Zalmon was the second son, of three, born to Nathan Nickerson and Mary Byington. He was born in Southeast in Dutchess County NY, which became part of Putnam County when Putnam was formed in 1812.

At age 11 he went to work on a neighbor's farm and remained there three years. After that, until he was of age, he worked by the month for different farmers near his home. He married 15 year old Abigail Melissa Richards on December 26th 1820, when he was 20 years old. He then hired a 60 acre farm in Southeast for a year. They moved to a larger farm for another two years, and then rented a third farm of over 200 acres, where they lived for nine years. Then he bought a 100 acre farm, still in the Southeast area, and stayed there five years. Sometime after the birth of their 8th child, they sold out and moved across the Hudson River to Rockland County.

Zalmon and his family settled in Haverstraw and stayed there for 12 years. In connection with this new farm he carried on a business of brick manufacturing, with success. In the 1850 Non-population Census, he is listed as a brickmaker. He did well enough that he was able to buy, with his son George, 62 acres of land on the west bank of the Hudson in Ulster County in 1853 and 1854. The area known as "Deep Rocks" was for a brick manufacturing business. In the 1855 NY Census he and his family are living in Ulster County, near sons William and Nathan. Nathan and his brother-in-law, Andrew Lowe, were brick manufacturers in Ulster County for many years.

Zalmon returned to Rockland, between 1855 and 1860, probably closer to 1855. (I believe the move to Ulster was a temporary one to help establish his sons in business.) He bought a 106 acre farm in Clarkstown Township and farmed there until he sold it in 1871. They then moved into the village of Clarkstown, according to family notes. In 1875 he began farming again and bought that smaller 30 acre rental farm in 1876. In 1880 he was farming this one with his son Archibald.

On September 24, 1859 Zalmon and Abigail transferred their church membership from Haverstraw to the Clarkstown Reformed Church. Pastor Samuel Streng buried Zalmon on Friday October 22, 1886.

Zalmon and Abigail supported a family of 14 children and several grandchildren. They worked hard, loved well, and were respected by many. They were my Third Great Grandparents. m.

Death notice in the Rockland County Journal on 6 Nov 1886.

NICKERSON – At Mont Moor, N.Y., October 20, 1886, Mr. Zalmon Nickerson, aged 87 years, 8 months, 20 days.