Author: Gary Owen Green
Daniel Nims the son of Daniel Nims and Charity Childs was born on the 9th of November in 1761 in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was a Revolutionary soldier under Captain John Wells in 1778. He was in the Continental Line at West Point in 1780. In 1775, Revolutionaries seized control of each of the thirteen colonial governments, set up the Second Continental Congress, and formed a Continental Army. The following year they formally declared their independence as a new nation, the United States of America.

The book The History of Deerfield and the Vital Records of Deerfield show Daniel married at Colrain, Massachusetts on the 8th of April in 1780 to Lydia Winter, and she was born in 1770, making her just ten years old. There is some truth to the date since their first child was not born until 1792. So perhaps it was a prearranged marriage or any of several other reasons why she would be married at the age of ten. Even Daniel married quite young, 19 years. For the men of this era seemed to marry a little later in life.

It also, states that Daniel and Lydia moved to Bolton, Warren County, New York. It was beautiful country here, the very mountainous region of the Adirondack Mountains with Lake George and The Tongue Mountain Range to view the vivid sunrise in awe. Daniel was a tanner by trade. They had eight children, three daughters and five sons. The three daughters and their first son were born in Shelburne, Massachusetts; the last one born there was in 1800. The four other sons were born in Bolton, New York, Theodore being the first one born there in 1801. This could explain why some places he lists Massachusetts as his birthplace and other times his birthplace is listed as New York. He could have been born during the move to New York. Daniel, being a soldier and living life in the remote countryside of the Adirondack Mountains, must have made for very interesting stories to be told to his young sons.

Perhaps it is these stories that made the sons like Amasa strike out for the free homestead Government land of Iowa Territory in 1839. Amasa lived in Clinton County, Iowa in 1851, Jackson County, Iowa in 1854; his value stated on the 1850 census was $200 and owned land in Black Hawk County, Iowa. Amasa was surely an adventurous and industrious man; he even went west for a year in search of gold, while his wife and children stayed in Iowa. Amasa’s son John Wesley went to California May 9, 1864 in search of gold.

Daniel’s other sons, Eliel (also spelled Elial) and Zadock moved to Iowa. Zadock however, returned to Ft. Ann, New York. Perhaps someone was needed at home due to their father’s health. Zadock not having a family at this point made him the more likely choice to return home. I found him on the 1850 US Federal Census with a wife Catherine. They were living in Ft. Ann, Washington County New York with the land value of $3,000. Still in Ft. Ann, the 1860 US Federal Census lists him as a farmer, his real estate had the value still at $3000 but added his personal belongings valued at $800. Zadock also had five children at this time. This is where I find his mother Lydia living with them; it is obvious that he did take care of his widowed mother. At the age of 55, Zadock was doing very well. The 1870 US Census shows Zadock as a farmer and his family living in Kingsbury, Washington County, New York. His real estate value is now at $14,000 and his personal property is at $11,500. His last son was born in 1869 and listed on this census as Wanie. The other son named Wayne, who was born in 1862, was not on the census. It is likely that he had died since it was common to reuse the name of a child that had died, which gives us Wanie. The 1880 census shows he is 67 years of age and widowed with two children still at home, Lucinda age 26 and Wayn age 11. Also in 1880 his son Layton is single and living in Queensbury Warren County New York as a laborer. Wain, as it is spelled on the 1900 census, married in 1887 to Georgia; they had six children total and his brother Layton was now living with them. Wayn had a daughter and two sons before his father’s death. Zadock died at the age of 79, in 1892 in Ft. Ann Washington County, New York.

Daniel Nims Jr. is listed on the 1850 census as a shoemaker living in Bolton, New York with his wife and five children. His value was $300. After the passing of Theodore did Ruth and the children travel with Daniel and his family to Iowa. The timing is right for the assumption. The 1854 Iowa State Census has Daniel and his family living in Iowa, Jackson County, Maquoketa Township. He is listed on the census following the landowners of Amasa and Elial Nims. He later lived in South Fork Township in Jackson County, Iowa. Daniel died there at the age of 80; he is buried at the Bridgeport Cemetery in Jackson County, Iowa, along the side of his wife Mary.

Arabella married Allen Anderson in 1812. They lived in Bolton, New York where they raised their children. The 1850 census is where I found some of her children still at home and was able to get their names. When you look at the dates of their birth, it is apparent that she had other children that had already moved from home or that had died. From my findings it is unknown how many children she did have. They married in 1812 and in 1850 she had eight children listed on the census with the youngest being three years old and the oldest was 37 years old. You may draw your own conclusions as to the possible number of children. She died at the age of 93 in Bolton, New York. She had to of been a very hard working woman.

Her sister Lydia, who was born in 1800 married Josiah Skiff in 1829 and still lived in Bolton, New York in 1850 according to the US Federal Census. The 1860 US Federal Census shows they were living in Sugar Grove, Kane County, Illinois. Lydia died at the age of 87 in Sugar Grove, Illinois.

Pamela traveled as far as Ohio where her first child was born there in June of 1820; this is a much earlier time than when the other siblings moved west. This is where she raised a family and died in 1854 in Hampden, Geauga County, Ohio. Pamela died four years after Theodore and a year before her father. Her husband Asaph Ware moved on to Iowa after her death in 1854. In 1855, Asaph married Theodore’s (Pamela’s brother) widow Ruth Croff Nims, who had been living in Iowa for two years according to the 1856 Iowa State Census.

