- JOHN HENRY NICHOLS, who is numbered among the settlers of
Rock County of 1854, and
- is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, is of English
birth. He was born in Buckinghamshire, England, Aug. 19, 1825,
and is the only child of Matthias and Mary (CLARK) NICHOLS, who
were also natives of the same country. The father passed his
entire life in his native land, his death there occurring in
the month of August, 1826. After the death of her husband Mrs.
NICHOLS was again married, becoming the wife of William NIBBS,
and in 1832 the family crossed the broad Atlantic and located
in Herkimer County, N.Y., where they resided until 1865. At
that time they came to Wisconsin, locating in Dane County, where
she continued to make her home until her death, which occurred
on the 20th day of September, 1872, at a ripe old age.
- The life of our subject has been truly an industrious one.
At the early age of eight years he began
- earning his own livelihood, working on a farm in the State
of New York, and receiving for his services only $4 per month.
His educational advantages were indeed limited, he working two
days in a week for his school privileges. He continued to labor
as a farm hand until he was twenty-five years old. On the 1st
day of January, 1850, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine
DALTON, and of their union two children were born - sons - Frank,
who resides at Ft. Atkinson, Wis., and Henry, who is now deceased.
The death of the mother occurred April 6, 1854, and she was
buried at Utica, N.Y. After his marriage he worked a dairy farm
in Herkimer County, on shares for two years and then went to
work by the month on a farm for one year, which proved to be
more profitable than farming on his own account, and then he
worked by the day for one year. After the death of his wife
he came West to Wisconsin, in 1854, and worked by the day for
Daniel LOVEJOY for $1 per day for sixty-five days, and then worked
at such employment as he could get until the spring of 1885,
when he bought forty acres of land in Porter Township, together
with a team and some implements, and after putting in a crop
sold out at an advance of $300. In fall of that year, in connection
with his brother-in-law, he purchased 160 acres of land in Dane
County, cultivating the same for a period of three years.
- On the 19th day of October, 1856, Mr. NICHOLS was again married,
his second union being
- with Bridget KEALEY. They became the parents of thirteen
children, as follows: George, who was born Dec. 4, 1857; Mary,
March 26, 1859; Katy, April 10, 1861; William, April 6, 1863,
Lizzie, Jan. 26, 1865; Mark, Feb.. 13, 1867; Joseph, born May
22, 1868, is now deceased; Winfred F., born July 22, 1870; Gertrude
A., Sept. 4, 1872; Joseph, deceased; Teresa, born Dec. 22, 1875,
is deceased; Andrew born Nov. 28,1877, and Josephine, May 17,
1880.
- In the fall of 1859 Mr. NICHOLS purchased forty acres of
land, and subsequently in 1862,
- bought another forty acres, which was still in an unimproved
condition, and with characteristic energy began transforming
the wild land, clearing it of the brush, building fences and
otherwise improving it until he had a fine farm.
- Mr. NICHOLS has followed the occupation of farming throughout
the greater part of his life, and
- is a man of energetic disposition and practical ideas. He
resided on this farm of eighty acres before mentioned until 1881,
when he removed to Dunkirk, Dane County, where he purchased 120
acres of land on Wheeler Prairie, where he continued to reside
until March 17, 1884. At that time he returned to this county,
and has since made his home within its borders. He then purchased
160 acres of land on section 22, Porter Township, his present
fine farm. He is regarded as one of the leading and representative
farmers of the community, and his home with its entire surroundings
stands as a monument to his labor and ability. He is truly a
self-made man. There are but few who have made their way unaided
through life from the early age of eight years as Mr. NICHOLS
has done, and to the youth of the present generation it would
seem an unbearable hardship. Mr. NICHOLS and his wife are members
of the Catholic Church, are held in high esteem by their many
friends, and in politics he is a supporter of the Republican
party.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 895-896.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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