Santa Clara County Biographies This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Thomas Benton Nichols MAYFIELD, SANTA CLARA COUNTY Editor of the Mayfield News (note that Sawyers, page 299 says W. J. Nichols was editor of the Mayfield News) Surnames: VIERS, STEVENS, HOUSE, KODER, BIRKENHOLD, CONREY, WATERS ,FOPPLIS Thomas Benton Nichols-Counted among Mayfield's most progressive and enterprising citizens are Thomas Benton Nichols and his talented and estimable wife, who are the editors and proprietors of the Mayfield News, a clean and newsy weekly newspaper. He was born at Maquoketa, Iowa, December 9, 1861, and grew up in Jackson County. His father was born near Cleveland, Ohio, on August 1, 1834. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was a member of a company of volunteer infantry and was mustered into service during September, 1862, at Maquoketa, Iowa. He was shot on October 19, 1864, in the battle of Cedar Creek, W. VA., and on November 27, 1864, passed way at the hospital at Winchester. His mother, before her marriage, Elizabeth D. Viers, was left a widow with two children, Emma L., who is now the widow of Jean Stevens and resides in Los Angeles, and Thomas Benton, the subject of this review. His mother, married the second time to George W. House, a Civil War veteran, and they ran the old Phoenix House at Maquoketa for many years after the war. Thomas B. grew up there and at the age of sixteen went into the old Maquoketa Sentinel office as 'printer's devil" and office boy. He also worked in the job office on the weekly paper and was occupied for six years; then went west to Sioux City and worked on the Sioux City Journal; later on he went to Kansas City, Mo., and worked for Kansas City Bank Note Printing Company on job work; he then worked in various places, Chicago, Kansas City, and Omaha. Mr. Nichols' first marriage united him with Miss Minnie Koder and they were parents of one child, Loise, now the wife of Joe Birkenholt, a government employee at Monroe, Iowa. Mrs. Nichols passed away in Omaha and Mr. Nichols then removed to Monticello, Ia., where his second marriage occurred, uniting him with Mrs. Harriet Waters, nee Conery, a daughter of a Civil War veteran John Conery, who enlisted from Maquoketa, Ia., and served in the same company with Mr. Nichols' father. When the latter was shot, he fell into Conery's arms. Mrs. Conery was Miss Margaret Fopplis. Mrs. Nichols is the mother of three children by her first husband: Harry, who died at the age of twelve years; Bertha, Mrs. A. T. Anderson, resides in Fresno; Richard R., works at Stanford University. Some twenty-five years ago, when Richard was quite young, being then about five years of age, he became separated from his mother, and although a diligent search was made for him, his parents were unable to get any tidings of his whereabouts. His mother, who had been untiring in her efforts to find her boy, was at last rewarded. He had grown to manhood and married, and with the knowledge that he was born in Maquoketa, Ia., he wrote there and located his uncle and aunts. Word was rushed to Mayfield and the mother was nearly overcome with happiness that her son was found. On October, 22, 1921, he arrived in Mayfield. Mr. Nichols worked with John Lanigan on the Monticello Times until he removed to California in 1904; then he worked on various papers and in job offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Niles and other places. Settling in Redwood City he worked on the Redwood City Democrat for J. V. Swift, its editor and proprietor, and they are the best of friends; then he removed with his family to Mayfield and he bought the Mayfield News from Thomas B. Scott, about six years ago. During the month of December, 1916, a disastrous fire occurred which destroyed the entire printing plant, and they carried no insurance. They nobly made a new start, bought new and more modern equipment and now operate a first class newspaper and job printing office. They are enthusiastic "boosters" for Mayfield and were energetic in helping to get the State Highway through Mayfield, which has been an impetus toward greater advancement. May 1, 1922, Mr. Nichols disposed of a one-half interest in the Mayfield News to Mr. Herbert D. Triplett of San Francisco who thereby became a partner in the Mayfield News. He is a native of Austin, Nev., where he was born April 2, 1894. Educated in the public schools of Nevada and the Mission High School of San Francisco, he early entered the printing and newspaper business and has a wide acquaintance with newspaper men on the Coast. He was married at San Francisco, February 8, 1919, to Miss Bernice Jones, a native daughter and now the mother of one child, Wm. Charles Triplett. Mr. and Mrs. Triplett are valuable acquisitions to the staff of the Mayfield News and are heartily welcomed in Mayfield. Mr. Nichols is an Odd Fellow. Mrs. Nichols is the past president of the Ladies' Relief Corps of Redwood City and is now an active member of the W. R. C. of Palo Alto; she is also active in the Methodist Church of Mayfield. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols radiate a spirit of progress and good fellowship and stand for everything that is good for the upbuilding of Mayfield and environs. Transcribed by Linda Gretty, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 959