Their father, Daniel died on the 2nd day of December in 1855 at the age of 94 and Lydia, some reported, died the following year at the age of 86, in Bolton, Warren County New York. The 1860 United States Federal Census shows her on the records as living with her son, Zadock and family, so it is apparent that she lived at least to 1860 when the census was taken.

For the most part the records reveal some of the off springs of Daniel and Lydia stayed in the Iowa Territory, and raised their family there, while some remained in New York. Arabella Nims, the oldest remained forever in Bolton, New York; Zadock ventured to Iowa only to return to his roots in New York. While Daniel Jr. lived a large part of his life in Bolton, New York, he ends up in Iowa after his sister Pamela and Theodore have died. Lydia Nims Skiff lives her life out in Illinois, as her sister Pamela lived and died in Ohio. Amasa and Eliel Nims went to Iowa and lived their life out there. Even though Theodore died in New York, his wife and children move to Iowa and settled there in 1854, taking our Nims lineage from New York to Iowa.
Source: http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/34e82c25-6540-4af7-aacb-93ed710a98f0/6975447/24024236771?_phsrc=iKT1078&usePUBJs=true

Research of Mable Caroline (Blackwell) MacLaren
D.A.R. Member High Prairie Trails Chapter, Berwyn, Cook Co.,Illinois

Her Ancestor Daniel NIMS born 9 Nov 1761 Deerfield, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts res. on or about 1765 of Shelburne, Hampshire Co., MA.
a Soldier in the War of the Revolution. For the Town of Shelburne, During 1780 marched June 20, 1780 discharged Dec 10, 1780 DAR Index page 497 list Daniel Nims b. 9 Nov 1761 died 11-2-1855 Married Lydia Winter,
Pvt, MA. Ref. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution See Vol. XL page 478 for Nims, Daniel Rev. Soldier, who married Lydia Winter had dau. Lydia who married Josiah Skiff 29 Oct, 1829 at Bolton, Warren Co., New York
Vol. 2. page 252 for Nims information also see History of Deerfield, Mass. by George Shelton,
Lydia filed the pension papers for her father.
History of Warren County, H. P. Smith Chapter XXVIII: History of Town of Bolton, Warren Co., New York
Interview with Arabella Nims Anderson she is quoted as saying that her parents moved to the part of the town of Bolton Landing known as the Huddle, they came in 1802, there were only 4 or 5 framed Houses in town all the rest were rudely but not uncomfortably constructed of logs .
Herbert Blackwell Diary entry trip to Bolton Landing 1931 mentions Indian Brook Cemetery " He went to MT.Went, and Indian Brook Cemetery in the Huddle, walked to Old farm & down to Bell Point took the bus and went to Hudson Falls( formerly Sandy Hill) and Kingsbury, Washington Co., New York,
and also Federal Hill Cemetery in Bolton Landing, Warren Co., New York. and Bolton Cemetery, town of Bolton, Warren Co., New York.
Record and Pension Office War Department, Washington Dated April 26, 1902
Repectfully returned to Mr. H. E. Blackwell,
room 18 C.B. & Q.General Offices
Chicago, Illinois
" It is shown by the records that Daniel Nimbs served as an private in Captian William Storey's company, 8th Massachusetts Regiment, commanded by Colonal Michael Jackson, revolutionary war, He enlisted July 1, 1780, to serve six months and was discharge December 10, 1780. No Further information has been found of record.
died Age 95
by Authority of the Secretary of War, signature Chief Record and Pension office.
commissioned Dec 8, 1888."
Massachusetts, Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 17 Vols,
Nimbs, Daniel, Shelburne. List of men raised for the 6 months service and returned by Brig. Gen Paterson as having passed muster in a return dated Camp Totoway, Oct 25, 1780.
Records Copied from in possession of the "Sons of the American Revolution" on file in their office Room 1333, 30 No. LaSalle St, Chicago, Illinois
Daniel Nims
descriptive list of men raised to reinforce the Continental Army for Term of Six months agreeable to resolved of June 5th, 1780 returned as rec'd of Justin Ely, Commissioner, by Major Peter Harwood of 6th Mass Regt. at Springfield, July 1st 1780 age 18 years statue 5 feet 8 in. complexion Light. Engaged for town of Shelburn, Arrival at Springfield, June 29, 1780 Marched to Camp July 1st, 1780 under command of Ensign Joseph Miller also payroll for Men raised by Town of Sheldon for service in the Continental Army during,
discharged Dec 10th 1780 service 5 Months 22 days Travel Home 200 Miles.
above: information copied by Herbert Elbridge Blackwell 1915 .
Note: Daniel served in the Revolutionary War Jul-December 1778 under Capt. John Wells, guarding the powder magazine at Brookfield, Massachusetts, and July -Dec 1780 at West Point, per Nims family history. entries 9375 by Robert GRANT update 2004.
French's gazetteer 8 families from Shelburne, Massachusetts settled in Bolton, Washington Co. New York later became Warren Co. about 1813.