James Nichols Biography - Grant County Wisconsin

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Submitted by David W. Taft, dtaft @ cowtown.net

History of Grant County Wisconsin
Western Historical Publishing, Chicago, July 1881
Town of Platteville, Biographical Sketches, Page 915

JAMES NICHOLS, was born June 2, 1815, in Reen, Paranzatatoe, Cornwall, Eng.; he 
learned the trade of wagon-maker in his youth; in 1842, he counted as one of the 
"Stephens colony" that emigrated from Merry England and located in Platteville; 
Mr. Nichols' first work here was building the law office of Eastman & Lakin 
during 1842; he also worked on the old M. E. parsonage and the Rountree bridge, 
across the Platte, besides the Campbell Hotel and the M. E. Church; for about 
four years he had a shop and made wagons here; in 1844, he married Mary A. 
Stephens, a first cousin; she died in October, 1853, leaving two children - John 
A., who died when he was about 23 years of age, and A. J., who died Dec. 29, 
1859; Mr. Nichols left for California in April, 1852, and was four months 
crossing the plains with an ox team; he employed himself at gold mining and in 
working at his trade until May, 1854, when he again arrived in Platteville; his 
two motherless boys were with their grandparents.  Feb. 5,1855, he married Mary 
J. Rundell, who was born in Little Pethick, Cornwall, Nov. 14, 1831; she came to 
America in 1853; after the marriage, Mr. N. spent about ten years on a farm in 
Platteville, and two years on a farm in Muffin, Iowa Co.; in 1867, he came to 
the then village of Platteville and bought a lot of Maj. J. H. Rountree, 
building and planning his own house, which makes a most pleasant home for his 
wife and himself.  Both are members of the P. M. Church.  He still enjoys an 
occasional day's work with his tools, and is the picture of the healthy and 
stalwart sons of old England; his parents, James and Jane (Stephens) Nichols, 
came to Platteville from England in 1848, and both died here.