NIXON-Marshall - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Marshall Nixon, dealer in implements, grain, lumber, brick, staves and heading, and shipper of live stock, Veedersburg, one of the leading business men in this part of the state, was born in Racine county, Wisconsin, in 1847, and is the son of John and Maria Nixon. The former was a native of Ohio, and emigrated to Wisconsin in the time of its early settlement, while the red men were yet plenty in the forests, and there raised a family of nine children, seven of which are living; one died in the late war, another was discharged from the service because of ill health. In 1866 Mr. John Nixon went to Idaho, and was shot in his door by the Indians, in his fiftieth year. Marshall Nixon’s mother, a native of New York state, now lives in Racine, Wisconsin. Marshall Nixon remained on the farm with his father, working in the summer and attending the district school during the winter, till he was sixteen; then he came to Attica, this county, and went into the employ of his uncle, P. S. Veeder, under whom he received his business education, with the exception of some two months’ instruction at Eastman’s Business College, of Chicago, Illinois. While in the employ of P. S. Veeder he lost no opportunity by which he could earn something, and not infrequently assisted at unloading cars and canal-boats after his day’s work was done for his employer. Thus, by economy and industry, he soon was able to conduct business for himself. He engaged in buying and shipping poultry and scrap iron, not largely but with success. In 1872, in connection with P. S. Veeder, he came to Veedersburg, while it was yet in its infancy, and opened the first warehouse and lumberyard in that place. This prospered, and in 1874 he, with James Martin, of Attica, who sold his interest in 1877, added farm implements to his business. In 1877, in partnership with John Lightle, he added a stave and heading factory. In 1879, in connection with Mr. Bogan, added brick-making; all of which have proved profitable. In addition to these he has been engaged since he located here in buying and shipping live stock, and is operating a tight-barrel factory in Peoria, Illinois, and was engaged for a time in the grain trade at Mount Pulaski, Illinois. In his employment at this time are 150 men. He was married in 1877 to Miss Florence Cade a native of Fountain county, and daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Cade, By this union he has one child, Clarence V., now two years old. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is a member of the Veedersburg lodge, A.F. and A.M. Is a strong member of the republican party; was candidate for the office of state representative in 1878.

File Created: 2007-Apr-02