An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, pages 279-280.

JOHN W. NOLIN, deceased. In the person of Mr. Nolin, Wasco county lost one of
her respected and substantial citizens, a good man, a patriotic citizen and a
kind father and husband. His brother, James M. Nolin, is mentioned elsewhere in
this work. Like his brother, James, he was reared on the St. Lawrence river in
New York and for several years engaged in the fishing business, which was very
profitable. The same being prohibited by law, they then turned their attention
to farming in 1882, after which they came to Oregon. Our subject purchased two
hundred and eighty-six acres about four miles up Fifteen-mile creek from Dufur,
where his widow resides at the present time. He gave his attention to the
cultivation and improvement of the same continuously until his death, on
February 1, 1903, he being then aged fifty-two years and ten months. Had he
lived until April 11, he would have been fifty-three years of age. In Canada,
Mr. Nolin was a prominent member of the Orangemen and after removing to New York
was a stanch Democrat. He also took an active interest in politics both in New
York and here in Oregon. He was clerk in Jefferson county, New York and was
offered the nomination the second time, but owing to the fact that he had
decided to come to Oregon, he refused it. Here for nineteen successive years, he
was clerk of the Remsey district and no one was more zealous for good schools
and general upbuilding than Mr. Nolin. He was frequently judge of the election
and even delegate to the conventions. His education had been carefully looked
after in his younger days as he had received a thorough high school course from
the famous Kingston schools in Ontario.      

Fraternally, he was a member of the United Artisans at Dufur and in church
affiliations of the Episcopal denomination. He was a good man, intelligent and
kind, and was deeply mourned at his death.      

On June 8, 1875, at Gananoque, Ontario, Mr. Nolin married Miss Cora Potter, who
was born in that place on September 1, 1858. Her father, Augustus Potter, was a
native of Rhode Island and came from the old Potter family, which was prominent
on the Atlantic seaboard all through the early days. His great-grandfather
fought for independence in the Revolution and many of the Potter's fought in the
War of 1812, and the Mexican and Civil Wars, they were prominent in governmental
affairs, were represented liberally at the bar and are large manufacturers
throughout New York and in New England. The progenitor who first landed in this
country, came on the Mayflower. Augustus Potter's father, the grandfather of
Mrs. Nolin, was one of the first school teachers in western New York and later
became a very successful physician. With Mrs. Nolin's father and another son, he
was later engaged in the woolen manufacturing business. After heavy loss by
fire, in this business, Mr. Potter began farming in 1868. His death occurred in
Clayton county, New York, on January 6, 1894 at his son's home, being aged
seventy-nine. He had married Mary McCuen, a native of Glasgow, Scotland and from
an old lowland family. She lives with Mrs. Nolin's sister in New York state. The
children of this family besides Mrs. Nolin, are Albert, Ulysses, Nelson, Ernest
and Mrs. Elizabeth Murdick. To Mr. and Mrs. Nolin, three children were born;
Ella, the wife of Charles Magee, a retired farmer at Dufur; Wilbur and Earl.
Mrs. Nolin, like her husband, was well educated and was a graduate of the
Lewiston seminary at Gananoqua, Canada. Since the death of her husband she has
taken up the management of affairs with a display of courage and wisdom and
receives the respect and approbation of all.

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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.