SCJ 13 June 1918
A.S. Nicholson Is Dead In Brooklyn
For The Last Eight Years Has Been Superintendent Of Menominee Reserve
Left Keshena First Of April
During His Regime the Reservation Has Seen Great Strides of Development
Mr. A.S. Nicholson, until very recently superintendent of the Menominee Indian Reservation, died last Sunday afternoon at the home of his sister in Brooklyn, New York, of tuberculosis. His family were at his bedside when he passed away. Last summer, extensive fires broke out on the reservation and Supt. Nicholson for day after day went out and fought the destructive flames and the accompanying smoke. It was at this time that he injured his lungs, verily scorched them, and the start down the road of ill-health was made right then. In January he made application for a release from his work, but the red tape of federal authority moves slowly and it was not until March 24th, too late, that the much needed release came. No information regarding the funeral arrangements have yet come to Keshena.
Mr. Nicholson was born in Janesville, Wisconsin. He was connected with the army and saw service during the Spanish-American war. For some years after that he was Collector of Revenue in the New York port. He received his education in the East and lived the majority of his active years out there. At one time he was very active in New York politics and was of considerable consequence in the Republican ranks.
He came to the Menominee Reservation in 1910. The work that he has done there will be his best monument. He believed in the possibilities of the Indians and appealed to the best that was in them. He was largely responsible for the building up of the Keshena Fair. By his untiring effort, the road from Shawano through the Reservation was made what it is today. During his regime, he built up the Keshena farm and the model farm buildings, erected the machine sheds. The farm on the Neopit road was developed under his direction. He made the Neopit mill pay, and just this last year the last payment to the Menominee Indian Fund was made which finished the hundred percent earning. He was intensely patriotic and his patriotism grew out of his natural and innate love for his country. Long before the war broke out, he had a well drilled company at Neopit, and no people in all America better understand what our freedom means and how highly it should be regarded than do the people of Neopit who learned the lesson from A. S. Nicholson. He has a large circle of relatives in the East, and the service flag of the Nicholsons bears many stars. He believed profoundly in education and to him belongs the credit of creating the Neopit Day School. He established the hospital at Neopit, and built up a splendid social appreciation among the Indians. We might go on for many paragraphs extolling the virtues of this man for we are genuine in our belief in him. The best tribute we can pay him is that which came from the lips of one of his associates who said: “If Mr. Nicholson ever gave anyone anything other than a square deal, it was because he did not understand the case.” Our personal tribute is that in the death of Mr. Nicholson, the world has lost a man who for the qualities that go to make up manhood, was far, far above the average.
Advocate Tue 18 June 1918
Passed Away In West
A.S. Nicholson Died Sunday, June 9, at Home of His Sister in Brooklyn
When A.S. Nicholson left Shawano last April many of his friends remarked that they would not be surprised to learn of his death at any time. The report of his death reached Shawano the first of last week and his friends regretted to learn the news. Mr. Nicholson was superintendent of the Menominee reservation for eight years and worked hard to put the large mill belonging to the Indians, on a paying basis and he had the satisfaction of doing this before he resigned a short time ago.
Mr. Nicholson, his wife, and son and daughter left for the east early in May, but it was Mr. Nicholson’s intention to spend part of the summer in the west, and was in hopes of returning to Shawano in the fall when his health improved. Before coming to Shawano he was Collector of Revenue in the New York port, and was at one time very active in the New York politics. He was also in the Spanish American war and was Captain at the time he left Shawano and expected to see service in France.
Mr. Nicholson and family were well liked by citizens of Neopit; also Shawano. He did much for the Indians and established schools and hospitals for their benefit. His death will bring sorrow in many homes on the reservation.
Not much was found on Mr. Nicholson at this point. If anyone has information to share please contact me at [email protected]
