Nicholas was born in Germany and when he was 10 years old his parents landed in New York. A couple of years later his father died and his mother remarried. Nick and his step father did not get along so the stepfather sent him back to Germany to live with his grandparents. At 17 he ran away and was hired on as a sailor on an ocean-going freighter where he sailed to South America, Central America, living in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Nick returned to America settling in New Orleans. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in the Confederate army joining the Louisiana Tigers Brigade. The Tigers played a major role in the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863.He was wounded twice in the Battle of Bull Run near Winchester, VI. He suffered wounds in his chest and thigh. After his release from the hospital and his wounds were healed he joined Company A, General John Mosby's Forty-Third Battalion Virginia Cavalry often referred to as the "Black Horse Troop." These Rangers were a guerrilla-like troop known for their lightning-quick raids. their strategy was to harass the rear of the Union troops invading Virginia by destroying supply trains and interfering with communications. They excelled at entering enemy territory and completing their missions without detection and disappearing into the countryside. Nick served in the war for four years and the Mosby Tigers were the only unit that never officially surrendered. After the war Nicholas met and married Mary Owens Adams of Virginia City, VI. Her family owned a planation that was taken over and destroyed during the war. They settled in Washington DC. where he took up the family trade from his grandparents of operating a butcher business. They moved to New York and opened a slaughter house on which now is 5th Avenue. They then moved to Quincy, Ill., and started another butcher shop before moving to Leadville, CO., following the silver mining boom and then moved to Red Cliff. Nicholas engaged in burning of green pine into charcoal for the Leadville smelters until they moved to Eagle Valley in 1882. Their first homestead in Eagle Valley is now part of the Diamond Star Ranch. Their second homestead is now the Highland Meadows subdivision and is still known as Buchholz Mesa. Nick owned cattle but was the first pioneer to bring sheep into the valley. The cattlemen were so displeased with the sheep that Nick sold them and stuck to raising cattle. Throughout his life Nick was identified with every movement aimed at the improvements and raising of better and finer stock in the Eagle Valley. He once again opened a butcher shop in Red Cliff where he supplied meat to the Rio Grand railroad crews who were working on the railroad. In 1891 Nick was elected County Assessor and he served in that position from 1891 - 1911. Nick was a key player in establishing the public schools in the valley to secure educational advantage for the children. in 1900 Nick was a key advocate in the passing of a $2,000. bond that resulted in the construction of a school. Previously the children attended various homesteaders cabins to learn. He later became one of the first board members on the county high school board. As a devout Catholic Nick worked to establish a Catholic church in Eagle. In 1910 a board was formed and he was one of five members on the board of directors for the church. Money was raised to purchase lots to build the church but when the old school house on Capital Street became available the church bought the building for $1100. and the St. Mary's Catholic church was born. In 1905 after the death of his wife Mary Nick sold his Buchholz Mesa ranch and bought a house in Eagle on the corner of Capital Street and Grand Avenue. Nick had been proud of the fact that during 53 years of his life he had never needed the service of a doctor, other than when he was wounded in the Civil War. However in 1911 he had gastric pains that he attributed to poisoning from some canned goods. He was later diagnosed with gallstones and underwent surgery at age 76, but he did not recuperate. His funeral service was held at St. Mary's Catholic church and was told to be the largest funeral and funeral procession ever held in Eagle County. Newspaper articles say the flowers were so many they completely engulfed the casket.