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Blowing • Bush Hogging
The Nichols House
(Photo by Mrs. Kathy Tricou)
• Nichols
FROM PAGE 1
chased by Nichols in 1890 for
$700, and was sold five years
later for $3,000. The difference
in value during those five years
is the reflection of the increased
value of the house Nichols had
constructed on the property.
Oldham B. Wetmore, the new
owner of the Nichols House, was
born 12 March 1844 in Ohio,
and was a first cousin of Na-
thaniel W. Wetmore who owned
a large tract of land across the
Ponchatoula-Springfield Road
from the Nichols House. Old-
ham Wetmore had moved south
after the Civil War, and was
farming with his wife Elizabeth
"Lizzie" M. Turner at Mill Bay-
ou, Arkansas in 1880. Oldham
and Lizzie Wetmore had moved
to New Orleans by 1890 and
undoubtedly they visited Na-
thaniel Wetmore and his wife
Margaret in Ponchatoula prior
to Oldham's purchase of the
Nichols property.
Oldham Wetmore did not
have long to enjoy his Pon-
chatoula home, as he died 4
February 1896 at the age of 51.
His wife obtained a coffin from
the Thomas Furniture Store in
Hammond (which also did un-
dertaking business on the side)
and Oldham was buried in the
Ponchatoula area, almost cer-
tainly in the Wetmore Ceme-
Licensed. Bonded • Insured
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wo, a.s W. David Fleming No,h. o,
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tery just down the road on land
his relatives owned.
After about two years of wid-
owhood, Lizzie Turner Wetmore
married 11 January 1898 in
New Orleans to George Wash-
mgton Van Dyke. George was
born 16 August 1841 in Lewis-
ton, Illinois, and moved south
after the Civil War, just as the
Wetmores had done.
Following their marriage
Lizzie and George Van Dyke
farmed on the 37 acre tract of
land that Lizzie's late husband
had purchased.
Over the following years
George and Lizzie made many
improvements to the Nichols
home and grounds. They plant-
ed "a fruit orchard and other
trees" costing over $300 around
1902. The other trees they
planted could have included the
beautiful live oak trees which
form a majestic alleyway lead-
ing from the public road to the
entrance to their home.
They put in an artesian well
in 1905, which probably re-
placed an existing cistern. They
also cleared and farmed an ad-
ditional 11 acres of land in 1907
and installed new fencing in
1908. The home was improved
with painting and repairing in
1912 and 1914. Concrete walks
were added about 1923, and a
new set of entrance steps were
added in 1924.
Lizzie Wetmore Van Dyke
died 11 January 1915, and after
legal proceedings George was
declared to be in possession of
the land and home as his com-
munity property. George, who
was 75 years of age when Lizzie
died, continued to live in the
home following her death but
needed some assistance with
his daily activities.
His sister Rachel Avenia Van
Dyke moved to Ponchatoula
and resided in the home un-
til George died 23 November
1933. George, a resident of Pon-
chatoula for almost 40 years,
was buried with other family
members in Oak Hill Cemetery
in Tama, Iowa.
The Nichols-Van Dyke home
and surrounding 37 acres of
land was purchased following
George's death and then passed
into the hands of Mr. and Mrs.
Alvin W. Bohning.
Mrs. Henrietta L. Bohning,
Alvin W. Bohning's widow, sold
the home and land to Raymond
E. and Bertha H. Schafer in the
summer of 1969, and the prop-
erty has remained in the hands
of the Schafer family since that
time.
The Nichols House, named
after its builder, was added the
National Register of Historic
Places in 1980 and has been
used as a backdrop for several
movies. The Nichols House
and the romantic landscaped
grounds have been well main-
THE PONCHATOULA TIMES, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010, PAGE 5
tained over the 13 decades since
its construction.
If they could view the home
in 2010, Edwin C. Nichols,
Oldham Wetmore, Lizzie and
George Van Dyke, as well as the
more recent owners would cer-
tainly feel justifiably proud of
this gracious Southern home.
thrown for the wee ones, the
latest being the 9-11 bash for
sweet Baby Jessica, the newly-
minted 2-year-old, daughter of
Katie and Kris Wells. Another
is coming up Saturday for sweet
Felicity's first birthday, she the
daughter of Brendan and Lan-
dis McMahon. Oh la, the belles
are getting ever younger.
We'll include Bree Ragas in
the gator rides, though she on
Friday will reach what one now-
FROM PAGE 1
departed Ponchatoula bachelor
called "middle age." Eighteen.
Free gator rides to all such
tender honorees in Our Pon-
chatoula, courtesy of Ole Har-
dhide.
"The reformer is always
right about what is wrong.
He is generally wrong
about what is right."
G.K. Chesterton
us today...
Or visit us at
Web site...
Times Report
The latest addition to the Gateway Shopping Center
is the anticipated opening of a Pizza Hut to be local-
ed in the western half of the building whose east side
is home to Buddy Bell's Smoothie King, a health con-
science member of the national franchise.
The modern new building is part of the massive reno-
vation of the Gateway Shopping Center by its owners,
the Mashburn family.
Free Estimates
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Keith Albert
(985) 974-2123
(985) 386-3337
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