An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, page 309.

JAMES A. NICHOLSON is the son of John and Nancy (Frew) Nicholson, worthy
pioneers of Washington county, Pennsylvania, who are mentioned more in detail in
the sketch of C.J. Nicholson. Our subject was born in Washington county,
Pennsylvania, on October 15, 1847, and was there reared and educated. He did
various work after arriving to manhood and remained in his native county until
1875. Then he determined to see the great west and accordingly decided on
California as the objective point to his first journey. He arrived there in good
time and soon found employment on a farm. For three and one half years he
continued at that labor and in that time had the best of opportunity to see the
country and try the climate. In 1878, he decided to explore the Pacific coast
more and so left the Golden State and turned his face to the north. Marion
county, Oregon, was the first place to attract him and there he remained one
month looking over the country. After this he traveled about some and finally,
in July, 1879, he concluded the best place to locate was in Wasco county, and he
then took a pre-emption in the vicinity of Boyd. While he did improvement work
on this, he also wrought in the sawmills and thus spent some time. Later he was
engaged by the O.R. & N. company and continued four years as night watchman and
four years in the repair department. Then he returned to the farm and devoted
himself to its cultivation and improvement. This continued until 1899, when he
rented his lands and gave himself more to a life of retirement. This gave him
leisure to investigate other enterprises and he has busied himself variously
since that time. He has secured two farms, one here and the other in Sherman
county, both of which are rented. In addition to this he owns a house and eight
lots in Boyd, besides other property. He has been prospered, owing to his
careful industry and his wise management of the resources placed in his hands.
He is a good business man, a kind and accommodating neighbor, and a patriotic
and well informed citizen. He is a supporter of Republican principles and also
affiliates with the Methodist church. Mr. Nicholson, like his brother, is a
careful and extensive reader and few men of the country are better posted than
he on the questions of the day and general items.      

Mr. Nicholson acknowledges his prosperity as due to the kind hand of Providence
which has marked his way with plenty and blessed him in basket and store, and he
remarks that he has always had sufficient cash on hand to accomplish the
purposes of life. He has taken three trips east. One was in 1887, after having
been in the west thirteen years. He visited parents, and relatives with friends
remaining four months. Again, this time it being 1895, he journeyed to the home
scenes, remaining nine months. On December 1, 1904. Mr. Nicholson received a
telegram that his brother, H.J. Nicholson, was lying at the point of death. He
took the first flyer and sped as fast as the mighty train could carry him, but
death would not stay, and he was only in time for the funeral of the loved one.
He remained sometime in the east, nearly a year, but arrived in Oregon in time
to visit the Lewis & Clark Exposition. Although the east has many attractions
for him, still the beauty and resourcefulness of the west come first, and while
on his visits he always quotes the words of the grand old abolitionist, Horace
Greeley, "Go west, young man, go west."

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.