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Nicholson / Ferguson line

Leonard Isaiah Nicholson

Also known as: L. I. Nicholson, Len Nicholson, Col. L. I. Nicholson, Leonard I. Nicholson, Lenard I. Nickolson

Standard profile
Profile evidence
Well-supported profile
Last reviewed
6 July 2026

Leonard Isaiah Nicholson was a Missouri-born farmer, auctioneer, rural businessman, and Saskatchewan settler whose life moved repeatedly across the Oklahoma-Canada border.

Life Story

Leonard Isaiah Nicholson was born 12 November 1880 in Mercer County, Missouri, the son of William Thomas Nicholson and Telitha Elizabeth Thomas Nicholson.1 By 1900, he had moved with the Nicholson family into Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, where the census recorded him in his parents’ household as a Missouri-born farm laborer born in November 1880.2

Leonard’s adult life first comes into focus in the Elmot and Galena country of Oklahoma, where work, land, marriage, and kinship were tightly braided together. In 1904, he was named as a final-proof witness from Elmot, placing him in the local land and farming network before his marriage.3 The notices also show how much of that network already ran through family: among the men he vouched for were three brothers-in-law or soon-to-be brothers-in-law from the Glines, Brown, and Long households.

Leonard married Myrtie M. Ferguson in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, on 23 July 1905. The marriage record identified Leonard as a Missouri-born resident of Galena and Myrtie as a Kansas-born resident of Galena; because Myrtie was under age, her father, R. H. Ferguson, gave consent.4 Leonard and Myrtie had thirteen children together, a family reconstructed from family knowledge and from the census trail that follows the household from Oklahoma into Saskatchewan.19, 39, 40, 42

Four months before the marriage, in March 1905, a Fairview item reported that Len Nicholson and Alva Brown had bought the Elmot store, though the item itself was phrased cautiously.5 Brown belonged to the Nicholson circle through Leonard’s sister Arminda Belle “Minnie” Nicholson Brown. Whether that particular store report was firm or only local talk, Leonard’s move toward mercantile business soon becomes clearer: in May 1906, a separate item reported that he had disposed of some land and gone to Fairview to engage in the mercantile business.9

Leonard Isaiah Nicholson, probably about 1906. Leonard used this photograph, or a similar portrait, in auctioneer advertising.
Myrtie M. Ferguson, probably about 1906.

In the spring of 1906 the records begin to show not just what Leonard did, but how he meant to be seen. In March, a local item said he had secured the U.S. mail contract from Elmot to Orienta and reported the birth of a son to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Nicholson.6 That same month, the Cleo Journal fixed to him a phrase that would prove durable: “L. I. Nicholson, the hustling auctioneer of Elmot.” The notice said he would cry a sale for J. I. Rippey near Galena.7 If this J. I. Rippey was Myrtie’s maternal grandfather John Isaac Rippey, as the surrounding family evidence suggests but does not prove by itself, then even Leonard’s first appearance as an auctioneer placed the trade and the kin together.

Rippey family, about 1900. Identified people include Myrtie Ferguson's mother Elizabeth Rippey Ferguson at middle far left, John Isaac Rippey at front middle, Mary Jane Barnes Rippey at front right, and Elizabeth Rippey at front left.

The auctioneer was fast becoming the public man. Two weeks after the Fairview mercantile item, Leonard was advertising there as “Col. L. I. Nicholson, Auctioneer.”10 Nothing in the record ties “Col.” to military service; it reads instead as the auctioneer’s honorific of the day, a title a man could confer on himself with a single line of type. Set beside the bowler-hatted studio portrait Leonard placed in his own advertising, it points to an early instinct for self-presentation: the voice, the title, and the photograph all aimed the same way.

Leonard’s early married years were also closely tied to Myrtie’s Ferguson and Rippey family network. In September 1906, a local item reported that L. I. Nicholson and Robert Ferguson had traded land for a large feed barn in Fairview.11 A 1906 county land-ownership map placed L. Nicholson near Galena, close to J. I. Rippey and a Ferguson-marked parcel.12 By 1907, Diamond Livery and Feed Barn was advertising Nicholson & Ferguson as proprietors, a partnership best understood in light of that named 1906 item.14

Leonard continued to work as an auctioneer in a widening local circle. Nicholson & McKee advertised as auctioneers in 1907, and a 1908 Fairview item named Len Nicholson of Nicholson & McKee in connection with Trades Day.15, 17 In 1909, Nicholson and McKee assisted at a Duroc-Jersey sale, and L. I. Nicholson was listed among new members of the Major County Duroc-Jersey Swine Breeders Association.18

The 1910 census found Leonard and Myrtie in Fairview with their young children Francis, Ople, and Leo. Leonard’s mother Telitha was also in the household, along with nephew Edwin Brown, whose presence fits the broader Nicholson family context after the death of Leonard’s sister Arminda Belle “Minnie” Nicholson Brown in 1906.19, 13

Taken together, the Oklahoma records show Leonard less as a lone settler than as the working center of a dense family web. His brother-in-law appears beside him in a possible store venture; his father-in-law Robert H. Ferguson became his feed-barn partner; a likely grandfather-in-law appears in the sale notice that first shows Leonard as an auctioneer; his widowed mother lived under his roof; and one of his deceased sister’s children was there too. The same household was also growing rapidly into the large Nicholson family that later photographs remember. Leonard was ambitious and mobile, skilled at public presentation and willing to cross borders for land and work, but the records repeatedly pull him back to kin.

Telitha Elizabeth Thomas Nicholson with fifteen grandchildren in 1908. Three of the children were Leonard and Myrtie Nicholson's children.

