Placer
County
Biographies
JOHN NICHOLLS
John Nicholls, the senior member of
the bank firm of W. & P. Nicholls, at Dutch Flat, Placer County,
California, was born in Cornwall, England, September 30, 1846, and is a representative
of an old English family. William
Nicholls, the father of John, left England in 1852 and came to California,
pioneering in its mining districts. He
was engaged in placer mining at Placerville, Georgetown and Forest City, and
met with gratifying success. In
partnership with his brother Philip, he became the leading gold buyer of Forest
City, Sierra County, and for years the two were engaged in buying and packing
gold across the mountains to San Francisco.
While thus occupied the subjected themselves to much fatigue and
exposure incident to the unsettled conditions of the country. At times they carried as much as one hundred
thousand dollars in gold dust on their pack mules, and more than once were attacked
by robbers. By prowess and bravery,
however, they always managed to keep their treasure. In 1860 they came to Dutch Flat and
established a banking business, which they conducted successfully up to the
time of their death, and which their sons are still conducting. William Nicholls departed this life in
1877. He was a man of the highest
business integrity and great courage, and, in short, possessed those sterling
characteristics which made him what he was, the highest type of a California
pioneer. He had married, in 1845, Miss
Jane Nicholls, a distant relative, who died in England in 1864. Of their three children, two are living—John
and William.
John and William Nicholls were
reared and educated in England, and in 1865, the year following their mother’s
death, they came to this country to join their father in California, making the
voyage via New York and the Isthmus of Panama and landing in due time at San
Francisco, whence they came directly to Dutch Flat. Here John Nicholls and his cousin William
succeeded to the banking business established by father and uncle, as above
stated. They are also interested in
various mining operations and other business enterprises and have been
uniformly successful in whatever they have undertaken. Thus they have rightly gained a standing
among the most prominent businessmen of the county.
In San Francisco, February 21, 1878,
John Nicholls married Miss Olive Wilson, and they are the parents of four
children, namely: John Carroll, Robert
Julian, Sydney Walton and Jennie Esbella. The eldest son, John Carroll, has recently
graduated at the University of California.
The Nicholls’ home is one of the most commodious and attractive
residences in Dutch Flat and Mr. Nicholls and his family are held in high
esteem by the citizens of the place.
For a number of years Mr. Nicholls
has been an enthusiastic Mason, and both he and his wife are members of the
Order of the Eastern Star. In Masonry he
has advanced through the degrees of the blue lodge, chapter and commandery, and
at this writing he is filling the office of treasurer in the blue lodge. Also he belongs to the Independent Order of
Red Men. Politically he is a Democrat,
and on one occasion allowed his name to be used as the candidate of this party
for the state assembly. He is not,
however, what may be termed a politician, and he has never sought official
honors, preferring rather to give his undivided attention to his extensive
business interests.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 353-354. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.