Sacramento
County
Biographies
HENRY LAMBARD NICHOLS,
M.D.
(1823-1915)
From that most northeastern state of Maine to the youngest and most western state of California came Henry Lambard Nichols, M.D. in 1853. He traveled by vessel, and trekked the Isthmus of Panama. Not a pioneer, perhaps, in the stricter sense, but one of the fore-runners of that great inventory of physicians coming West to share a part in the development of a new empire.
“All the past we leave behind,
We debouch upon a newer mightier world, varied world.”
For sixty-two years he was to be a force in the new hemisphere, and was to live to be oldest of all fellow charter members of the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement.
A maternal uncle, Allen Lambard, had preceded Dr. Nichols to California. Lambard, in association with Leonard Goss, both from Maine, had established a brass foundry and machine shop, the Sacramento Iron Works, at the corner of I and Second Streets, and the Lambard Flour Mills on I street, opposite Second, with the warehouse on 54 Front street. The flour mill was of brick construction, erected in 1853, and produced 150 barrels of flour each twenty-four hours. The Sacramento Iron Works, established September 22, 1853, 'on which day the Machine Shop and Foundry were in complete operation. The firm's name changed to Goss and Nichols, the present proprietors, March, 1855. They keep in regular employment about thirty men, and produce machinery casting of every description, of superior quality. The works turn out upwards of 500,000 pounds of castings per annum. This is independent of the manufacture of boilers and wrought iron work. The aggregate of their business may be set down at about $150,000 annually.'¹
At the Sacramento Iron Works 'the driving wheels of the first locomotive ever used on a California railway were turned. And it was owing to Uncle Lambard's enthusiastic description of the opportunities to be had in California, that the Doctor concluded to migrate to the Golden State, which he did in 1853, landing in Sacramento in January of that year.²
Dr. Nichols began the practice of medicine at Second and I streets, no doubt in building space furnished by his uncle. In conjunction with professional duties he became agent for the Sacramento Foundry. However, in March, 1855, the Foundry name changed from Goss and Lambard to Goss and Nichols, but by1861 the name again reverted to Goss and Lambard. It would appear these changes were made by the Uncle, Allan(sic) Lambard, to give him the opportunity of devoting full time to the Lambard Flour Mills. By 1861, Dr. Nichols' practice had begun to demand full attention, hence the return of Lambard to the Foundry. Lambard, Goss and Nichols were from Maine. All worked harmoniously, whatever the arrangement.
Henry Lambard Nichols was born in Augusta, Maine, September 11, 1823, eldest son of Asiph R. and Lucy Lambard Nichols. His early education was received in the schools of Augusta. The father, 'a prominent attorney at law, holding many positions of responsibility and trust; clerk of the Supreme Court for many years, Secretary of State, post-master. He died in 1860, at the age of 65 years. His mother reached the advanced age of 81. Both families were prominent in the annals of New England, going from Massachusetts to Maine about the year 1800.'³ Henry graduated September, 1845 from the Maine Medical School, Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine, and immediately set out to take a post-graduate course at the Philadelphia Medical School. When this was completed he returned to Augusta to practice. The same year Dr. Nichols married Sarah Evans Cole, of Saco, Maine, the eldest daughter of Samuel and Mary Cole. New England ancestry, with its spirit and stability, were 'part and parcel' of Dr. and Mrs. Nichols.
Leaving his wife and two sons with his mother, Dr. Nichols bequeathed the shores of his beautiful Kennebec River to memory and sailed for California in 1852, landing in San Francisco in January, 1853. On arrival there he wrote his family impressions gained of the City . . .'telling of men walking through the streets of San Francisco, carrying bags of gold over their shoulders, and many other interesting things of our beautiful City of the Golden Gate.'4
In 1855, Mrs. Nichols, the two children and a brother George Cole left New York for California to join the Doctor in Sacramento, and occupied their home, 909 F street, between Ninth and Tenth, 'in which my sister and I were born, and where I lived for nearly forty years.'5
'Earnestly anxious for the advancement of his adopted city, the Doctor early became interested in political matters, and in the campaign of 1858 was chosen president of the Board of Supervisors, and under the bill known as the Consolidation Act was, as president of the board, ex-officio mayor of the city.'6
Dr. Nichols was a conservative Democrat, and held concourse with those of the party of like beliefs. In 1886 John Conness was the political 'boss' of the Union Party and 'assumed control of Union politics; and, by his very great skill in manipulating the short-hairs against the long-hairs, he managed to secure the nominations of the Union State Convention, which met at Sacramento, June 12, 1867.'7 The Conness ticket met with disapproval 'by various portions of the long-hair element,' and the independent press, thereby resulting in the re-initiation of the Republican party.
The Democratic state convention convened in San Francisco on June 19th and nominated Henry H. Haight for Governor. Dr. H.L. Nichols received the nomination for Secretary of State. The “defeat Gorham”---Coness' nominee for Governor---element of the Union and Republican parties aided greatly in giving the election to the Democratic party by a good majority. 'Nichols obtained a majority of about seven thousand over Wm. H. Parks.'8 and was sworn into office, December, 1867. Dr. Nichols held office until 1871. The State Capitol building was completed during his term of office and the gold ball on the pinnacle placed there by Dr. Nichols. When the last high scaffold was in position the Doctor climbed the height, placed the ball in position. Descending, he then had all scaffolding removed in order to be the last to leave the top of the Capitol building. “With Governor Haight and others he assisted in selecting the present site of the University of California at Berkeley.'9
Dr. Nichols was forty-four years of age when he and eleven other doctors organized the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement. Disease bacteria were scarcely known, though Dr. Nichols, discussing Dr. Frey's paper on diphtheria, erysipelas and scarlet fever was one of the few who 'thought the cases were dissimilar.' His approach to medical problems was through practical analysis, rather than inquiry through research. He had a philosophy of assisting nature in efforts at cure, and there was present the more conservative view-point---that of being minister to the afflicted. The boasted discoveries of the day had no part in his procedure . . . nothing was accepted in trust. In fact so many times had he been disillusioned by these “discoveries” he developed antipathy to newer revelations. In explaining this idiosyncracy of Dr. Nichols the following story was recounted by Dr. Sutliff: 'Somnose was a new anaesthetic. It was pumped into a bag, the bag placed over the patient's face and the patient asked to count. Ere he had counted many numbers he was asleep. Dr. George L. Stevenson had used it and brought the wonderful attributes of Somnose before the Society, and told how much better and quicker this new drug acted; without a stage of excitement and the complication of nausea. We discussed the paper and the old fellows said they were glad the new thing was so much better. Dr. Nichols took the floor and spoke against it. Dr. Stevenson had a young man in the hall waiting who had taken it several times, and Stevenson said: “We will, with your permission, put him on the table and demonstrate how easy and nice it is to go under using Somnose.” He brought the young man in and gave him the Somnose, and the counting began . . Soon the patient quit counting and said: “I can lick any three men in the State of California if they come one at a time.” Dr. Thos. Cox tried to hold the man, but couldn't. “I can do this and that,” and soon up came his dinner. Dr. Nichols got ahold of Dr. Poore and they waltzed around the room, and Dr. Nichols cried: “Doesn't vomit, and doesn't fight!” They were so happy that a young man with a new remedy had fallen down.'
Dr. Nichols wrote on “Nature in Disease,” “Scarlet Fever,” “Leprosy,” and sanitary subjects. Sanitation held a great interest for him. His essay on the “Water Supply of Sacramento,” March 17, 1885 stands out as his greatest pen production. Its proficiency, in the conviction of Dr. Wm. Watt Kerr, was the reason for unanimous election of Dr. Nichols as President of the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement. 'In the discussion which followed,' stated Dr. Kerr, 'and which was maintained by every member present in a most animated and interesting manner, the conclusion was arrived at that something should be done to give the citizens a better and purer supply . . . We can easily understand how much in earnest the stranger must have been who on an extremely hot and sultry evening, on entering a revival meeting, remarked to his companion that it was the first time in such a place and on such an occasion he had ever seen punch thus freely dispensed.'10
During Dr. Nichols' tenure as President a testimonial was given Dr. Cluness ere his departure for San Francisco. Dr. Nichols responded to the toast: “The Pioneers of Medicine in California.” He denied being a pioneer, 'having come to Sacramento only forty years ago, immediately after the great fire that had devastated the city. The levee on which he alighted from steamer was then (January, 1853) about the only dry ground in town. He found here in practice Dr. Harkness, whose kindness in illness in those early days he should never forget. Among those who were in practice then many had now passed away. He recalled the names of Morse, Stillman, Nixon, Oatman, Logan, Johnston, Price and Williams, most of whom had been members of this Society. The departure of Dr. Cluness left but two or three of those who were present at the organization of the Society, and while he regretted the inevitable severance of ties, he felt that the reasons given (by Dr. Cluness) were sufficient, and he wished him Godspeed.'11