The family’s move to Saskatchewan was not a clean one-way migration. In May 1912, a Fairview item reported that Len Nicholson and wife were expected to locate at Herbert, Canada.27 A Saskatchewan land file then placed Leonard in the Herbert district.28 But the move did not sever the Oklahoma circle. By January 1913, a Fairview item reported that the family had returned from nine months in Canada, and a March 1913 advertisement announced Len Nicholson the auctioneer was back from Canada and ready for sales.29, 30

Leonard’s Canadian and Oklahoma ties continued to overlap. In 1913, Myrtie stopped at Chickasha while Leonard went on to Canada on business, and another item said “Red” Glines had returned from Calgary after working for his uncle Len Nicholson.31, 32 The Glines connection matters because Leonard’s later Enid visits were to his sister Elizabeth Nicholson Glines; the same Oklahoma family tie visible in 1913 was still part of his life decades later.44 In 1916, Saskatchewan naturalization records described Leonard I. Nicholson as formerly of Fairview, Oklahoma, then of Herbert, Saskatchewan, and a farmer; he took the oath of residence and allegiance in August and received a certificate in September.36 Leonard’s Saskatchewan years left a quieter mark as well: a daughter, Magdalene Culliton, born about 1916 to Catherine Teresa Kelly and raised in the Culliton household, whose descendants found their way back to the Nicholson family through DNA nearly a century later.49

The back-and-forth had financial consequences. A 1914 Major County foreclosure notice named Leonard I. Nicholson and Myrtle M. Nicholson as defendants on a 160-acre Oklahoma property, and a 1915 sheriff’s sale notice followed in the same matter.34, 35 In 1917, Oklahoma notices again reported the Nicholson family’s return from Herbert and described Leonard as a one-time Major County resident and well-known auctioneer who had been near Herbert, Saskatchewan.37, 38

By 1921, Leonard and Myrtie were established in Saskatchewan again. The 1921 Canada census enumerated Leonard as a farmer in the R.M. of Connaught, born in the United States, immigrated in 1912, and naturalized in 1916, with Myrtie and ten children in the household.39 The 1926 Prairie Provinces census placed the family in the Melfort or Star City area before the later Nipawin years.40 A 1928 King’s Bench file, Hudson’s Bay Company v. Leonard I. Nicholson, shows a substantial land-payment dispute tied to Saskatchewan land agreements from 1919.41 Read beside the earlier Oklahoma foreclosure, the case suggests a recurring pressure in Leonard’s life: ambition for land, movement toward opportunity, and trouble keeping the terms of that land secure on both sides of the border. By 1931, Leonard and Myrtie were recorded in the Nipawin district.42

Leonard and Myrtie Nicholson with their children and some children's spouses, probably in the late 1930s. Leonard and Myrtie are seated near the front centre, with their daughter Elen.

Leonard’s later life still crossed the border. In 1938, a Fairview retrospective reported that Mr. and Mrs. L. I. Nicholson and children, of Saskatchewan, were visiting Fairview and remembered Leonard as the first auctioneer for the Fairview Tradesday sale.43 In 1947, an Enid item said Mr. and Mrs. L. I. Nicholson and daughter Ellen had arrived from Nipawin to visit Leonard’s sister Elizabeth Glines and added that the Nicholsons made their home in Enid each winter.44 That late-life pattern gives the whole migration a different shape. Leonard and Myrtie had made a Saskatchewan life, but Oklahoma was not merely a place they had left; it remained a family base they returned to season after season. A 1949 Enid naturalization item says Leonard’s planned U.S. naturalization was postponed because his wife had become ill; it does not prove completion.45 The 1950 census then placed Lenard I. Nickolson in Enid as a married lodger, born in Missouri and apparently unable to work.46

Leonard died 31 July 1957 at Nipawin, Saskatchewan. The Enid obituary and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix obituary agree on the death at Nipawin, while the Star-Phoenix adds that he died in Nipawin Union Hospital, that funeral services were held in Nipawin Legion Hall, and that burial was in Nipawin cemetery.47, 48 The obituaries preserve a useful family summary but also compress and conflict on parts of his earlier life, especially his exact Missouri birthplace and migration chronology.

Research Notes

Birthplace

Use Mercer County, Missouri, as Leonard’s public birthplace. Later obituaries conflict: one says Liberty, Missouri, and the Star-Phoenix obituary says Princeton, Missouri. Family knowledge and the 1880 residence of Leonard’s parents support Mercer County, but the exact town should remain open unless a stronger birth, death, or civil registration source confirms it.

Age and Birth Date

Use 12 November 1880. The 1900 census supports November 1880, and the profile follows family knowledge for the exact day. Obituary ages differ slightly, with age 76 and age 77 appearing in different newspapers.

Myrtie’s Name

Use Myrtie M. Ferguson as the profile and index form, following the site’s preference for maiden names in public listings. Records vary after marriage, including the “Myrtle M. Nicholson” spelling in the 1914 Oklahoma foreclosure notice. Treat that as a record spelling rather than a separate identity unless stronger evidence suggests otherwise.

Migration Chronology

Do not present Leonard’s movement as a simple Fairview-to-Herbert-to-Tisdale-to-Nipawin sequence. The Saskatchewan obituary gives a useful broad framework: Herbert in 1912, Tisdale in 1919, and the Nipawin district from 1928. Contemporary Oklahoma newspapers, however, document returns and attempted returns in 1913 and 1917.

Auctioneer Title

Treat “Col.” as an auctioneer honorific or advertising style. Do not imply military service. The 1914 Saskatoon article rebutting a war-service rumour strengthens that caution.33

U.S. Naturalization

The 1949 Enid clipping only says Leonard’s U.S. naturalization was postponed because his wife became ill. It does not prove that he completed U.S. naturalization. His 1916 Saskatchewan naturalization is separately documented.

DNA-Supported Daughter

Leonard and Myrtie had thirteen children together. DNA evidence also supports Magdalene Culliton as Leonard’s biological daughter by Catherine Teresa Kelly. The public profile keeps that conclusion brief; the supporting source card carries the tester-specific DNA details and privacy caution.

Evidence Timeline

  1. Birth in Missouri

    Mercer County is used as the working birthplace; later obituaries conflict on the exact town.

  2. Marriage to Myrtie Ferguson

    The Woods County marriage record includes consent from Myrtie's father, R. H. Ferguson.

  3. Fairview auctioneer and business years

    Newspaper notices place Leonard in auctioneering, mercantile, feed-barn, livery, mail, and agricultural promotion work.

  4. Oklahoma and Saskatchewan back-and-forth

    The family moved toward Herbert, Saskatchewan, but Oklahoma notices show return trips and continuing ties.

  5. Saskatchewan household

    Canadian census records place the growing Nicholson household in Saskatchewan, later in the Nipawin district.

  6. Enid winter residence

    Late records show Leonard and Myrtie maintaining Nipawin ties while spending winters in Enid, Oklahoma.

  7. Death at Nipawin

    Obituaries place his death at Nipawin and burial in Nipawin cemetery.

Family Group Sheet

Spouse / family connection
Myrtie M. Ferguson, married in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, in 1905
Children and direct-line notes
  • Leonard Francis Nicholson
  • Ople Lorene Nicholson
  • Leo Nile Nicholson
  • Willard Jay Nicholson
  • Zelma Elizabeth Nicholson
  • Marion Thomas Nicholson
  • Myrtie Louise Nicholson
  • Telitha June Nicholson
  • Wanda Maxsene Nicholson
  • Elzora Rosy Nicholson - direct-line child
  • Wilma Ethel Nicholson
  • Phyllis Nicholson
  • Doris Ellen Nicholson
  • Magdalene Culliton (1916/1918-2012), daughter of Leonard I. Nicholson by Catherine Teresa Kelly; born near Elbow, Saskatchewan; recorded as a Culliton; married William James Steele; DNA-confirmed

Places in Leonard Isaiah Nicholson's Life

These markers are curated historical place references. Most are county, township, town-centre, city-centre, or approximate historic-locality markers rather than exact household, farm, business, hospital, or burial coordinates.

Photographs

Photograph Index

Images embedded in the story are gathered here with the additional family photographs connected to this profile.

about 1906 Leonard Isaiah Nicholson, probably about 1906. Leonard used this photograph, or a similar portrait, in auctioneer advertising. Photo details
about 1906 Myrtie M. Ferguson, probably about 1906. Photo details
about 1900 Rippey family, about 1900. Identified people include Elizabeth Rippey Ferguson at middle far left, John Isaac Rippey at front middle, Mary Jane Barnes Rippey at front right, and Elizabeth Rippey at front left. Photo details
1908 Telitha Elizabeth Thomas Nicholson with fifteen grandchildren in 1908. Three of the children were Leonard and Myrtie Nicholson's children. Photo details
about 1936 Leonard and Myrtie Nicholson with their children and some children's spouses, probably in the late 1930s. Leonard and Myrtie are seated near the front centre, with their daughter Elen. Photo details

Documentary Base

Sources

census

[1] 1880 U.S. Census for William Nicholson Household in Lindley Township, Mercer County, Missouri

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1880 U.S. census, Mercer County, Missouri, population schedule, Lindley Township, enumeration district 223, p. 33D, dwelling 64, family 64, William Nicholson household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6742/images/4242024-00071?pId=34172725 : accessed 6 July 2026); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 703.

Access: Ancestry image supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Enumerates William Nicholson and wife Telitha/Lelitha in Lindley Township, Mercer County, Missouri, on 8 June 1880.
  • Places Leonard Isaiah Nicholson's parents and siblings in Mercer County, Missouri, a few months before Leonard's November 1880 birth.
  • Supports using Mercer County, Missouri, as Leonard's birth place in the profile.
  • Does not directly record Leonard because he was born after the 1880 census enumeration.
  • Should be treated as indirect evidence for Leonard's birthplace, not direct proof of his birth.

census

[2] 1900 U.S. Census for William and Telitha Nicholson Household in Woods County, Oklahoma

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1900 U.S. census, Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, population schedule, Crowell Township (west half), enumeration district 220, sheet 1A, household 1, William T. Nicholson household; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMGG-YPC : accessed 6 July 2026); citing NARA microfilm publication T623.

Access: FamilySearch image and index supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Enumerates William Thomas Nicholson and Telitha Elizabeth Thomas Nicholson in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • Enumerates their son Leonard/Lenard Nicholson in the household, age 19 or 20, born November 1880 in Missouri.
  • Supports Leonard's birth month and year as November 1880.
  • Supports Leonard as a child of William and Telitha Nicholson.
  • Contains transcription/indexing errors; use the image and corrected readings rather than the index alone.

newspaper

[3] 1904 Major County Chieftain Notices Naming Leonard Nicholson as Final-Proof Witness

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Notices for publication, Major County Chieftain (Fairview, Oklahoma), 15 July 1904, p. 8; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/major-county-chieftain/106918990/ : accessed 5 July 2026), clipped by user dwrozel.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Leonard Nicholson of Elmot, Oklahoma, as a witness in several land final-proof notices.
  • Places Leonard in the Elmot area in 1904 before his marriage to Myrtie Ferguson.
  • Shows Leonard within a cluster of related or soon-related families, including Elonzo Glines, Alva E. Brown, George N. Long, and William F. Long.
  • Supports the Nicholson siblings' Elmot-area network: Telitha Nicholson Glines, Arminda Belle Nicholson Brown, and Jeanettie Nicholson Long by correlation.

marriage

[4] 1905 Woods County Marriage Record for Leonard I. Nicholson and Myrtie M. Ferguson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, marriage record, application/license/certificate for Leonard I. Nicholson and Myrtie M. Ferguson, 21-23 July 1905; 'Woods, Oklahoma, United States records,' images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8937-PF9V?view=explore : accessed 6 July 2026), image 234 of 828; Oklahoma County Court (Woods County), image group no. 005685921.

Access: FamilySearch image supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Records the marriage application and license for Leonard I. Nicholson and Myrtie M. Ferguson in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory.
  • Gives Leonard as age 24, white, born Missouri, resident of Galena, Oklahoma Territory.
  • Gives Myrtie as age 17, white, born Kansas, resident of Galena, Oklahoma Territory.
  • Includes consent by R. H. Ferguson for his underage daughter Myrtie M. Ferguson to marry Leonard I. Nicholson.
  • Supports the marriage date as 23 July 1905 and the Nicholson-Ferguson family connection.
  • Exact place spelling/reading should be checked against the image; later obituary says Gelena/Galena, Oklahoma.

newspaper

[5] 1905 Fairview Republican Item: Len Nicholson and Alva Brown Reportedly Bought Elmot Store

Needs caution Back to first citation

Citation: 'Elmot store' local item, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 17 March 1905, p. 9; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-leonard-nicholson-an/201058021/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Len Nicholson and Alva Brown had bought the Elmot store.
  • Places Leonard Nicholson in a possible mercantile/business role at Elmot in March 1905.
  • Connects Leonard with Alva Edwin Brown, his brother-in-law by correlation with Nicholson-Brown family records.
  • Correlates with the 1906 obituary of Minnie Nicholson Brown, which states that A. E. Brown and Minnie had been in the mercantile business at Elmot for the previous two years.
  • The wording 'now they say' makes the report somewhat tentative.

newspaper

[6] 1906 Major County Chieftain Local Items: Mail Contract and Birth of Leonard and Myrtie's Son

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Elmot Breezes' local items, Major County Chieftain (Fairview, Oklahoma), 2 March 1906, p. 10; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/major-county-chieftain/82017866/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • States that Leonard Nicholson had secured the contract to carry U.S. mail from Elmot to Orienta.
  • Reports the birth of a baby boy to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Nicholson.
  • States that W. T. Nicholson was 75 years old on 20 February 1906.
  • Reports that Robert Ferguson was going to locate in or near Elmot.
  • Supports Leonard's early transport/mail work and the birth context for his first child with Myrtie.

newspaper

[7] 1906 Cleo Journal Item: L. I. Nicholson, Auctioneer of Elmot, to Cry J. I. Rippey Sale

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'L. I. Nicholson, the hustling auctioneer of Elmot' local item, Cleo Journal (Cleo, Oklahoma), 22 March 1906, p. 8; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/cleo-journal-leonard-nicholson-cries-a-s/201059390/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names L. I. Nicholson as the hustling auctioneer of Elmot in March 1906.
  • Provides the earliest identified direct newspaper reference so far to Leonard's auctioneer work.
  • States that Leonard would cry a sale for J. I. Rippey near Galena on 28 March 1906.
  • Places Leonard in the Elmot/Galena/Fairview-area business and family network shortly after his 1905 marriage to Myrtie Ferguson.
  • The item does not state Leonard's relationship to J. I. Rippey; describe Rippey as Leonard's grandfather-in-law or Myrtie's maternal grandfather only by correlation with separate family evidence.

newspaper

[8] 1906 Major County Chieftain Notice of Final Proof for August Pyle Naming William T. and Leonard I. Nicholson

Contemporary record

Citation: Notice for publication, final proof of claim of August Pyle, Major County Chieftain (Fairview, Oklahoma), 7 September 1906, p. 8; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/major-county-chieftain-notice-of-final-p/201046404/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names William T. Nicholson and Leonard I. Nicholson of Fairview, Oklahoma, as witnesses for August Pyle's final proof.
  • Places Leonard and his father William T. Nicholson in the Fairview-area land community in 1906.
  • Supports Leonard's involvement in local land/farming networks.

newspaper

[9] 1906 Major County Chieftain Item: L. I. Nicholson Goes to Fairview for Mercantile Business

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Elmot' local item, Major County Chieftain (Fairview, Oklahoma), 11 May 1906, p. 6; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/major-county-chieftain-leonard-nicholson/201058530/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names L. I. Nicholson in the Elmot/Fairview area in May 1906.
  • States that Leonard had disposed of some of his land.
  • States that he had gone to Fairview to engage in the mercantile business.
  • Supports Leonard's transition from farming/landholding into Fairview business activity.
  • Does not identify the land disposed of, the buyer, or the exact mercantile business.

newspaper

[10] 1906 Fairview Republican Advertisement for Col. L. I. Nicholson, Auctioneer

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Advertisement, 'Col. L. I. Nicholson, Auctioneer,' Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 25 May 1906, p. 5; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-leonard-ferguson-auc/201059052/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Col. L. I. Nicholson as an auctioneer in Fairview, Oklahoma, in May 1906.
  • Provides direct evidence that Leonard was advertising independently as an auctioneer before the later Nicholson & McKee partnership.
  • Includes a portrait-style newspaper image associated with the advertisement.
  • Supports Leonard's public identity as an auctioneer during his early Fairview business years.
  • The title 'Col.' should be treated as auctioneer branding or a courtesy title unless independent military evidence is found.

newspaper

[11] 1906 Cleo Journal Item: L. I. Nicholson and Robert Ferguson Trade Land for Fairview Feed Barn

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Elmot' local items, Cleo Journal (Cleo, Oklahoma), 13 September 1906, p. 6; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/cleo-journal-leonard-nicholson-and-rober/201058286/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • States that L. I. Nicholson had Arkansas workers pulling broomcorn for him.
  • Names L. I. Nicholson and Robert Ferguson together.
  • States that L. I. Nicholson and Robert Ferguson had traded land for a big feed barn in Fairview.
  • Strongly supports identifying the later Nicholson & Ferguson feed barn/livery business as Leonard I. Nicholson and Robert H. Ferguson.
  • Provides business and family-network context shortly after Leonard's 1905 marriage to Myrtie M. Ferguson.
  • Does not identify the land traded or provide a formal deed record.

map

[12] 1906 Woods County Land Ownership Map Showing L. Nicholson

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: 'Map of Township 23 N Range 14 W,' Woods County, Oklahoma, 1906, showing L. Nicholson, J. I. Rippey, and Ferguson parcels near Galena P.O.; digital image, Ancestry, U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1127/images/31617_072087-00123?pId=187199 : accessed 6 July 2026); Collection no. G&M_26, roll 26; citing county land ownership atlases microfilmed by the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Access: Ancestry image supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Shows L. Nicholson on a 160-acre parcel in Township 23 North, Range 14 West, Indian Meridian, Woods County, Oklahoma, in 1906.
  • Places Leonard's mapped land near Galena P.O.
  • Shows nearby parcels associated with J. I. Rippey and a Ferguson-marked owner, supporting the local Nicholson-Ferguson-Rippey cluster.
  • Useful for website map reconstruction and local geography.
  • As a compiled land-ownership atlas, this should not override original land-entry, tract-book, deed, or court records.

newspaper

[13] 1906 Cleo Journal Obituary for Arminda Belle 'Minnie' Nicholson Brown

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Death of Mrs. Brown,' obituary of Mrs. Minnie Brown, Cleo Journal (Cleo, Oklahoma), 6 December 1906, p. 1; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/cleo-journal-obituary-for-minnie-nichols/201056887/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports the death of Mrs. Minnie Brown, wife of A. E. Brown of Elmot, Oklahoma, on 29 November 1906.
  • Identifies her as Miss Minnie Nicholson, born in Mercer County, Missouri, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Nicholson.
  • States that she left her husband and five small children.
  • Provides context for Edwin Brown, Leonard Nicholson's nephew, living in Leonard's household in the 1910 census.
  • Uses the name Minnie Nicholson/Brown; identification with Arminda Belle Nicholson Brown depends on correlation with spouse, parents, age, death date, and family structure.

newspaper

[14] 1907 Fairview Republican Advertisement for Diamond Livery and Feed Barn, Nicholson & Ferguson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Advertisement, 'Diamond Livery and Feed Barn,' Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 10 May 1907, p. 3; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-nicholson-ferguson/201046809/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Advertises Diamond Livery and Feed Barn in Fairview with Nicholson & Ferguson as proprietors.
  • Supports Leonard's involvement in the feed barn/livery business by correlation with the 1906 item naming L. I. Nicholson and Robert Ferguson.
  • Fits the Nicholson-Ferguson father-in-law business connection.
  • The advertisement itself does not give first names; identity depends on correlation with the 1906 Cleo Journal item and Ferguson family evidence.

newspaper

[15] 1907 Fairview Republican Advertisement for Nicholson & McKee Auctioneers

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Advertisement, 'Nicholson & M'Kee Auctioneers,' Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 8 November 1907, p. 5; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-nicholson-mkee/201046687/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Advertises Nicholson & M'Kee as auctioneers.
  • Shows Leonard's partnership with McKee in the auction business by correlation with later items naming Len Nicholson of Nicholson & McKee.
  • Includes a newspaper image/portrait associated with the firm.
  • Supports the expansion of Leonard's auctioneering from individual ads to partnership advertising.

newspaper

[16] 1908 Fairview Leader Item: Len Nicholson and the Dixie Show Company Prank

Contemporary record

Citation: 'Dixie show company' local item, The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 20 August 1908, p. 5; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader-leonard-nicholson-na/201057881/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Len Nicholson in a Fairview local item in August 1908.
  • Reports that Len Nicholson disrupted a Dixie show company performance at the Opera House by nailing shut the exit used in a man-in-the-box act.
  • Provides local colour and suggests Leonard was a visible, socially active figure in Fairview.
  • Should be used as narrative colour only, not as a major evidentiary point.

newspaper

[17] 1908 Fairview Republican Item Naming Len Nicholson of Nicholson & McKee at Trades Day

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Trades Day local item naming Len Nicholson of Nicholson & McKee, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 10 April 1908, p. 1; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-leonard-nicholson-au/201047154/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Len Nicholson of the firm Nicholson & McKee.
  • States that he gave a speech opening a sale and helped announce Trades Day as an established monthly Fairview custom.
  • Gives direct evidence of Leonard's public auctioneer role and local promotional work.
  • Correlates with the 1938 retrospective describing him as the first Tradesday auctioneer.

newspaper

[18] 1909 Fairview Leader Article on Duroc-Jersey Sale and L. I. Nicholson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'The Major County Duroc-Jersey Association's First Semi Annual Sale,' The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 8 April 1909, p. 1; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader-elias-smith-attends/43776506/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by user blrreese.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Nicholson and McKee were among the home auctioneers who assisted at the Major County Duroc-Jersey Swine Breeders Association sale.
  • Lists L. I. Nicholson among new members admitted to the association.
  • Supports Leonard's auctioneering in livestock/agricultural community settings.
  • Supports his involvement in organized agricultural improvement activity in Major County.

census

[19] 1910 U.S. Census for Leonard I. Nicholson Household in Fairview, Oklahoma

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1910 U.S. census, Major County, Oklahoma, population schedule, Fairview Ward 4, enumeration district 174, sheet 14B, Leonard J./I. Nicholson household; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLQJ-XNF : accessed 6 July 2026); citing NARA microfilm publication T624.

Access: FamilySearch image and index supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Enumerates Leonard Nicholson as head of household in Fairview, Major County, Oklahoma.
  • Enumerates wife Myrtie and children Francis, Ople, and Leo.
  • Enumerates Leonard's widowed mother Telitha/Telitha E. Nicholson in the household after William Thomas Nicholson's death.
  • Enumerates Edwin Brown as Leonard's nephew, supporting the Nicholson-Brown family connection.
  • Contains indexing/spelling errors; use corrected readings from the image.

newspaper

[20] 1910 Fairview Republican Item: Len Nicholson Wins Driving Race

Contemporary record

Citation: 'That Race Matinee,' Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 4 March 1910, p. 4; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-driving-race-leonard/201047453/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Len Nicholson won a driving race at the Fair grounds.
  • Provides local colour and fits Leonard's livery, transport, horse, and auctioneer context.
  • Should be used only lightly, if at all, in the biography.

newspaper

[21] 1910 Fairview Leader Item: Len Nicholson Escorts Sam Rinker to Watonga Jail

Contemporary record

Citation: Local item, The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 31 March 1910, p. 6; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader-leonard-nicholson-es/201048068/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Len Nicholson accompanied Sam Rinker to Watonga and left him in charge of the Blaine County jailer.
  • Provides local colour and a glimpse of Leonard's role in community affairs.
  • Not central to the profile unless used as brief narrative colour.

newspaper

[22] 1911 Fairview Republican Advertisement for Alabama Wonder Cotton Seed by L. I. Nicholson

Contemporary record

Citation: 'Cotton! Cotton! Cotton!' advertisement for Alabama Wonder Cotton Seed by L. I. Nicholson, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 12 May 1911, p. 1; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-leonard-nicholson-co/201058637/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names L. I. Nicholson of Fairview, Oklahoma, in a large advertisement for Alabama Wonder Cotton Seed.
  • Shows Leonard promoting cotton seed to Major County farmers in May 1911.
  • Announces public meetings with farmers on 17 and 18 May 1911 at Citizens State Bank in Fairview.
  • Supports Leonard's role as an agricultural promoter and public salesman.
  • Does not prove the performance of the seed, attendance at the meetings, or Leonard's exact financial arrangement.

newspaper

[23] 1911 Fairview Republican Item: Len Nicholson Mosquito Smudge

Contemporary record

Citation: Local item on mosquito smudge, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 15 September 1911, p. 8; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-mosquito-smudge-leon/201047713/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that a mosquito smudge prepared by Len Nicholson blazed up and was mistaken for a room fire.
  • Provides humorous local colour from Leonard's Fairview years.
  • Not necessary for the profile unless used very briefly.

newspaper

[24] 1911 Fairview Leader Obituary for Telitha Elizabeth Thomas Nicholson

Contemporary record

Citation: Obituary of Mrs. Telitha Nicholson, The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 7 December 1911, p. 8; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader/145935701/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by user dwrozel.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports the death of Mrs. Telitha Nicholson on 1 December 1911.
  • Identifies her as Telitha E. Thomas, born in Missouri in 1837 and married to W. M. Nicholson.
  • Lists living children including Mrs. E. Glines, Mrs. Frank Long, Tom Nicholson, and Len Nicholson.
  • Supports Leonard as a surviving son of Telitha Nicholson.
  • Provides family context for Leonard's mother in his 1910 household and her death the next year.

newspaper

[25] 1912 Fairview Republican Item: Leonard Nicholson Trip Near Carmen

Contemporary record

Citation: Local item, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 16 February 1912, p. 5; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-leonard-nicholson-me/201048223/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Len Nicholson left for points in and around Carmen, expecting to return home the first of the week.
  • Places Leonard in the Fairview/Major County area in early 1912 before the Canadian move.

newspaper

[26] 1912 Fairview Republican Item: Len Nicholson Hauls Goods to Vici

Contemporary record

Citation: Local item, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 10 May 1912, p. 7; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-leonard-nicholson-tr/201048921/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Len Nicholson started Monday taking a load of goods overland to Vici for George T. Green.
  • Supports Leonard's transport/hauling activity in addition to mail, livery, and auctioneer work.

newspaper

[27] 1912 Fairview Republican Item: Len and Myrtie Nicholson Expect to Locate at Herbert, Canada

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Local item, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 24 May 1912, p. 7; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-leonard-nicholson-and/201049023/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Len Nicholson and wife went to Chickasha to visit her family and then expected to locate in Herbert, Canada.
  • Provides contemporary evidence for the family's 1912 Oklahoma-to-Saskatchewan move.
  • Shows the move was planned through Myrtie's family visit in Chickasha.
  • Later records show back-and-forth movement, so do not treat this as a simple permanent move.

land

[28] 1912 Saskatchewan Homestead and Pre-emption Application for Leonard I. Nicholson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Homestead records for Leonard I. Nicholson, Saskatchewan, Canada, Department of the Interior, Dominion Lands Branch, homestead records, file/entry images for NE 1/4 section 33, township 13, range 9 west of the 3rd meridian; FamilySearch, 'Saskatchewan, Canada records' (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89C6-2S45?view=explore : accessed 6 July 2026), image 1014 of 1405; Saskatchewan Archives, image group no. 007378660.

Access: FamilySearch images supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Documents Leonard I. Nicholson's 1912 Saskatchewan pre-emption/homestead application connected to Herbert, Saskatchewan.
  • Places Leonard as a settler/farmer in Saskatchewan after the 1912 move.
  • Gives land description in township/range terms and supports the Herbert-area settlement.
  • Includes later statements about residence, improvements, livestock, and intent to continue residence.
  • Use the image set carefully; several pages belong to the same file and should be checked before extracting exact dates and legal descriptions.

newspaper

[29] 1913 Fairview Leader Item: Leonard Nicholson Returns from Canada

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Local item, The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 30 January 1913, p. 5; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader-leonard-nicholson-re/201049314/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Len Nicholson and family returned from a nine-month stay in Canada.
  • Includes Leonard's humorous comment about cold and wind in Canada.
  • Shows the 1912 move was followed by a return to Oklahoma in early 1913.
  • Important for avoiding a simplified one-way migration narrative.

newspaper

[30] 1913 Fairview Leader Advertisement: Len Nicholson the Auctioneer Back from Canada

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Advertisement, 'Len Nicholson The Auctioneer,' The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 27 March 1913, p. 8; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader-leonard-nicholson-au/201049426/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Advertises Len Nicholson as an auctioneer after his return from Canada.
  • States that he was back from Canada and ready to cry sales.
  • Supports continuity in Leonard's auctioneer work despite the 1912 Saskatchewan venture.

newspaper

[31] 1913 Fairview Republican Item: Len and Myrtie Nicholson Travel, Mrs. Nicholson to Chickasha and Leonard to Canada

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Local item, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 2 May 1913, p. 5; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-len-and-myrtie-nicho/201048660/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Mr. and Mrs. Len Nicholson left by Rock Island train.
  • States that Mrs. Nicholson stopped at Chickasha to visit relatives while Mr. Nicholson went on to Canada on business.
  • Shows Leonard's continued business ties to Canada after returning to Oklahoma.

newspaper

[32] 1913 Fairview Leader Item: Red Glines Returns from Calgary After Working for Uncle Len Nicholson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Local item, The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 30 October 1913, p. 6; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader-red-glines-returns-f/201048423/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that 'Red' Glines returned from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he spent the summer working for his uncle Len Nicholson.
  • Places Leonard in or connected to Calgary in 1913.
  • Supports Leonard's continued Canadian work/business activity after the 1912 Saskatchewan move.
  • Supports the Glines-Nicholson family connection by correlation.

newspaper

[33] 1914 Saskatoon Rebuttal of War Rumour About L. I. Nicholson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Poor War Ridden Canada,' Saskatoon Daily Star (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), 7 December 1914, p. 4; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/saskatoon-daily-star-leonard-nicholson/201052127/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reprints and rebuts a Fairview Republican item claiming that L. I. Nicholson had been drafted in Canada and sent to England.
  • Describes the original story as absurd and not credible.
  • Supports treating the alleged draft/enlistment story as false unless independent military records are found.
  • Quotes the Fairview item describing L. I. Nicholson as a farmer, well-known Major County citizen, and auctioneer.
  • Should not be used as evidence that Leonard served, was drafted, fled to Missouri, or was sent to England.

newspaper

[34] 1914 Fairview Leader Foreclosure Notice for Leonard I. and Myrtle M. Nicholson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Notice by publication, Rutland Savings Bank v. Leonard I. Nicholson et al., The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 20 August 1914, p. 4; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader-leonard-nicholson-an/201049627/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Leonard I. Nicholson and Myrtle M. Nicholson as defendants in a foreclosure action.
  • Describes a mortgage on the west half of the southeast quarter and east half of the southwest quarter of section 10, township 22, range 14, Major County, Oklahoma, containing 160 acres.
  • States the mortgage was executed 1 March 1906 to secure an $800 promissory note.
  • Supports land/financial pressure in Leonard and Myrtie's Oklahoma period.
  • Should be correlated with deed, mortgage, and sheriff's sale records.

newspaper

[35] 1915 Fairview Leader Sheriff's Sale Notice for Nicholson Land

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Notice of Sheriff's Sale, Rutland Savings Bank v. Leonard I. Nicholson et al., The Fairview Leader (Fairview, Oklahoma), 6 May 1915, p. 4; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairview-leader-leonard-nicholson-an/201049888/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports an order of sale issued 8 April 1915 in the foreclosure action involving Leonard I. Nicholson and Myrtle M. Nicholson.
  • Describes the same 160-acre Major County property from section 10, township 22, range 14.
  • States judgment details including $680.66 and attorney fees.
  • Supports the loss or forced sale of the Oklahoma land after the Canadian move period.

naturalization

[36] 1916 Saskatchewan Naturalization Records for Leonard I. Nicholson

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Naturalization records for Leonard I. Nicholson, Saskatchewan District Court, Judicial District of Swift Current, 1916; 'Saskatchewan, Canada records,' images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSBP-BQZW-J?view=explore : accessed 6 July 2026), images 955-957 of 1446; image group no. 008400153.

Access: FamilySearch images supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Gives Leonard's full name as Leonard I. Nicholson in Canadian naturalization records.
  • States that he was formerly of Fairview, State of Oklahoma, United States of America, and then of Herbert, Saskatchewan.
  • Identifies him as a farmer.
  • Includes oath of residence and oath of allegiance dated 11 August 1916 at Herbert.
  • Certificate of naturalization issued 26 September 1916 in the Judicial District of Swift Current.
  • Supports Leonard becoming a naturalized British subject/Canadian resident after his Saskatchewan settlement.

newspaper

[37] 1917 Fairview Republican Item: Myrtie Nicholson and Children Arrive from Herbert

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Local item, Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 2 March 1917, p. 3; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-myrtie-ferguson-nich/201050296/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that Mrs. Len Nicholson and children of Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada, former residents of Fairview, arrived in Ringwood and were visiting relatives in eastern Major County.
  • States that Mr. Nicholson would arrive later.
  • Supports a 1917 return or attempted return from Saskatchewan to Oklahoma.

newspaper

[38] 1917 Major County Item on Col. Len Nicholson Returning from Herbert, Saskatchewan

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Col. Len Nicholson' local item, Major County Chieftain (Fairview, Oklahoma), 30 March 1917, p. 6; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/major-county-chieftain-leonard-nicholson/201050438/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Col. Len Nicholson as a one-time resident of Major County and a well-known auctioneer.
  • States that Leonard had returned from near Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada.
  • States that Leonard had resided near Herbert for the past three years.
  • Reports that Leonard had been successful in Canada but returned because of Major County water and schools.
  • States that Leonard would reside southeast of Cleo, farm, and resume his old calling as auctioneer.
  • The phrase 'past three years' should be treated as rounded and correlated with the known 1912-1913 and 1917 cross-border movements.

census

[39] 1921 Canada Census for Leonard Nicholson Household in R.M. of Connaught, Saskatchewan

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1921 Census of Canada, Saskatchewan, Prince Albert district, R.M. of Connaught, sub-district 30, p. 7, family 82, Leonard Nicholson household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8991/images/1921_158-E003219166?pId=7456593 : accessed 6 July 2026); citing Library and Archives Canada, RG31, folder no. 158.

Access: Ancestry image supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Enumerates Leonard Nicholson as head of household in R.M. of Connaught, Saskatchewan, in 1921.
  • Gives Leonard as farmer, born in the USA, immigrated 1912, naturalized 1916.
  • Enumerates wife Myrtie/Marta and children Leonard Francis, Ople Lorene, Leo Nile, Willard Jay, Zelma Elizabeth, Marion Thomas, Myrtie Louise, Telitha June, Wanda Maxine, and Elzora Rose.
  • Supports the family's Saskatchewan residence and child list in 1921.
  • Some given names are misread or variant in indexes; use corrected names based on image and family correlation.

census

[40] 1926 Prairie Provinces Census for Leonard Nicholson Household near Melfort, Saskatchewan

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1926 Census of the Prairie Provinces, Saskatchewan, Melfort district, sub-district 25/33, household 4, Leonard Nicholson household; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP2H-FK3G : accessed 6 July 2026).

Access: FamilySearch image and index supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Enumerates Leonard Nicholson, wife Myrtie, and children in Saskatchewan in 1926.
  • Places the family in the Melfort/Star City area before the Nipawin district years.
  • Gives Leonard and older children as born in the United States and arriving in Canada around 1912, with younger children born in Saskatchewan.
  • Supports the transition from Herbert-era settlement toward later Nipawin district residence.
  • Contains indexing errors in several children's names and sexes; correct by image and correlation.

court

[41] 1928 Saskatchewan King's Bench File: Hudson's Bay Company v. Leonard I. Nicholson

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Saskatchewan Court of King's Bench, Judicial District of Regina, King's Bench file no. 21 of 1928, Hudson's Bay Company v. Leonard I. Nicholson and Beaver Lumber Company Limited; 'Saskatchewan, Canada records,' images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7W-7PF3?view=explore : accessed 6 July 2026), images 1518 and 1521 of 1925; Saskatchewan Archives, image group no. 101910694.

Access: FamilySearch images supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Leonard I. Nicholson as defendant in a 1928 Saskatchewan King's Bench land/payment claim.
  • Concerns agreements dated 9 October 1919 and 21 October 1919 for the southwest and southeast quarters of section 8, township 47, range 14, west of the second meridian.
  • Claims arrears of principal and interest totalling $8,765.80.
  • Places Leonard in a Saskatchewan land/financial dispute connected to the Tisdale/Nipawin-area transition.
  • Should be used cautiously and summarized rather than overemphasized unless the full file outcome is known.

census

[42] 1931 Canada Census for Leonard Nicholson Household in Nipawin District, Saskatchewan

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1931 Census of Canada, Saskatchewan, Nipawin district, household entry for Lenard Nicholson and Myrtie Nicholson, 1 June 1931; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6R39-K7G2 : accessed 6 July 2026), digital folder no. 113475622, image 12.

