NASH, JOHN, farmer, Sec. 28; P. O. Oskaloosa; owns 640 acres of land, valued at $25 per acre; born in England in 1827; came to America in 1842; married Martha J. McKinney in 1865; she was born in Licking county, Ohio, in 1838; have three children, Ella M., Frank T., Cora E.; he has three children by a former wife: Sarah J., John J., George C. Are members of Baptist church. Democrat.

NASH, RICHARD, farmer, Sec. 27; P. O. Oskaloosa; owns 135 acres of land, valued at $40 per acre; born in England in 1829; came to America in 1842, and settled in Ohio; removed to Iowa in 1861; Mr. Nash has been twice married - in 1857 to Mary J. McMullen; she was born in 1837, and died in 1868; married again, in 1869, to Sarah E. Graham; she was born in 1835, and died in 1877; has one child, George B. Is a member of the M. E. church. Democrat.

NASH, WM., agent and dealer in agricultural implements and farm machinery, Oskaloosa; born in Green county, Ohio, May 3, 1832, and removed in infancy to Warren county, Illinois, and was brought up and lived there until 1867, when he came to Iowa and located in Oskaloosa, and engaged in his present business; married Miss Ann E. Boyd, from Columbus, Ohio, in 1859; they have 6 children, Carrie, Charles, Eddie, Howard, William, and little son not named.

NAYLOR, A. H., retired farmer, New Sharon; born in Jefferson county, New York, in 1814; came to this county in 1865; owns 80 acres of land; he married Rachael A. Wood, in 1835; she was born in Ohio; has four children, Albert, Mary J., Addison W., and Kinzie C.

JOHN R. NEEDHAM. This gentleman was a representative Mahaska citizen. Not brilliant and scintillating, seldom or never surprising his friends by any pyrotechnic display, he was one of those men who, like the silent forces of nature, did his life work without sound of trumpets, holding ever the calm and even tenor of his way, continually bringing to mind the truthful saying, "still waters flow deep." Mr. Needham lived a life among the early generation of Mahaska county, such as only true men can live, that of an unshaken friend, an uncompromising enemy of evil, an enterprising citizen and a christian gentleman.

He was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, December 18, 1824. He entered public service quite young. His father being sheriff of the county while he was yet a minor, his son John was appointed deputy. While serving in this capacity, he entered a law office as student, in Cambridge, Oho, where he was admitted to practice.

Emigrating to Mahaska county in 1849, soon after his arrival he taught a three month's school in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. July 2d of the following summer he commenced the publication of the Herald, under the firm of Needham & McNeely. He continued his interest in the paper until 1865, with such change of partners as we have noticed in the history of the Herald.

Mr. Needham was an original Whig, and was the first Whig senator ever elected from Mahaska county. His election occurred in August, 1852. Soon after his settlement in the county he engaged in the practice of law, and when he devoted his time to his profession enjoyed a good practice. In October, 1861, he was elected Lieutenant-Governor of the state of Iowa, and took his seat in January, 1862, discharging the duties of his office with credit to himself, and honor to the state. At the close of the legislative session was passed the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Senate hereby tender to Lieut. Governor Needham, their thanks for the able, dignified, courteous and impartial manner in which he discharged the duties of presiding officer during this session.

But, not alone in political life did Gov. Needham receive the suffrages of his fellow citizens, and the encomiums of his friends. To him belonged the two rarely united qualities, of good statesmanship and a practical christianity. He was an earnest worker in the M. E. Church, of which he was both officer and member, and in the Sunday school. As president for a time of the County S. S. Association, and as superintendent of the Sabbath school of his own church he was recognized as among the foremost of those engaged in the christian education of the youth.

Mr. Needham was an invalid for some fifteen years previous to his death, a fact which made his public services the more praiseworthy and remarkable. His disease was pulmonary consumption, from which his death occurred July 9, 1868.

His widow, Evaline Houtz Needham, who had been the partner of his life since September 29, 1852, still survives him and lives in Oskaloosa, esteemed not alone on account of her own graces, but also in memory of him whose death she has not mourned alone.

NEEDHAM, S. S., merchant, Granville; born in Ohio in 1829; came to this county in 1853, and to this town in 1867, and has been engaged in general merchandise since that time; holds office of postmaster; he married Miss Mary E. Croney in 1856; she was born in Ohio, and died in October, 1872; he afterward married Nancy Warren in 1873; she was born in Pennsylvania; has three children by first marriage, Elliott C., Nattie H., and Leslie H., and two by second marriage, John N., and baby.

