Biography of John Nicholson

	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1898. Page 311.

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved. 

JUDGE JOHN NICHOLSON, ex-county judge of Codington county, South Dakota, 
an attorney and counsellor, resides at Watertown. Judge Nicholson is one 
of the best known lawyers in that section, where he has lived since 
1881, and enjoys a large and profitable practice throughout the courts 
of the state. He is a native of Syracuse, New York, and was born 
February 10, 1853. His father, John Nicholson, a native of England, came 
to this country in 1852, settling in Syracuse, New York. From there he 
went to Michigan, and then to La Crosse county, Wisconsin, where he died 
in 1894, at the age of sixty-eight. Our subject's mother, whose maiden 
name was Nancy Douglas, was also born in England. Her death occurred in 
Wisconsin on the 10th of December, 1880. There were eight children in 
the family. Six of these grew to maturity, four sons and two daughters, 
of whom our subject was the eldest. He was but a child when his parents 
removed from New York to Coldwater, Michigan. When he was four years of 
age they removed to La Crosse county, Wisconsin, where the lad was 
educated in the public schools, and also at the Viroqua (Wisconsin) high 
school, from which he was graduated in 1879. He then commenced the study 
of law with Colonel L. J. Rusk, a son of Hon. J. M. Rusk, secretary of 
agriculture under Harrison. He studied under Colonel Rusk for three 
years, and on the 9th of May, 1 88 1, was admitted to the bar. Soon 
after this he located in Watertown, S. D., where he immediately began 
the practice of law, and where he has since resided, with the exception 
of six months spent in West Superior, Wisconsin. In 1889 Judge Nicholson 
was elected county judge of Codington county, and served until the 1st 
of January, 1891. He was re-elected in 1893 and again in 1895, his last 
term expiring on the 1st of January, 1897. Judge Nicholson is a 
Republican, and in addition to the office already mentioned, was city 
attorney {or three years, and alderman of the city of Watertown for six 
months. He has also held a number of other local offices. The Judge is a 
member of the A. O. U. W. and the M. W. A.

	On the 21st of April, 1884, Judge Nicholson and Miss Jennie McBath 
were married at Watertown, South Dakota. Mrs. Nicholson is a native of 
Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence county, New York, where the earlier years of 
her life were spent. She is a daughter of Samuel and Jennie (Stien) 
McBath, old residents of Ogdensburg. Judge and Mrs. Nicholson are the 
parents of four children, all daughters, Vera Mabel, Doris Margaret, 
Jennie Isabel, and an infant.