Washington Luther Nicholls was born March 21st, 1821 in Green Township, Harrison Co, OH, the 6th child and 1st son of Thomas H. and Rachel Dowden Nicholls. He had five older sisters: Cassandra born 1815, Naomi born 1816, Sarah Elizabeth born 1817, Ireane born 1818, and Charlotte born in 1819. In 1822, his father Thomas H. Nicholls purchased land 93 acres of land in Island Creek Twp, Jefferson Co, OH in Section 21 Twp 7 Range 2 where the family moved. Two younger brothers were born: Upton in 1823 and Albert M. in 1825. In 1826 Thomas paid $6 for a tavern license in his home.
In 1830, Washington's mother Rachel died when he was just nine years old. On Feb 3, 1834, his father remarried a lady named Catherine Rose and they had 2 more children: Margaret and Rachel Nicholls. Just four years after the marriage, his father died in May of 1838 when his youngest daughter was just a few months old. Washington was seventeen. In April of 1839, their step-mother remarried John Rudd and had eleven more children with this husband.
Two of Washington's older sisters had already married by this time. Naomi had married in 1831 to William Frazier, and Sarah married Lewis Allensworth in 1833. Cassandra married James Barcus in 1840 and Charlotte married the same year to Alexander Mitchell Elson. Ireane remained single. Their step-mother Catherine and her new husband moved to Medina County where she died in 1861. Three of her Nicholls step-children were reluctant to give up the family home so remained in Jefferson Co until the youngest were old enough to care for themselves. Washington's younger brother Upton also remained single and Albert, the youngest of these siblings, married Eliza Jane Myers in 1848.
Washington had married June 17th, 1845 to Mary Ann House. Mary was born November 24, 1826 in Jefferson Co, a daughter of John House and Sarah Kneisley. Her older sister Elizabeth House had married Washington's uncle Upton Nicholls in 1837.
On April 2, 1846, about a year after his marriage, Washington bought land in Island Creek Twp for $1600 in Section 23, Twp 7, Range 2 from John Clelland where he settled with his new wife. They lived in Jefferson County at first, then moved to Medina Co, OH in the fall of 1851 with others of his wife's family. In the fall of 1867, Washington and Mary moved their family west to Illinois where Mary's brother had already settled, as had Washington's younger brother Albert M. Nicholls. They settled near Blue Mound in Macon Co, IL where they helped found the Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church in 1870. Washington and Mary had nine children:

Albert J. Nicholls b. 2 Dec 1846
Sarah Nicholls b. 3 Nov 1848 married Levi Baughman
Eleazer House Nicholls b. 31 Jan 1851
George Washington Nicholls b. 3 Nov 1853
Ross Arza Nicholls b. 19 Apr 1856
Naomi Elizabeth Nicholls b. 20 Jun 1858 married James Thomas Damery
Altha Mary Nicholls b. 13 Jun 1861 married Thomas J. Wright
Elton Luther Nicholls b. 19 Feb 1864
Orin Berton Nicholls b. 29 Aug 1869

It was just a few years later on April 23, 1875 that Washington Nicholls died at the age of 54. His last words were written on a piece of paper which I found in my grandmother's papers after her death in 1970. His words were as follows:
"There is not one cloud rises to hide my Savior from my eyes. For the last fifteen years I have had a bright evidence of my acceptance with God. I know I have a treasure laid up in heaven. I bless God that we can live in this world and fear no device in the grave for I know that my Redeemer liveth."
At a later hour he said when told by his wife, "Your sufferings are nearly over", said "Sufferings, Mary, I have no sufferings. I have a peaceful, a peaceful time and I believe the Lord will give me a peaceful hour in which to die."
He was buried in the cemetery adjacent to the church he helped to build, the Bethel Methodist Church. Mary's son Orin and his wife lived with her on the home place. She remained active in the Bethel Church and was familiarly called "Aunt Mary" by those who knew her. On March 8, 1905, thirty years after her husband had passed away, Mary died at the age of 78. She was buried beside him in the Bethel Cemetery.