Access: FamilySearch image and index supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Enumerates Leonard and Myrtie Nicholson in the Nipawin district in 1931.
  • Places the family in the Nipawin area after the 1928 settlement reported in the obituary.
  • Supports Leonard as farmer and head of a large household.
  • Correlates with later obituaries stating Leonard was a resident of the Nipawin district from 1928 until death.

newspaper

[43] 1938 Fairview Visit Item for L. I. Nicholson, Former Tradesday Auctioneer

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Auctioneer for First Tradesday Visits Here,' Fairview Republican (Fairview, Oklahoma), 24 March 1938, p. 8; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairview-republican-leonard-nicholson-an/201051057/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Mr. and Mrs. L. I. Nicholson and children, of Saskatchewan, Canada, visiting friends in and around Fairview in March 1938.
  • States that Leonard had lived in Fairview nearly forty years earlier.
  • States that he was the first auctioneer for the Fairview Tradesday sale and cried the sale for six years.
  • States that he left in 1912 for Canada.
  • States that Leonard was still in the auction business in Canada.
  • As a 1938 retrospective, should be correlated with contemporary 1908-1917 records before being used for exact dates.

newspaper

[44] 1947 Enid Item: L. I. Nicholson Family Arrives from Nipawin and Visits Sister Elizabeth Glines

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Mr. and Mrs. L. I. Nicholson' local item, The Enid Daily Eagle (Enid, Oklahoma), 23 October 1947, p. 16; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-enid-daily-eagle-nicholsons-visiting/137218021/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by user mwarren3634.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • States that Mr. and Mrs. L. I. Nicholson and daughter Ellen arrived in Enid from their home in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada.
  • Identifies Mrs. Elizabeth Glines of 408 East Chestnut, Enid, as Mr. Nicholson's sister.
  • States that the Nicholsons made their home in Enid each winter.
  • States that Miss Nicholson planned to attend Enid Business College.
  • Helps explain Leonard's later appearance in Enid naturalization-related records while maintaining a Nipawin home.

newspaper

[45] 1949 Enid Naturalization Item for Canadian Leonard I. Nicholson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Canadian Leonard I. Nicholson' naturalization item, The Enid Morning News (Enid, Oklahoma), 5 May 1949, p. 12; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-enid-morning-news-leonard-nicholson/201051311/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Names Leonard I. Nicholson in an Enid, Oklahoma, naturalization context in 1949.
  • Describes him as Canadian Leonard I. Nicholson.
  • States that he was an Enid man who had planned to become naturalized.
  • States that his naturalization was postponed because his wife had become ill.
  • Does not state that naturalization was completed.

census

[46] 1950 U.S. Census for Leonard I. Nicholson in Enid, Oklahoma

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1950 U.S. census, Garfield County, Oklahoma, population schedule, Enid, enumeration district 24-46A, sheet 77, dwelling 907, line 10, Lenard I. Nickolson; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62308/images/43290879-Oklahoma-073033-0051?pId=56363421 : accessed 6 July 2026); citing Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950, Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Access: Ancestry image supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Enumerates Lenard I. Nickolson, a spelling variant of Leonard I. Nicholson, in Enid, Garfield County, Oklahoma, in 1950.
  • Gives Leonard as a married white male, age 69, born in Missouri.
  • Lists him as a lodger, apparently at 1510 N. Quincy, Enid.
  • Indicates he was unable to work, with no occupation recorded in the main occupation field.
  • Supplemental fields indicate he was living in the same house one year earlier, supporting his Enid presence in 1949.
  • Does not list Myrtie/Myrtle in the same household; this should not be overinterpreted.

newspaper

[47] 1957 Enid Obituary for L. I. Nicholson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'L. I. Nicholson Rites Held,' obituary of L. I. Nicholson, The Enid Morning News (Enid, Oklahoma), 4 August 1957, p. 2; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-enid-morning-news-obituary-for-l-i/201051441/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Reports that L. I. Nicholson died 31 July 1957 at Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada, age 76.
  • States that funeral services were held Saturday at Nipawin.
  • States that Leonard was a native of Liberty, Missouri.
  • States that he came to Oklahoma in 1899 and settled at Fairview.
  • Identifies him as a former resident of Enid, Oklahoma.
  • States that he was an auctioneer in Oklahoma and Canada.
  • States that he was survived by his wife, Myrtle, of the home, eight daughters, and four sons.
  • Contains a problematic or compressed migration statement saying he lived in Enid until 1911 and then moved to Nipawin; this conflicts with contemporary records.

newspaper

[48] 1957 Star-Phoenix Obituary for Leonard Isaiah Nicholson

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 'Leonard Isaiah Nicholson' obituary, Star-Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), 13 August 1957, p. 18; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-phoenix-obituary-for-leonard-isaiah/37272988/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.

Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • Gives Leonard's full name as Leonard Isaiah Nicholson.
  • States that he died in Nipawin Union Hospital after a long illness.
  • States that he had been a resident of the Nipawin district since 1928.
  • States that funeral service was conducted by Rev. Nels Neilson of the Apostolic Church in Nipawin Legion Hall.
  • States that burial was in Nipawin cemetery.
  • States that Leonard was born at Princeton, Missouri, and educated there.
  • States that in 1905 he married Miss Myrtie M. Ferguson at Gelena, Oklahoma.
  • States that Leonard and Myrtie emigrated to Herbert in 1912, moved to Tisdale in 1919, and settled in the Nipawin district in 1928.
  • Names surviving sons Francis, Nile, Tom, and Jay, with residences.
  • Names surviving daughters Lorene, Zelma, Louise, June, Maxine, Rosie, Phyllis, and Ellen, with married names and residences.
  • Conflicts with another obituary on exact Missouri birthplace: this source says Princeton, Missouri, while the Enid obituary says Liberty, Missouri.

DNA evidence

[49] DNA Proof Note - Magdalene Culliton as Daughter of Leonard I. Nicholson

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Private autosomal DNA comparison at 23andMe, Robert Berkley Steele compared with documented Nicholson descendants, including a documented Nicholson grandson and Ellen (Nicholson) Ward; match details and documentary correlation summarized by Davis Simpson, 2026.

Access: Private DNA evidence and family-tree correlation; living-tester details should not be expanded beyond this source card without permission.

Supports:
  • Identifies Magdalene Culliton as a biological daughter of Leonard I. Nicholson by Catherine Teresa Kelly.
  • Reports that Robert Berkley Steele, a son of Magdalene Culliton, shares 4.37 percent DNA with a documented Nicholson grandson, consistent with a half first-cousin relationship.
  • Reports that Robert Berkley Steele shares 8.64 percent DNA with Leonard and Myrtie's youngest daughter, Ellen (Nicholson) Ward.
  • Correlates the DNA evidence with documentary and geographic evidence placing Leonard in south-central Saskatchewan in the mid-1910s.
  • Supports Magdalene as sharing Leonard Nicholson ancestry but not Myrtie Ferguson or Rippey ancestry.