Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book
Stories of Early Nichols
NICHOLS RESIDENTS – 1905
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 125-127
By Alberta Metcalf KellyThese are the residents of Nichols from about 1905, as remembered by Alberta Kelly.
North of Ijem Avenue 1. Svoboda’s – harness man who lived just north of the Catfish Place.
2. Kate and Vincent Reynolds in Dr. Smith’s home.
3. Scott Baker (later, L. B. Smith, banker) lived where Donald Mills lives. L. B. Smith was Donald’s grandfather.
4. “Aunt Susie” Nichols – Ben Nichols’ grandmother, lived where Hesters now live.
5. Dr. F. F. Carl lived where Browns live.
6. Renshaws lived just north of Dr. Carl.
7. Where Kevan Chown lives was the home of the August Kern family.
8. Just north were “Grandpa and Grandma” Chown.
9. Kirchner’s, the brick house on the corner.
10. Across from the big brick house (north) lived Grandma Kirchner and her daughter, Gertie.
11. Methenys lived where Miriam Banhagle lives.
12. Next house north – Grover Cottrel and wife where Hudons live.
13. Harriet and Llewellyn Ripley where Wedels live, formerly Melissa Jane Metcalf’s home.
14. Across from Wedels lived the George Cratons – contractor. Then it became the Al Mapes home.
15. Then came the Jamison family – and the Stevens family.
16. On the street just east were Grandpa and Grandma Richter, Miriam Banhagel’s grandparents.
17. Across lived Wig Wagner and the two Heintzle brothers.
18. Then Claude Heizer’s place and Gus Kaiser’s house.
19. Across from them was Harriet Metcalf Olds – where Paulsens live. Fleet White was the builder for Gamaliel Olds and his second wife, Harriet.
20. South of these I can’t quite recall, but the Fred Schmitts lived where Dennis Albrecht’s family lives.
21. The Lewis family lived north of them.
22. On Ijem Avenue, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hart lived upstairs in a two-story brick building they built to replace the Kaiser and Heizer store (where Catfish Place stands).
23. The Hesser family (post master_ lived in an apartment just east of the Elder Implement Company.
24. Around the corner north of the bank lived the Fleet Whites and the Hintz family.Of all of these mentioned, I believe that Miriam Banhagle and Donald Mills are the only descendants left living in the town proper, of those in the north part of town.
South of Tracks 1. In Elsie Poole’s home lived Mrs. Alice Coyner Slater, Harold Rummells’ great aunt.
2. Next door south was the Milo Doran family. All the family is buried in St. Mary’s cemetery except for the oldest daughter, Mary.
3. Ben and Jessie Swickard built the home and lived where Goddards now live.
4. South of them lived Abiah Hesser, and on the corner south, the Meiskys (Margaret Whitlock’s ancestors).
5. On the other side of Short Street (south of the tracks) was the Reynolds Hotel, Hezekiah Smith (weigh master), the B. L. Metcalfs, Claude Duncan (druggist), the Rummells family, John Foley and his first wife, Mary Umscheid.
6. The John Nicola family lived where Ora Nichols’ home is.
7. In the south part from St. MJary’s church lived the senior James Hillyers, the Nodines, the Cones, the Haneys, the Dowlings.
8. Where John Hillyer lives, the Gus Lindees resided.
9. The Diedrich family across from the Hanfts.The rest I don’t recall for sure. Alberta Kelly
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Page created January 23, 2011 by Lynn McCleary