History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 180

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532

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J. F. NICELY, carpenter for the West End Coal Company, Shickshinny, was born

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in Salem township, this county, May 30, 1832, and is a son of John R. and Polly (Stuckey) Nicely, natives of Northampton and Luzerne counties, Pa., respectively. The father, who was a carpenter by trade, and also a farmer, died on what is known as the "Nicely farm," in Conyngham township. His children were Ann Eliza (Mrs. George W. Search), Alphonse C. (deceased), Martha, John F., and Mary (latter being deceased). Our subject was reared in what is now Conyngham town- ship, educated in the common schools, and learned the carpenter's trade with his father, which, in connection with boat-building, he has followed since seventeen years of age. He has been twice married, first time to Emily M., daughter of Elisha Lowe, of Centre county, Pa .. and by this union there are two children living: Florence L. (Mrs. James Bird) and Mary. Mr. Nicely's second wife was Catherine H. Oldknow, of Shickshinny. Our subject is a member of the F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F .; in politics he is a Republican. He has resided in Shickshinny since 1858.

ROBERT H. NICHOLAS, train dispatcher and ticket agent for the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Fairview township, P. O. Mountain Top, was born in Wurtsboro, Sullivan Co., N. Y., March 29, 1846, and is a son of Robert and Lydia A. (Perry) Nicholas, the former a native of Cornwall, England, the latter of New York, a descendant of old Connecticut settlers. The subject of this sketch, who is the fourth in a family of ten children, came to this county in October, 1846, with his parents. He received an academic education and, in 1868, when at the age of twenty-two years, accepted a position as train dispatcher and ticket agent at Penobscot station, Fairview (then Wright) township, for the Central Railroad of New Jersey, which position he still holds, being recognized as one of the company's most trusty men. Mr. Nicholas was united in marriage January 12, 1874, with Catherine, daughter of A. Williamson, of York, Ontario, Canada, which union was blessed with two children. Mrs. Nicholas departed this life January 12, 1887, and Mr. Nicholas married, for his second wife, May 29, 1889, Elizabeth D. Bell, of Ashley, which union has been made happy by the birth of one child. Mr. Nicholas is a Republican in politics, and at one time attended an election in Wright township when but one Republican vote was cast.

EMMETT DE VINE NICHOLS, a prominent attorney at law of Wilkes-Barre, was born July 8, 1855, in Ulster, Bradford Co., Pa., son of George W. and Elizabeth B. (Hemingway) Nichols, the former being of New Albany, and the latter of Rome, Pa. After acquiring such education as the public schools of his native town afforded, he attended a select school at Sheshequin, Pa., and was, for a portion of a year at Wyoming Seminary. With this preparation he taught school successfully at various places until 1877, when he came to Wilkes-Barre, and entered the law office of Kidder & Nichols, the junior member of the firm being his brother, F. M. Nichols, afterward mayor of Wilkes-Barre. He was admitted to the bar September 16, 1879. Mr. Nichols is the recognized head of the political temperance movement in Luzerne county. When but fifteen years old he presided over a Good Templars' Lodge. He has held many high offices in this Order, and conducted many public temperance meetings. He organized the Prohibition party in Luzerne county, and. has always been at the head of its oounty committee. He has been a candidate for presidential elector on the Prohibition ticket, and for congressman, besides municipal and other offices. He published a number of pamphlets on the subject of temperance and pro- hibition, has made countless speeches in behalf of the temperance cause, and is nearly always retained to plead for those who remonstrate against the granting of licenses. Mr. Nichols married, June 25, 1879, Emma J. Koons, a daughter of John G. Koons, of Ashley. The Koons family have for many years been prominently identified with the people and affairs of the Conyngham and Sugar Loaf Valleys, a rich farming region in the lower end of Luzerne county. John G. Koons was born there. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols have four children, all daughters.

FRANCIS MARION NICHOLS, attorney at law, Wilkes-Barre, was born in Smithfield, Bradford Co., Pa., May 23, 1851, and is a son of George W. and Elizabeth B. (Heming- way) Nichols. His great-grandfather, Stephen Nichols, settled in Albany township, Bradford Co., Pa., in 1819. He was a basket-maker by trade, and his wares had

