Linus M. Nickerson
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Linus May Nickerson (June 22, 1823September 12, 1888) was a Methodist minister who also served as
Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...
of the 122nd New York Infantry, a Republican delegate to the
Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1868 The Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1868, was an assembly of delegates elected by the voters to establish the fundamental law of Virginia following the American Civil War and the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. The Convention, w ...
, and an
Indian Agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the U.S. government. Agents established in Nonintercourse Act of 1793 The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the Un ...
in
Lake County, Oregon Lake County is one of the List of counties in Oregon, 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,160. Its county seat is Lakeview, Oregon, Lakeview. The county is named after ...
before his death in Grafton, California.


Early and family life

Nickerson was born in rural
Tompkins County, New York Tompkins County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the population was 105,740. The county seat is Ithaca, New York, Ithaca. The name is ...
, on June 22, 1823, to Stephen Nickerson and his wife, the former Roxana May. In July 1851, Linus married Hylena Alnora Knowles, a blacksmith's daughter, in
Cazenovia, New York Cazenovia is an incorporated Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 6,740 at the time of the 2020 census. The town is named after Theophilus Cazenove, Theophile Cazenove, th ...
. They had several children, of whom at least George (1857 in Onondaga, New York - 1926 in Mountain View, California) survived to adulthood. Their other children recorded on census forms included William (b. 1862), Roscoe (b. 1868), Buelah May (b. 1869, who died as an infant) and Grace (b. 1879).


Career

By 1855, Linus Nickerson was a Methodist minister in rural central New York. He and his wife initially lived with her family in
Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
,
Chenango County, New York Chenango County is a County (United States), county located in the south-central section of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 47,220. Its county seat is Norwich, ...
. On August 28, 1862, Nickerson volunteered to become the Chaplain of the 122nd New York Infantry, then being recruited from the area. He received his chaplain's commission on September 10, 1862, and was discharged with the remainder of his unit, in Washington, D.C., on June 23, 1865 After discharge, Rev. Nickerson remained in
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teaching African-Americans newly freed from slavery through the
Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. government agency of early post American Civil War Reconstruction, assisting freedmen (i.e., former enslaved people) in the ...
. Nickerson lived in
Falls Church Falls Church City is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is part of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of 2020, it has ...
(now a suburb of Washington, D.C.) in 1867, when Fairfax County voters elected him and Orrin E. Hine to represent them at the
Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1868 The Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1868, was an assembly of delegates elected by the voters to establish the fundamental law of Virginia following the American Civil War and the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. The Convention, w ...
. The 1870 federal census showed Nickerson as a clergyman owning real estate (probably the house), and noted that their 12-year-old son George, as well as a 13 year old waitress living with them named Sara French were of school age. At some time after
Congressional Reconstruction The Reconstruction era was a period in US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the abolition of slavery and reintegration of the former Confederate Sta ...
ended, Rev. Nickerson moved with his family to eastern
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. By 1877, he was the superintendent of farming at the Klamath Indian agency, with his wife as matron at the boarding school and eldest son George as one of two teachers. The following year he succeeded his boss, John H. Roork (whose wife or daughter was the other teacher) as
Indian Agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the U.S. government. Agents established in Nonintercourse Act of 1793 The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the Un ...
for the Klamath and related indigenous people in Oregon. Nickerson was also appointed postmaster. Three years later, his report to the
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...
noted the good relations tribal members had established with whites in the surrounding community. While agent Roork and his wife had left by 1883 (as had George Nickerson, who moved to
Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, w ...
by 1880), James F. Moore and William T. Leeks had arrived with their wives, and worked for Nickerson and the Klamath agency. Willie Nickerson became the office clerk and Hylena Nickerson had received a promotion to teacher.


Death and legacy

Rev. Nickerson resigned from the Klamath agency because of ill-health, and moved to California, where his son George lived. He died in Grafton, California (a railroad town in rural Yolo County) on September 11, 1888. The following January, his widow Hylena received his veterans pension.U.S. Civil war Pension index on ancestry.com His son George later joined the Loyal Legion based upon his father's service during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
.


References


Online Link


Linus Nickerson Cortland edu (Copyrighted)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nickerson, Linus M. American Methodist clergy People from Tompkins County, New York People from Falls Church, Virginia People from Lake County, Oregon 1823 births 1888 deaths United States Army chaplains Virginia Republicans United States Indian agents People from Chenango County, New York 19th-century Methodists 19th-century American clergy