after the storm.

Odet Phillippe was known for telling tall tales than can not be substantiated with historical documents, like the story that he was a "Count".

Odet Phillippe passed away and is buried on his former St. Helena Plantation, which is now a Pinellas County, Florida Park. Exact location of his gravesite is yet to be determined, but historical markers are installed in the park.

Sources

• Find A Grave Memorial# 115749570, created by: Alli Traywick. Record added: Aug 19, 2013 - http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=115749570

• Odet's first wife is identified on their daughter's certificate of baptism. St. Mary's [Roman Catholic] Church [Charleston, S.C.], certificate of baptism, This baptismal certificate for Septima Philippe available behind a paywall at Ancestry dot com