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the reputation of being the best that could be manufactured. His wife was Mar- garet Potter, a native of England, and a daughter of Robert Potter, a Revolutionary soldier. George W. Nichols, father of our subject, was a native of Albany, and a millwright and carpenter by trade. Our subject remained at home until sixteen years of age. In early life he taught school at Athens and Ulster townships, also taught mathematics in Macauley's Business College, at Lawrence, Kans., and finished his education at the State University of Kansas, at Lawrence. While in that town he read law with Barker & Summerfield, and finished his law studies with W. A. & B. M. Peck, of Towanda, Pa. ; was admitted to the bar of Bradford county in the spring of 1873, and to the Luzerne county bar October 28, 1873. In 1879 he was appointed district attorney of Luzerne county, to fill a vacancy, and the same year was a candidate for the nomination for the same office in the Republican County Convention, but was defeated by a small vote. In 1880 he was appointed, by Attor- ney-General Palmer, a special assistant for Luzerne county. In 1881 he was chair- man of the Luzerne County Independents, who refused to support the nominee of the Republican State Convention for State treasurer. In 1882 he was the Repub- lican nominee for district attorney, but was defeated. On February 1, 1874, Mr. Nichols married Mary Corker, of Norwich, N. Y., by whom he had four children: Florence E., Lyman B., Lester W. and Leona M. His second wife was Almina Wilson, of Clifford, Susquehanna Co., Pa., and by this marriage he has one child, Francis M.

J. MILTON NICHOLSON, ticket agent for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, Kingston, was born August 29, 1828, at Salem, Wayne Co., Pa., and educated in his native village. He is a son of Zenas and Nancy (Goodrich) Nichol- son, natives of Connecticut and of New England parentage. He commenced life for himself as a teacher in Wayne county, Pa., where he remained until 1860, in which year he removed to Hop Bottom, Pa., where he was employed as agent for the D. L. & W. R. R. Co., four years. He then removed to Great Bend, where he was ticket agent for the same company, and telegraph operator for both that and the Erie Railroad Companies. In 1865 he removed to Kingston, where he was employed as train dispatcher for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, which position he held sixteen years, and in 1881 accepted his present position. While at Hop Bottom, he was commissioned postmaster of that place by President Lincoln, and held that position from April 10, 1861, to April 10, 1865. Mr. Nichol- sou was married, June 20, 1854, to Sarah Elizabeth Potter, of Salem, Wayne Co., Pa., and they have one daughter, Lizzie Amelia, who resides with her parents. He and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church; in his political views he is a Republican.

J. W. NIMMO, merchant tailor, Pittston. This gentleman, who is one of the leading merchants of Pittston, was born in Scotland, May 15, 1843, and is a son of Thomas and Rose (McDougall) Nimmo. The father is a retired gentleman residing in Edinburgh, Scotland, the city of his nativity. The mother was born at Greenock, Scotland, and died when our subject was a small boy. The family consisted of the following children: James, a civil engineer, Edinburgh; Alexander (deceased); J. W .; Annie (Mrs. James McDonnell, Glasgow, Scotland. Mr. Nimmo was reared in Edinburgh and Greenock, and educated in the public schools of the latter place. When young he came to the United States and followed the business of cutter, and after working in Chicago and New York several years came to Pittston, and secured a position as cutter for Henry Cohen, remaining with him four years. He then opened a merchant-tailoring establishment for himself in Pittston, a business that he has continued up to the present time. In the fall of 1876 Mr. Nimmo married E. Louise Jones, daughter of Daniel Jones, a prominent farmer of Exeter township, and at present has the following children: Anna; Wallace; James J .; Arthur; George. He is a member of the West Side Presbyterian Church; of the Free Masons, in which he has taken thirty-two degrees; of the order of I. O. O. F., and has filled the offices of the various lodges, and of O. R. M. of Plainsville, Pa .; a

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charter member of the Royal Arcanum, Knights of Honor, K. of P. He is an ex-chief of the Pittston Caledonian Club, and one of the most active members of that organization, and is president of the Merchant Tailors' Exchange of Pittston. Mr. Nimmo is the leading merchant tailor of Pittston, and at his place at No. 28 North Main street, is found a fine and complete stock of clothes, woolens, suiting and a fine line of select furnishing goods. Politically, Mr. Nimmo is a stanch Republican, an earnest worker for his party's interest, but no place seeker. He has been a citi- zen of Pittston for twenty years, and during that time has done as much to advance the city's interest as any man here; he has always been among the first to advocate improvements, and spared neither money nor trouble to bring them about. As a business man he has been eminently successful, and at the present time has the largest and best trade in his line in the city, all due to the fact that he is a superior cutter, and always employs the best workmen that money will secure. Mr. Nimmo has a host of friends, and occupies an enviable position in the city of his adoption.

