Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Nichols family
- Abstract:
- The Nichols family was a prominent New England family. This archive focuses specifically on two brothers: George Granville Nichols and Smith Woodward Nichols, Jr.
- Extent:
- 3 boxes
- Language:
- The records are in English .
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Nichols family archive consists of correspondence, manuscript volumes, military records, and photographs. George Granville Nichols's letters constitute the largest group of correspondence. His letters from Iowa covered economic, social, and political life in the antebellum Midwest. He wrote about the politics of slavery and abolition, and activities of the local fraternities and lodges. His letters also contained detailed discussion of his plans to go West to mine for gold, complete with considerations of logistics, competitors, and financial risks. His wartime letters covered the entire period of his service in the 42nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Nichols's letters to his family contained highly informative and vivid descriptions of the American Civil War in Louisiana, including his encounters with slaves, "contrabands," women of color, "rebels," Confederate prisoners, spies, and even some rather creative cotton smugglers. Smith Woodward Nichols, Jr.'s letters described his studies at the Naval Academy and his American Civil War service, including an account of the assault of Fort Fisher. In addition to letters from the Nichols brothers, letters from other family members are present in the collection and present a great resource for examining family and social dynamics of the American Civil War era.
A highlight of the collection is a 27-page diary letter written by George Granville Nichols to his family on May 1, 1859 (Box 1, Folder 7). This diary letter documented one of the most celebrated post-California gold rushes, the excitement that erupted after the discovery of gold in the vicinity of present-day Denver, Colorado. Nichols commented about the difficult conditions of travel, the captivating sights of unfamiliar wild life (especially buffalo), encounters with and presence of Indigenous peoples, and the great number of gold seekers on the road. Part of the journey occurred along the Santa Fe Trail.
Box 2 includes three volumes of lectures recorded by Commander Smith Woodward Nichols, Jr. In 1880, Nichols was ordered to take courses on torpedoes, explosives, and electricity at the United States Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island.
Box 3 primarily includes correspondence related to George Granville Nichols's military service from the United States Army Quartermaster General's Office; United States Department of Treasury; and United States War Department Subsistence Department. He accumulated this paperwork during his service as the assistant quartermaster of the 4th Mass. Artillery, including special orders, requests for ambulances, and proceedings of a board survey. There are three cartes-de-visite, one daguerreotype, and a United States Navy medal of service, likely owned by Smith Woodward Nichols, Jr.
Box 1: Correspondence; Box 2: Manuscript volumes; and Box 3: Miscellaneous correspondence, documents, and photographs
- Biographical / historical:
-
Smith Woodward Nichols (1809-1881), was a prosperous Boston builder and prominent Freemason. In the late 1850s, he moved to Melrose (now part of Greater Boston). His wife, Emeline Pope Nichols (1812-1893), was a daughter of a Maine master mariner and granddaughter of Major Isaac Pope, a Revolutionary War veteran. The couple had ten children, including George Granville and Smith Woodward, Jr.
George Granville Nichols (1836-1899), a stone mason, left Boston to go West, settling in Davenport, Iowa. In July 1862, he enlisted in the 42nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and fought in Louisiana until his 9-month regiment was mustered out in August 1863. In April – August 1864, Nichols served as 2nd Lieutenant of an unattached company of the Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry, and on August 1, was commissioned 1st Lieutenant of Co. K. of the 4th Regiment of Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He was mustered out in June 1865.
Smith Woodward Nichols, Jr. (1843-1915), graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 1860 and served in the United States Navy. During the American Civil War, he served on the United States steam frigate "Wabash," sailing frigate "Macedonian," and steam sloop "Shenandoah." In January 1865, he commanded the assault at Fort Fisher. After the war, he served with Asiatic and South Pacific Squadrons and was commissioned Commander in 1876. Nichols retired in 1882.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchased from James Arsenault Co., 2018.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191