Nikolaus Family Oral History, Part 1/2

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Part OfNikolaus Family Oral HistoryIntervieweeLeland NikolausInterviewerJoyce McBrideSubjectOral historiesNavajo CountyBiographyShow Low (Ariz.)Mormon Pioneers--ArizonaSmall business--ArizonaDescriptionPart 1: At the time of this interview, Leland Nikolaus was 90 years old, and had the distinction of being the oldest living resident having been born in Show Low, Arizona. Leland's grandfather, Franz Ludwig Nikolaus, born in 1858, emigrated from Badenburg, Germany as a stowaway. His disembarked in Virginia and worked his way across the country. When he arrived in Holbrook, Arizona, he climbed a butte and discovered Clark Owens working below in Woodruff. He worked for Owens for a year, then got a job delivering the mail from Holbrook to Fort Apache. He met Mary Laxton, married her and had 5 children. Leland's father was Joseph William Nikolaus but he was called Bill. The family moved to Show Low and homesteaded the 160 acres of land we were sitting on, (just south of Huning St. to Owens and between 11th and Center Street.) The Nikolaus family grew barley, beans, corn, oats, etc. without irrigation because it was above the Show Low ditch. A piece of the land adjacent to Center Street, called the flat) was sold to Reidhead for a saw mill in the mid-40s. Leland remembers having to pack water in buckets from the ditch at 9th and Huning, up the hill to the schoolhouse. Leland's father, Bill, was born in Show Low. He married his neighbor, Maggie Mills, in 1914 or 15 and Leland was born in 1916. Leland was the oldest of 5 children. He remembers riding with his father hauling mail between Show Low and Clay Springs in a horse driven buggy. Bill was also a violinist, and often played for the community dances. Leland's brother Garth inherited the gift of music and was considered a great musician. Brother Lamar Nikolaus was an early town mayor and he and Leland also ran Nick's Market. Leland was in World War II in Europe. After he returned, he met Betty Ramsey while she worked at Smith's Grocery in Snowflake. They courted at dances and then married in 1947. Their first home was next door where the Day School is located on McNeil. Leland and Betty raised 5 children there. We regress to talk about the days of the Great Depression and how it affected the community. Leland's father became a logger and worked for both McNary and the Fish Sawmill in Lakeside. Leland helped him cut logs and then cut 1 million feet of logs for the Whiteriver based Fort Apache Timber Company before going into the War. He recalled how long it took and how difficult it was to haul lumber from the mills to Phoenix via the narrow, windy road through Whiteriver before Highway 60 was constructed. When Leland returned from WWII, he first worked for Jim McNeil pouring the floor for the new airport. After that, he and brother Lamar poured floors for cabins at Lakeside. Next they rented a building across the street from the bank on the Deuce of Clubs from Arlie Maxwell, (later became Pat's Place, now the intersection of 9th and the Deuce of Clubs.) They started Nick's Market there, and across the street from Nick's Market, they built a variety store, called Nick's Department and Variety Store. As the timber industry prospered, they built a larger store on the corner of the Deuce of Clubs and Highway 260, also called Nick's Market. Highway 60 was under construction during the '50s and as the road widened and cut through the heart of Show Low, change came with it. The first chain store came in and almost overnight the small businesses of Show Low and Lakeside lost their customers. As cheaper products imported from Japan became readily available, the need for women to sew their own clothes disappeared. Leland finally hauled off the bolts of fabric, zippers and buttons to the dump and retired.Audio Length00:37:59Date Original2007-06-13Date Range1860s (1860-1869)1870s (1870-1879)1880s (1880-1889)1890s (1890-1899)1900s (1900-1909)1910s (1910-1919)1920s (1920-1929)1920s (1920-1929)1930s (1930-1939)1940s (1940-1949)1950s (1950-1959)1960s (1960-1969)TypeSound- NonmusicalOriginal FormatOral historiesLanguageEnglishContributing InstitutionShow Low Historical Society MuseumCollectionOral Histories of the White MountainsRights StatementThe opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee only. They do not represent the views of the Show Low Historical Society Museum. Please contact the Show Low Historical Society Museum with questions about the use and reproduction of this resource.

Geographic

City or TownFort ApacheHolbrookShow LowCountyNavajo CountyStateArizonaCountryUnited States

Oral HistoryNikolaus Family PlaceFort ApacheHolbrookShow LowTopicBusiness and IndustryCommunitiesLaborLand UseTransportation

Administrative

IdentifierNikolaus Family History, Part 1.mp3Date Digitized2007-06-13Digital FormatMP3File Size36.5 MB

35.mp3

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Nikolaus Family Oral History, Part 1/2