MATTHEW D. NIMMO, engineer in the Wyoming Colliery, Plains, was born in Auchinairn, Lanarkshire, Scotland, February 13, 1855, and is a son of Matthew and Mary (Stuart) Nimmo. His father, who was a mine engineer, reared a family of ten children, three of whom are living, viz .: Mary, married to Robert Aitkin, a potter in Glasgow, Scotland; Margaret, widow of Walter Milburn (she lives in Glasgow); and Matthew D. Our subject began working with his father at the age of eighteen, and has always followed engineering; he came to America in 1881, worked in Miners Mills one year, and has since held his present position; he built his present resi- dence and removed therein in 1884. Mr. Nimmo was married, January 10, 1880, to Miss Sarah, daughter of John and Jeannette (Nimmo) McLuskie, natives of his native town; her father, who was a miner, reared a family of nine children, six of whom are living, viz .: John, a miner in Plainsville; James, a miner in Provi- dence; Alexander, a miner in Plains; Jennette, wife of Robert Love, a miner in Plains; Peter, a tailor by trade, who came to America in 1885, and has a store and tailor shop near the residence of his brother-in-law, with whom he lives; and Sarah, the wife of our subject. Mr. Nimmo is a member of the I. O. O. F., the F. & A. M., and the Caledonian Club; politically he is a Republican.

ALEXANDER NOBLE, engineer at the Avondale Colliery, Plymouth. Among the many steady-handed, cool-headed engineers none, perhaps, is more trustworthy than he whose name opens this sketch, and who has been handling the enormous hoisting engines at the Avondale Colliery for twenty-three years. Mr. Noble was born at Glasgow, Scotland, February 15, 1834, and is the fourth in the family of six children of James and Ann (Scobie) Noble, also natives of Scotland. Our sub- ject was reared and educated at the place of his birth, and at the early age of ten years was given charge of a stationary engine, he being taught the trade by his father who was a skilled machinist and engineer. This business our subject fol- lowed in Scotland until 1864, when he came to America and located in Lackawanna county, Pa., near Scranton, where he was employed as hoisting engineer for the Delaware & Hudson No. 3. He continued at this until 1869, when he moved to Plymouth, and has since been engaged at the Avondale. While at this colliery he designed a dial signal, numbered like the face of a clock, and having a hand which, when the signal is given, will indicate, by the figure the hand stops at, just what is desired. Mr. Noble has been twice married: first, in 1850, to Margaret, daughter of Alexander Ross, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and eight children were born to this union, namely: James (deceased); Agnes, wife of Mansfield Roberts, of Plym- outh, Pa .; Margaret, wife of William Collins, of Bernice, Pa .; Jeanette, wife of William Nelson; Alexander, Jr., engineer at the Avondale; James, Mary, David and Andrew. The mother of these children died in 1880, and Mr. Noble was mar- ried April 19, 1881, to Mrs. Harriet Young, widow of Fletcher Young, and daugh- ter of William and Elizabeth (Wynn) Pointon, natives of Shiffnal, England. Mr. Noble is a Republican, and is a member of the I. O. O. F. The family attend the Presbyterian Church.

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MICHAEL NOLAN (deceased) was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, September 4, 1841, and was a son of James and Ann (Corrigan) Nolan, natives of the same place. When only six months old he came to this country with an aunt, who set- tled in Orange county, N. Y., where our subject was educated in the common schools, and followed the work of a general laborer until 1870, when he came to this county, and went to work in the mines; here he was hurt, and died August 12, 1871, aged thirty years. Mr. Nolan was united in marriage April 12, 1860, with Ellen, daughter of James and Ellen (Cahallen) Howe, natives of County Tipperary, Ireland, and the fruit of their union was one son, James M., born February 7, 1861, now employed by the Pennsylvania Coal Company as a miner; he is a prom- inent member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The family are connected with the Catholic Church.

MICHAEL NOLAN, proprietor of "Nolan's Hotel," Inkerman, Jenkins township, was born in Scranton in 1856, and is a son of Peter and Catherine (Gannon) Nolan, natives of County Mayo, Ireland. The father, who was a laborer in the mines and is still living in Inkerman, reared a family of nine children, three of whom are liv- ing, viz. : Maria (Mrs. John Gill, of Parsons, Pa.), Michael H. and Martin. Our subject received a common-school education, and at an early age began working about the mines, which occupation he followed till 1878, when he engaged in his present business. He built his present place of business, with residence attached, in 1885. Mr. Nolan was married February 10, 1887, to Miss Mary, daughter of Peter and Winneford (Henahan) Durkin, of Inkerman, natives of County Mayo, Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Nolan have three children, viz. : Peter, Frank and George. Our subject and family are members of the Catholic Church; he is a member of the Emeralds, and is a Democrat in his political views.

JOHN F. Noor, greengrocer, Wilkes-Barre, was born at sea, April 28, 1851, and is a son of James and Elizabeth (Lewis) Noot, natives of Glamorganshire, Wales. The parents came to America in 1851, and settled in Nanticoke, this county, where the father was a miner and mine boss for many years. His children were five in number: John F., Martha (Mrs. Henry J. Manhart), James, Mary (Mrs. Augustus Snyder) and Lizzie (Mrs. William Kline). Our subject began life in the mines at Nanticoke when but eight years of age, receiving 25 cents per day. After working three months without receiving any pay, he was invited to the office on the Fourth of July, and was given 50 cents, which was afterward deducted from his wages. He worked in the mines eleven years, and then served an apprenticeship of three years at the carpenter's trade, which occupation he followed fourteen years. After this Mr. Noot engaged in the green-grocery business at Wilkes-Barre-three years wholesale and for the past five years wholesale and retail. On January 10, 1871, he married Mary A., daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Brown) Kidney, of Stroudsburg, Pa. ; they have two children living: James and Lillie. Mr. Noot is a member of the Presbyterian Church; also of the I. O. O. F. and Encampment, and of the P. O. S. of A., and O. U. A. M. Politically he is a Republican.

D. W. NULTON, farmer, P. O. Dallas, was born, April 26, 1848, reared and edu- cated in Dallas, son of Elisha and Susanna (Williamson) Nulton, both of whom were born in New Jersey. Elisha was a son of Jacob, who, with his family, moved to this county about 1827, locating in Franklin township, where he afterward resided until his death. He had a family of eleven children, six of whom were born in New Jersey; he was one of the old pioneers of Franklin township, and a farmer of some experience and note in his day. Elisha, his son, removed after his marriage to Dallas, on a farm of ninety-three acres, very little of which was cleared, and upon which a log-house was the only dwelling. He, however, caused the forest to yield up its treasures of golden grain; and the rude log-cabin gave way in time for a more pretentious house. He was a thrifty, sober, economical and industrious man. He and his wife were consistent members of the M. E. Church, and politically, he was a Democrat. Mr. Nulton died in 1870 at the age of fifty-seven. He had eleven children, ten of whom grew to maturity and are now living. D. W. is the

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fifth of the family, and always confined himself to agricultural pursuits; at the age of twenty-seven he began life for himself as a farmer, and about the same time he was married, in 1874, to Miss Martha, daughter of William and Elizabeth Randall. By this union there were several daughters, two of whom are living, Susie and Nellie. Mrs. Martha (Randall) Nulton was born in Dallas, May 31, 1853. In 1881 Mr. Nulton moved back onto his father's farm, the place on which he was born. He is an industrious and honest man, an upright citizen and a good neighbor. Polit- ically he is a Democrat, and has been honored with several offices in the town, which he filled with credit to himself and his fellow-citizens.

ISAAC L. NULTON, general farmer, P. O. Orange, was born, April 14, 1857, reared and educated in Franklin township. He is a son of John and Esther (Goble) Nul- ton, the former born in Franklin township in 1823, the latter in Vernon, Wyoming county. John was a son of Jacob Nulton, whose father was a native of Germany and emigrated to this country. Some of his sons located in New Jersey, others in New York. Jacob located in New York State, and in 1818 removed to Franklin township, where he .purchased 140 acres of land now owned by John Goldsmith and F. Nulton. During his life-time he made all the necessary improvements for the completion of a comfortable home. He was a hard-working man, of good prin- ciples, and a member of the M. E. Church. He lived to be a good old age, and reared a family of nine children, all of whom are now deceased. John Nulton began life on the place now occupied by his son Isaac L .; he removed to this farm in 1848, which consists of sixty-nine acres, and was at that time unimproved. He was a hard- working and honest man, who, by forethought and a close eye to business, succeeded in building for himself and posterity a good name, which is better than riches. He was a practical farmer in every sense of the word. He was a consistent member of the M. E. Church for a number of years. Mr. Nulton died June 14, 1884, at the age of sixty-two years. His family consisted of ten children, six of whom are now living: Mary E., Chauncy G., Isaac L., Benjamin F., Emma J. and Francis J. Isaac L. is the third member of the family and has always confined himself to agricultural pursuits on the farm on which he was born, and on which he now lives. December 18, 1879, he was married to Miss Emma, daughter of John Hass. To this union came one child, Floyd, born April 26, 1881. For his second wife he married, on April 21, 1889, Miss Ida, the refined and accomplished daughter of John F. and Sarah M. Miner. Mrs. Ida (Miner) Nulton was born at Eaton, Wyoming county, January 11, 1869, and is a member of the M. E. Church. Mr. Nulton is a Republican.

