Lake County IN Archives Biographies.....Nichols, Charles E. 1861 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 21, 2006, 10:09 pm Author: T. H. Ball (1904) CHARLES E. NICHOLS. Charles E. Nichols, a representative of the business life of Lowell, is engaged in dealing in hay, grain and seeds. He has lived in Lake county throughout his entire life, his birth having occurred in West Creek township, on the 14th of December, 1861. His grandfather, William Nichols, was born in New York and was of French and English descent. His father, H. R. Nichols, was born in Madison county, New York, and came to Lake county in 1836, casting in his lot among the pioneer settlers of this portion of the state. He first located in Crown Point, afterward lived in Cedar Creek township, and subsequently in West Creek township. Lake county; he entered land from the government and developed the wild tract into richly cultivated fields, continuing his active connection with farming interests throughout the period of his business career. He lived to be' seventy-nine years of age and spent sixty-two years of that time in Lake county. His early political allegiance was given to the Whig party, and upon its dissolution he joined the ranks of the new Republican party, with which he continued to affiliate until his death. He was well known in this portion of Indiana, and as a pioneer settler he aided in laying broad and deep the foundation for the present development and progress of the state. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Phoebe Eliza Kenyon, and was a native of Rhode Island, whence she was brought to Lake county, Indiana, in 1838, when but twelve years of age. Her father, John C. Kenyon, was one of the earliest settlers of Lake county and made his home at Pleasant Grove from the time of his arrival in this state until his death, which occurred in 1888. Mrs. Nichols still survives her husband, and now resides in Lowell in her seventy-eighth year. She has been a resident of Lake county for sixty-five years, and has, therefore, been a witness of the greater part of its growth, development and upbuilding. She can relate many interesting incidents of pioneer days and is familiar with its history from the period of early settlement here down to the present time. To Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Nichols were born six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom were natives of Lake county, while five are still living, namely: William C, a resident of Lowell; Irving, who died at the age of thirty-one years; Hannah N., the wife of Mortimer Gragg, of Topeka, Kansas; Ella M., the wife of Cyrus Dickenson, of Lowell; and Alma, the wife of Edson Foster, of Chicago Heights, Illinois. Charles E. Nichols, the youngest member of the family, was but six years of age when his parents removed from the farm to Lowell and there he began his education in the public schools. No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of life for him in his boyhood. When nineteen years of age he entered business life as a dealer in hay and grain, being associated with his father and brother from 1880 until 1886. In the latter year he went to Chicago, where he was engaged in the same line of business for about seven months, and from 1887 until 1890 he was a grain dealer of Crown Point. He again went to Chicago, in 1890, where he remained for about a year and while there was a member of the board of trade. In 1891 he returned to Lowell, since which time he has engaged in dealing in hay, grain and seeds at this place. He makes large purchases and sales, and his well conducted business interests have brought to him very gratifying success. He has now a very large patronage, and his annual sales reach an extensive figure. He is a stockholder and director in the Lowell National Bank and is well known in business circles as one whose success is the legitimate outcome of his energy, determination and honorable dealing. In 1888 Mr. Nichols was united in marriage to Miss Edna May Smith, a daughter of T. M. Smith, of Hammond, Indiana, and they have one child, Stella. Mr. Nichols belongs to Colfax Lodge No. 378, F. & A. M., and to Lowell Lodge No. 300, K. of P. In politics he has ever been a stanch Republican, has served as a member of the school board, and takes an active interest in the cause of education and in everything pertaining to the welfare and upbuilding of his native county. With the exception of the brief intervals passed in Chicago, he has always resided within the borders of Lake county, and his life record is therefore well known to his fellow-citizens here, while the fact that many of his stanchest friends are numbered among those with whom he has been acquainted from boyhood is indicative of the fact that his career has ever been such as to command respect and confidence. In July, 1904, Mr. Nichols was appointed by the President of the National Hay Association, chairman of the Arbitration National Committee. At the convention at St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Nichols attended and it was subsequently that he was appointed to this responsible position. Additional Comments: Extracted from: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Genealogy and Biography OF LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA, WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 1834—1904 A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. REV. T. H. BALL OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO NEW YORK THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1904 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/lake/bios/nichols507gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb