Samuel D. Nicholson
Encyclopedia
Samuel Danford Nicholson (February 22, 1859 March 24, 1923) was a United States Senator from Colorado
. Born in Springfield
, Prince Edward Island
, Canada
, he attended the public schools there and moved to Michigan
and then to Nebraska
and later, in 1881, to Leadville, Colorado
.
Nicholson became interested in mining
, and advanced from miner to foreman, superintendent, manager, and then president of the Western Mining Company
. He discovered the zinc
ore
that bears his name, Nicholsonite.
From 1893 to 1897, Nicholson was the Populist
mayor
of Leadville; he moved to Denver
in 1902. In 1914 and 1916, he was an unsuccessful candidate for governor
. During the First World War, he served as State chairman of the Liberty Loan and Victory loan campaigns, and was a member of the United States Fuel Administration. He was elected as a Republican
to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1921, until his death in Denver on March 24, 1923. His interment was in Fairmount Cemetery
in Denver.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Born in Springfield
Springfield, Prince Edward Island
Springfield is unincorporated and is located in Queens County in the central portion of Prince Edward Island southeast of Kensington. Named by Thomas and Ben Haslam, who settled here in 1818, because of the numerous springs in the hillsides. Its precise location is N 46° 23' W 63° 31'....
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he attended the public schools there and moved to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and then to Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and later, in 1881, to Leadville, Colorado
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
.
Nicholson became interested in mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, and advanced from miner to foreman, superintendent, manager, and then president of the Western Mining Company
Western Mining Company
Western Mining Company Limited is a private company in northwest China engaged in the mining, smelting, and trading of alloy and metal minerals, including copper, lead, zinc, iron, manganese, gold, silver, and aluminum. It is headquartered in Xining, Qinghai...
. He discovered the zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
that bears his name, Nicholsonite.
From 1893 to 1897, Nicholson was the Populist
Populist Party (United States)
The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891. It was most important in 1892-96, then rapidly faded away...
mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Leadville; he moved to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
in 1902. In 1914 and 1916, he was an unsuccessful candidate for governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
. During the First World War, he served as State chairman of the Liberty Loan and Victory loan campaigns, and was a member of the United States Fuel Administration. He was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1921, until his death in Denver on March 24, 1923. His interment was in Fairmount Cemetery
Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado was founded in 1890 and is Denver's second oldest operating cemetery after Riverside Cemetery. It was designed by German landscape architect Reinhard Schuetze...
in Denver.