El
Dorado County
Biographies
FRANCIS NICHOLLS
Francis Nicholls, a prominent
old-time citizen of California residing at Coloma, and now having charge of the
Marshall Monument and grounds at that place, is of English birth and descent,
the date of his birth being November 5, 1838.
Mr. Nicholls’ parents, Francis and
Margaret (Hoskins) Nicholls, left their native land in 1848 and with their
family immigrated to America, selecting a location in Wisconsin, where their
new home was established. Here all went
well until 1850, when the father and two of the children, daughters, died of
cholera. Subsequently the widowed mother
became the wife of Roger Cox, and by him she had a daughter, who is now a
widow, Mrs. Annie Markham, and who presides over the home of the subject of
this sketch.
The younger Francis Nicholls passed
the first ten years of his life in England, the next seven in Wisconsin, and in
1855, at the age of seventeen, landed in Coloma, California; having made the
journey via the Nicaragua route, in company with an acquaintance, his
step-father having preceded him. It was
on the 3rd of July that young Nicholls landed in Coloma. From that time up to 1890 he devoted his time
chiefly to mining. Then he turned his attention
to fruit raising, in which he has since been
engaged. Peaches and prunes are his
chief products, and his farm comprises one hundred and seventy acres. In addition to this property, he owns the
comfortable home he occupies in Coloma.
Mr. Nicholls has been a life-long
Republican, his first presidential vote having been cast for the great
Lincoln. At different times he has been
chosen to fill local office and has filled the same with credit to himself and
those who have thus honored him. For eight
consecutive years he served as a deputy assessor. He was elected and served as a county
supervisor, and recently he was appointed by Governor Gage as guard of the
Marshall Monument and grounds, the duties of which position he is now
performing.
Mr. Nicholls was made a member of
the Masonic Order in 1876, and during all the years that have intervened since
that date has taken an enthusiastic interest in the work of that ancient and
honored order. He served his lodge
fifteen terms as worshipful master and has been the inspector of the district
since 1883, with the exception of one year.
There is perhaps not another Mason in the county of El Dorado who takes
a deep interest in Masonry than does Francis Nicholls.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 648-649. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden
Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies