Henry L. Nichols
Encyclopedia
Henry Lambard Nichols was an American physician
and Democratic
politician
from California
.
He was born in Augusta, Maine
, the son of Asaph R. Nichols (1797–1860) and Lucy Lambard (1803–1884). His father, a prominent attorney, was clerk of the Supreme Court
for many years and was Secretary of State of Maine
from 1835 to 1837, and again in 1839. He was also postmaster
. Henry graduated from the Medical School of Maine, Bowdoin College
in Brunswick
, in 1845. Afterward, he completed a postgraduate
course at the Jefferson Medical College
in Philadelphia
. He then returned to his native city and began practicing his profession.
On August 16, 1847, he and Sarah Evans Cole (ca. 1824 – November 17, 1893), were married in Augusta. Their children were Arthur Lambard Nichols (August 1849 in Maine-1919 in California); Harry E. Nichols (ca. 1853 in Maine-?); Sarah Nichols (November 7, 1857 in Sacramento-Stillborn); Lucy R. Nichols (February 1859 in California-?); Anna H. Nichols (ca. 1861 in California-?); and Harry E. Nichols (ca. 1876 in California-?).
Nichols's uncle, Allen Lambard, went to Sacramento, California
, in 1852, and established the Lambard Flouring Mills, located on the corner of Second and I Streets, and the Sacramento Iron Works, where the wheels of the first locomotive
ever used on a California railway
were turned. Because of his uncles' enthusiastic descriptions of the opportunities in California, Nichols decided to move to the Golden State. He traveled to the West Coast
aboard ship. After disembarking at Panama
and crossing the isthmus
, he boarded another ship to San Francisco
, and arrived in Sacramento, in January 1853.
His medical office was at Second and I Streets. Nichols was active in community service
and in politics
. A Conservative Democrat
, he helped bring his party
to prominence. He was elected president of the Board of Supervisors
and served as Mayor of Sacramento in 1858. In 1859, he was a member of the reception committee at the time of the visit of Horace Greeley
. In that same year, Nichols was at the meeting held at the celebration of the laying of the Atlantic cable
.
From 1867 to 1871, he served as Secretary of State. When the California State Capitol
building was completed he climbed to the top of the dome
and placed the golden ball into place. While he was in office, the location was selected for the University of California
at Berkeley
.
Nichols held other public offices
too numerous to mention, including the Board of State Prison directors; one of the Trustees of the State Library
, appointed by Governor
Haight to fill the unexpired term of Governor Bigler
; secretary of the State Board of Health; a City Health Officer; an Emergency Hospital Surgeon; and secretary of the Sacramento Board of Health.
Sanitation
was of great concern to Nichols. His essay
Water Supply of Sacramento sparked changes necessary for safe drinking water
. In 1885, he was president of the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement. He was President of the Board of Trustees for the Unitarian Society of Sacramento, 1868–1915, and is considered its founder.
Henry L. Nichols died at age 91 in Sacramento. He is interred in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
(aka Old City Cemetery), along with his wife and stillborn daughter.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
He was born in Augusta, Maine
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
, the son of Asaph R. Nichols (1797–1860) and Lucy Lambard (1803–1884). His father, a prominent attorney, was clerk of the Supreme Court
Maine Supreme Judicial Court
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in Maine's judicial system. Known as the Law Court when sitting as an appellate court, it is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate...
for many years and was Secretary of State of Maine
Secretary of State of Maine
The Secretary of State of Maine is elected by the Legislature in that U.S. state. The Maine Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections, the Maine State Archives, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and for chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to no more than two...
from 1835 to 1837, and again in 1839. He was also postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
. Henry graduated from the Medical School of Maine, Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
, in 1845. Afterward, he completed a postgraduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
course at the Jefferson Medical College
Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University is a private health sciences university in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. The university consists of six constituent colleges and schools, Jefferson Medical College, Jefferson College of Graduate Studies, Jefferson School of Health...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. He then returned to his native city and began practicing his profession.
On August 16, 1847, he and Sarah Evans Cole (ca. 1824 – November 17, 1893), were married in Augusta. Their children were Arthur Lambard Nichols (August 1849 in Maine-1919 in California); Harry E. Nichols (ca. 1853 in Maine-?); Sarah Nichols (November 7, 1857 in Sacramento-Stillborn); Lucy R. Nichols (February 1859 in California-?); Anna H. Nichols (ca. 1861 in California-?); and Harry E. Nichols (ca. 1876 in California-?).
Nichols's uncle, Allen Lambard, went to Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, in 1852, and established the Lambard Flouring Mills, located on the corner of Second and I Streets, and the Sacramento Iron Works, where the wheels of the first locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
ever used on a California railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
were turned. Because of his uncles' enthusiastic descriptions of the opportunities in California, Nichols decided to move to the Golden State. He traveled to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
aboard ship. After disembarking at Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and crossing the isthmus
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
, he boarded another ship to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and arrived in Sacramento, in January 1853.
His medical office was at Second and I Streets. Nichols was active in community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
and in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. A Conservative Democrat
Conservative Democrat
In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a Democratic Party member with conservative political views, or with views relatively conservative with respect to those of the national party...
, he helped bring his party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
to prominence. He was elected president of the Board of Supervisors
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is the five member governing board of Sacramento County, California.Like all other counties in California, with the exception of San Francisco County, Sacramento is split into five districts and each district elects a supervisor every four years.-Current...
and served as Mayor of Sacramento in 1858. In 1859, he was a member of the reception committee at the time of the visit of Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
. In that same year, Nichols was at the meeting held at the celebration of the laying of the Atlantic cable
Transatlantic telegraph cable
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...
.
From 1867 to 1871, he served as Secretary of State. When the California State Capitol
California State Capitol
The California State Capitol is home to the government of California. The building houses the bicameral state legislature and the office of the governor....
building was completed he climbed to the top of the dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
and placed the golden ball into place. While he was in office, the location was selected for the University of California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
at Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
.
Nichols held other public offices
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
too numerous to mention, including the Board of State Prison directors; one of the Trustees of the State Library
California State Library
The California State Library collects, preserves, generates and disseminates a wide array of information. It was founded in 1850 by the California State Legislature. Today, it is the central reference and research library for state government and the Legislature. The California State Library...
, appointed by Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Haight to fill the unexpired term of Governor Bigler
John Bigler
John Bigler was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat. A Democrat, he served as the third Governor of California from 1852 to 1856 and was the first California governor to complete an entire term in office successfully, as well as the first to win re-election...
; secretary of the State Board of Health; a City Health Officer; an Emergency Hospital Surgeon; and secretary of the Sacramento Board of Health.
Sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
was of great concern to Nichols. His essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
Water Supply of Sacramento sparked changes necessary for safe drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
. In 1885, he was president of the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement. He was President of the Board of Trustees for the Unitarian Society of Sacramento, 1868–1915, and is considered its founder.
Henry L. Nichols died at age 91 in Sacramento. He is interred in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery , located at 1000 Broadway, at 10th Street, is the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento, California. The cemetery is located at the highest point in Sacramento...
(aka Old City Cemetery), along with his wife and stillborn daughter.
External links
- JoinCalifornia - Election History of the State of California - H.L. Nichols
- H.L. Nichols at the Political Graveyard
- Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society - Henry L. Nichols, M.D.
- Henry L. Nichols Memorial at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...