1890 Buchanan and Delaware Counties History pgs. 280-281

GORHAM K. NASH was born in Calais, Me., July 27, 1834.    His father, Amaziah Nash, was a native of Washington county, Me., and was born January 23, 1794.    He at one time owned large tracts of timber land and did an extensive lumber business, owning and operating several large mills. He was also engaged in shipbuilding for several years, but met with severe reverses during the Crimean war. He came to Hopkinton, Delaware county, Iowa, in 1859, and engaged in the wagon-making business. He continued with much success until his death, which occurred in 1866. He was a man of considerable prominence in his day, and had great business capacity. He was captain of a company in the State militia in Maine. He was a consistent member of the Presbyterian church.

The grandfather of our subject was Joseph Nash, who was also a native of the state of Maine. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and later in life was an extensive lumber dealer.

The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Sarah Jackson. She was also a native of Maine and the mother of thirteen children, only two of whom are now living. She died in 1875 at the ripe old age of eighty-two years.

Our subject, received a good common-school education, attending school in Robinston, Me., in his boyhood days.

He came to Delaware county, Iowa, in the spring of 1856, with a view of locating but did not finally settle until the following spring. He went to Minnesota and worked in the mills at Minneapolis for a year or so, when he
returned to Iowa and located at Hopkinton. He engaged in farming, which pursuit he followed until after the breaking out of the great Civil war.

There was such a demand for troops during the second year of the war that Mr. Nash concluded to volunteer to go to the front in defense of his country. He enlisted August 9, 1862, in the Twenty-first regiment, Iowa infantry. He saw his first service in battle at Huntsville, Ala. He was also at the siege of Vicksburg, Champion hills, Port Gibson, and took an active part in the famous charge at Black river bridge. His regiment was subsequently ordered to New Orleans and thence to Texas, where they spent the winter of 1863-64. The following spring  the Twenty-first was ordered back and sent up the Red river country. In January, 1865, it was ordered to Mobile, and took part in the capture of that city. Mr. Nash was mustered out at New Orleans July 15, 1865, after three years of most honorable service in the greatest civil war the history of the world. After the war he resumed farming and finally bought a farm in South Fork township, where he lived for four years. He sold the farm and moved to Milo township and lived there till 1884, when he removed to Hopkinton.

Mr. Nash married January 18, 1866, taking for a life companion Miss Sarah L. Smith, a native of Syracuse, N. Y., born May 17, 1842. She is a daughter of Caleb and Cynthia (Crosier) Smith, the former native of Massachusetts and the latter of Ohio. The parents resided some years in Syracuse, N. Y., and then came West, settling in Delaware county, Iowa, in 1849. They were among the very first families in Milo township. The father entered land on which he lived till his death, which occurred March 14, 1861. He was a generous-hearted man and a good citizen. He built the first log school house that was in the township on his farm, and invited his neighbors' children to attend school.

Mr. and Mrs. Nash have had born to them four children, three of whom died in infancy.   The fourth, Myrtle L., was born January 5,1872, and died March 14, 1887.

Mr. Nash has  always  been a stanch republican and is an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Both he and his estimable wife are earnest members of the Presbyterian church and are liberal contributors to all charitable purposes.

 

Back to Biographies

 

Back to Main Page
Back to Iowa AHGP
Back to AHGP