NEEDHAM, Wm. H., born in Guernsey county, Ohio, August 22, 1840, and when 13 years of age came his parents to Iowa; they came by wagon, and were 21 days on the way and arrived here in October, 1853; he attended school here, and in 1857 entered the Herald office and learned the printing business; after working at his trade here, and at Des Moines, and Albia, he enlisted in the 22d Regiment. Iowa Infantry, Co. D; was in the battles of Port Gibson, Champion Hills, Jackson, Black River Bridge, and in the charge on Vicksburg, May 22d, 1863, and during the siege of Vicksburg; was also under Sheridan in the Shenandoah valley, at battle of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek; he enlisted as private and was promoted sergeant, then 2d Lieutenant, and afterward 1st Lieutenant Co. D; after the war he returned and bought an interest in the Herald, and was connected with it for 12 years; he held the office of postmaster for 6 years, from February 1st, 1870, to March 1st, 1876; and is president of the Mahaska county blue ribbon club; married Miss Olive A. Knowlton, from Clinton county, Ohio, December 20, 1866; they have four children, Charles K., John R., Edna Pauline, and a little girl; lost one daughter, Alice Pearl.

NELSON, DANIEL, farmer, Sec. 5; P. O. Oskaloosa; born in Butler county, Ohio, in 1812; came to this State in 1841, settling in Jefferson county in 1853; he owns 310 acres of land; has held the office of school director; he married Margaret Carden in 1840; she was born in Hamilton county, Ohio; has six children, William, Barbary, James, John, Martha J., Sarah.

NEWBRANDT, CHRISTIANA, MRS., of the firm of Blattner & Newbrandt, Oskaloosa; was born in Germany, and when 17 years of age emigrated to this country; in 1853 she went to Ohio and lived there 5 years; while living there she married David Newbrandt in 1858; he was born in Germany in 1832, and emigrated to America in 1849; he lived in Cincinnati, and in Delaware, O.; after they were married they came to Iowa and settled in Oskaloosa, May 7, 1858; engaged in brewery business, and continued in the business until his death, which occurred June 10, 1877, leaving 6 children, Charles, George, Willie, Christina, David and Rosa; Mrs. Newbrandt still retains an interest in the business.

NICHOLS, A. S., retired, farmer, Oskaloosa; born in Highland county, Ohio, December 25, 1811; he was brought up in that State, and learned the blacksmith trade; in 1836 he removed to Wolf Lake, Indiana, and in 1837 he removed to Abingdon, Knox county, Illinois, and was one of the early settlers there; he married Miss Mary Edgar, July 10, 1833, in Springfield; she was from Highland county, Ohio; they came from Illinois in their own wagon, started April 22, 1843, and arrived at the boundary line of the Indian territory, April 29th on Friday, and came in the Indian purchase Sunday, May 1st; after staking out his claim, the following Wednesday he returned to the boundary line after his family; he bought a claim which proved to be in four townships and in two counties; the claim he first made was claimed by others, and he would not contest for it, but gave it up, and did much better by not doing so; he started the first blacksmith shop in this county, and the first one west of Agency City; he has had persons come 50 miles to have a plough sharpened, which cost $25; in the following September he sold out down in Harrison township and came here to the county seat at Oskaloosa, and bought the claim where he now lives, and engaged in blacksmithing, which he continued until 1856; he planted the first apple and cherry trees, and dug the first well in Mahaska county; he went 80 miles to Bonaparte to mill; he used to do work in his shop here for customers 50 miles above Des Moines, making the distance over 100 miles; he was one of the commissioners of the first board of commissioners elected in this county; he was again elected county commissioner but did not serve; he was elected assessor, but as a rule he has steadily avoided office. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols are old and honored settlers of this city and county; they have brought up four children, all of whom are married except one, who is now living at home with them.

NICHOLSON, B. C., farmer, Sec. 15; P. O. Oskaloosa; born in Jefferson county, Ohio, in September, 1838; came to this county in 1864; owns 140 acres of land; has held the office of school director; he married Rachel Ann James in 1858; she was born in Ohio; has five children, Harvey C., Leslie J., Walter S., Emma Virda.

NOE, J. B., proprietor Oskaloosa Hotel and Marble Works, Oskaloosa; born in Licking county, Ohio, January 10, 1832; when five years of age he removed to Noble county, Indiana and lived there until 1856, when he came to Knoxville, Iowa, and to Oskaloosa in 1859; was engaged in preaching for several years, was laboring in the interests of the college, and was a director in that institution; has been actively identified with temperance interests; has been engaged in marble business for the past twelve years; married Miss Sarah Balantine, at Fort Wayne, Indiana, July 4, 1854; she was from Franklin Co., Ohio; they have six children, one son and five daughters.

NOSLER, JAMES, dealer in drugs and medicines; born in Montgomery county, Virginia, in 1802; he settled in Iowa in 1843, and removed to this county in 1846, and engaged in the practice of medicine. Mr. N. has been twice married; in 1826 he married J. Moore; she was a native of Kentucky, and died in 1873; married again to Sarah Nelson in 1874; she was born in Alabama; he has seven children by his first wife, Martha Ann, Thomas M., Mary J., Irene, Armilda C., Ellen and Henry C; has been a member of the M. E. church since 1824. Greenback.