PETER A. O' BOYLE, attorney at law, Pittston and Wilkes-Barre, and assistant district attorney of Luzerne county, was born in County Mayo, Ireland, October 10, 1861, a son of Patrick and Bridget (Haggerty) O'Boyle, who came to America in 1864, settling in Pittston, where the father for some years was employed as a miner. Their children were nine in number, of whom six survive: James, Peter A., Bridget (Mrs. Michael Barrett), Anne, Edward and Joseph. Our subject was reared in Pittston, and educated in the public schools. He studied law with Alex. Farnham, of Wilkes-Barre; was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county in 1885, where he has since been in the active practice of his profession; was admitted to practice in the supreme court of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, in 1891, and January 1, 1892, was appointed assistant district attorney of Luzerne county for a term of three years. Mr. O'Boyle married, October 11, 1888, Rosalie T., daughter of Dennis and Maria A. (Burke) Walsh, of New York, formerly of Dublin, Ireland, and he has one daughter, Rosalie G. Our subject is a member of the Catholic Church, and in pol- itics is a Democrat.

C. H. O'BRIEN, engineer, Pittston, was born in that town April 9, 1867, a son of Thomas J. and Margaret O'Brien. He received an education in the public schools of Luzerne county, and when about fifteen years of age began working around the breaker, oiling machinery; he afterward worked in various other capacities. At the age of nineteen he began running the hoisting engines at the sinking of the

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Seneca Shaft for the Newton Coal Mining Company, and when that was completed continued in charge of the hoisting engines at that place, where he is at present employed. He is a member of the Father Mathew Society; and his political views are decidedly Democratic. Mr. O'Brien is a young man, highly respected by all who know him, and is a complete master of the levers.

THOMAS J. O'BRIEN, mine foreman, Pittston, was born in Ireland in 1844, a son of Anthony and Ann (Manley) O'Brien, natives of Ireland. The family came to America when Thomas was a year old, settling at Carbondale, where they resided about two years, and then moved to Pittston, where our subject was reared and edu- cated. Mr. O'Brien began his career around the mines as fireman at about the age of twelve, and shortly afterward was running a pump at the same place. After two years he became hoisting engineer, and soon went to Scranton, working in the Dela- ware, Lackawanna & Western shops a short time, firing a locomotive for that com- pany. He remained there until April, 1865, when he went to sea as a boy on board the "Dirk Kill," a merchantman, plying between New York and Monte Video, and three months later found employment on the "Morning Light," of Gibraltar. November 2, 1865, he reached New York, whence he immediately came to Pittston, and engaged in working around the mines, and has since been employed in various capacities by different companies, but the chief part of the time has been foreman for the Newton Coal Mining Company. In 1866 Mr. O' Brien married Miss Mar- garet Gerrerty, of Pittston, and by her has had six children, viz. : Charles H., Mary, Alice, Margaret, George F. and Addie. Mr. O' Brien has held the offices of assistant assessor and school director, and during the session of 1878-79 of the Pennsylvania Legislature, was paster and folder for that body. In politics he is Democratic.

MICHAEL O'BRIEN, miner, Port Blanchard, was born January 15, 1842, in County Mayo, Ireland, and is a son of Thomas and Bridget (Malia) O'Brien, natives of the same place, who reared a family of eight children, of whom our subject is the sixth in order of birth. He was educated in the old-fashioned private schools of Ireland, and came to this country in 1861, settling in Pittston, this county; he. worked as a laborer in the mines, until the year 1865, since which time he has been employed as a miner by the Pennsylvania Coal Company. Mr. O'Brien was united in marriage, April 12, 1865, with Mary, daughter of James and Mary (Fitzpatrick) Walsh, natives of County Mayo, Ireland. The issue of this union was nine chil- dren, five of whom are living, viz .: Mary J., born January 24, 1867, married to James Flynn, a miner of Port Blanchard; Michael and Patrick (twins), born April 12, 1873; Elizabeth, born March 11, 1877; and Joseph, born July 11, 1879. Our subject is a member of the Catholic Church; a member of Division No. 10 A. O. H., and the Emerald Beneficial Association; politically he is a Democrat, and was auditor of the township from 1886 to 1889.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 180

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1532

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532