'Dr. Nichols,' stated Dr. Sutliff, 'was a very fine man, kind hearted, good father, good citizen, and a good physician.' He had a keen sense of humor and a love for a good joke---'he would smile out of his eyes'12 --- though having a quick temper and set opinions . . . unselfish, and, according to his daughter, Mrs. Bonte, 'a most indulgent and lovable father, and his devotion to my mother and to her memory is something I love to recall.' He thoroughly enjoyed having one or two of his confreres breakfast with him---it was a regular occurrence---and whenever he would go to San Francisco he would bring home some viand, unusual to Sacramento, to add to the niceties of these occasions. By nature he was a most sociable being, with a desire “to accommodate himself to the rest,” and, therein he was truly successful. When Dr. Nichols' turn came to entertain the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement it was performed with a great deal of pleasure, and was a routine during the earlier days of the Society, persisting until the Society membership became too great. The best memento of such meetings has been recorded by Anna Nichols Bonte:
“My earliest recollections of the Sacramento Medical Society (Sacramento Society for Medical
Improvement) were the monthly meetings at the private homes. Though very young in those
days, it was always of great interest to me to watch the preparations for the feast which followed
these meetings. They began the day before at our house. My mother had the reputation of being
a fine New England cook, and one well deserved, and she took great interest in having everything
as nice as if for her own luncheons and dinners.
“There was always a roast turkey, a boiled ham and everything to go with both---hot bread,
coffee, ice cream in a pyramid and my mother's famous sponge cake---and frequently raw oysters
to start with. As a great privilege, my sister and I were allowed to assist the maid in serving.
“In those early days I think there were about twelve or so. As I gaze around that festive board,
I can see my father's smiling face, never so happy as when presiding at the head of his table carving
a turkey. Sitting opposite my father would be the President of the Society. There was my particular
friend, Dr. Simmons, with smiling countenance, genial and pleasant Dr. Cluness, dignified Dr.
Oatman, Dr. Hatch, Dr. Nixon, Dr. Nelson, old Dr. Montgomery, and a little later, Drs. W. A. and
W. F. Briggs, Dr. Tyrrell, Dr. White, Dr. Baldwin, Dr. Gardner, Dr. Huntington, Dr. Parkinson, Dr. Henderson.
Then
the sons of the other members, Dr. Fred Hatch, Dr. Gus Simmons, Dr. Will Cluness, Dr. Sam Simmons,
and many others.”
As Secretary of State of California, State prison director, director of the State Library, Secretary of the State Board of Health, President of the Board of Supervisors of Sacramento County, and Secretary of the Sacramento Board of Health, City Physician, Emergency Hospital Surgeon, and City Health Officer, Dr. Nichols served his State, county and city with dignity, honor and efficiency. During a long life his interest in City, State and National medical affairs never waned, his presence therein was, always, an enjoyable anticipation, and he left in memory innumerable happy and forecful (sic)possessions. 'He lived to see his grand-children grow to manhood and womanhood, all of whom look back to the joys of his companionship.'13
Dr. Nichols died February 16, 1915, at the age of 91 years, 5 months and 5 days. The sceptre was given over without illness. . . 'suddenly and as easily as sleep.'14 He was buried February 18th, in the City Cemetery of his adopted City.
1 Sacramento Directory, 1856, p. 111.
2 History of Sacramento County, W. J. Davis, 1890, p. 477.
3 History of Sacramento County, W. J. Davis, 1890, p. 477.
4 Mrs. Anna Bonte (daughter).
5 Ibid.
6 History of Sacramento County, W. J. Davis, 1890, p. 477-8.
7 History of California, Hittell, v. 4, p. 403.
8 History of California, Hittell, v. 4, p. 404.
9 Anna Nichols Bonte.
10 Pacific Medical and Surgical Journal, v. XXVIII, 1885, p. 192-3.
11 Occidental Medical Times, v. 7, 1893, p. 106-110.
12 Anna Nichols Bonte.
13 Anna Nichols Bonte.
14 The Sacramento Bee, February 17, 1915, p. 10, col. 3.
Transcribed 3-14-17 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: “Memories,
Men and Medicine A History of Medicine In Sacramento, California by J. Roy
Jones, M.D., Pages 375-381. Publ. Sacramento Society for
Medical Improvement, 1950.
Golden Nugget
Library's Sacramento County