Wing Family History - AManda Wing Biography

WING FAMILY BIOGRAPHY
AMANDA WING Nicholes

American Fork Citizen
Biography For
Amanda Wing Nicholes

Amanda Wing Nicholes, who will be 84 years old Aug. 9, lived through the fabulous days of the "highgraders" of the Park City Mining District; heard rumors of a break with England when a syndicate "lost it shirt"; watched Park City burn to the ground in '98.

Amanda's husband, Sidney Ernest Nicholes, was a dashing young teamster whose feats with with a six-team ore wagon are still legend wherever old timers gather around Park City. There was a time when he was caught with his wagon in Thayer Canyon when a gargantuan snow slide swooped down both canyon walls. Four men were killed in the slide, but Sidney maneuvered his team into position to stay on top the slide.

In the fire of 1898, when Park City was "burned to the ground" Amanda remembers most clearly that day aside from the fire. The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had built a chapel, and it was to have been dedicated on the day flames licked through the canyon to destroy the work of months.

The home of Sidney and Amanda Nicholes, however, was one of the few saved in the district, as it waslocated in Deer Valley, away from the narrow canyon in which Park City was located. Amanda remembers helping those who had lost their homes. "There were no casualties. The only person I saw who received burns was the doctor, and they were not bad," she said.

Amanda Wing was born in Draper Aug. 9, 1867, a daughter of Samuel J. and Elizabeth Jane Wright Wing. Her father was a native of Clayton, Ill., and her mother a native of Blackriver Falls, Wis. They met while attending a small college in Illinois and were married. They came to Utah in 1860.

When Amanda was three years old the family moved to Ft. Harriman, a settlement on the west side of Salt Lake Valley. When she was seven Brigham Young called here father to go to Heber City and teach school and music there.

When Amanda was 10 years old her mother died. A couple of years later her father remarried. Upon the birth of a daughter to the second marriage the mother died and it was at this time, when Amanda was about 14 years old, that she took charge of three members of the family her junior, and also her baby half-sister.

"Two older members of the had left the home and I had to mother the four youngsters. I tried to go to school, and I often took the children with me three miles away from the farm above Charleston," Mrs. Nicholes related.

In addition to raising the children Amanda helped with work in the fields, did the household chores, and made many of the clothes the family wore.

In those days young men from Heber and Park City would attend dances in the two towns, and it was at one of these dancing parties that Amanda met Sidney. At that time he "teamed" for Ezra Thompson, early day mining tycoon. "They all fought for Sidney's services, and he never did tip an ore wagon or have a runaway," Mrs. Nicholes recalled proudly.

After the couple was married in Heber City June 11, 1888, they made their home in Park City for three years. In 1891 the moved to American Fork and entered the sheep business. After tending sheep for six years Sidney and Amanda returned to Park City where he again was a teamster for a mining company. They returned to American Fork in 1902 and again entered the sheep business.

Mr. and Mrs. Nicholes followed sheepraising until Sidney died in 1944. Two Sons have taken over active management of the herds.

As a young girl Amanda was active in church work, having been a counselor in the Primary in a little ward in Heber Valley. She has been active in the Relief Society for over 40 years, and was vice president of the American Fork Camp, DUP, for four years and is still a member.

Mrs Nicholes is in good health considering her age, although it is difficult for her to "get around." She loves to keep up on world events, is an avid radio listener, and reads everything she can get her hands on.

Mrs Nicholes is the mother of 11 children. All were raised to adulthood with the exception of a baby that died when a year old.

Amanda's living children include:

Sidney W., Emery, and Howard W. Nicholes, American Fork; Eugene, Samuel J. Nicholes and Mrs. Harry Ostler, Salt Lake City; and Sanford H. Nicholes, Ibapah, Utah.

-ALT

Repository Information

Newspaper: American Fork Citizen, American Fork, Utah, Vol. XLVIII, Thursday - May 17, 1951

Notes

Extracted: 8 Aug 2002 - by Dale Wing

Submitted by

Sharon & Malcolm Beck

Contact Dale N. Wing , the WingFamilyHistory.Com Editor and Webmaster

URL: http://www.wingfamilyhistory.com/biographies/32bc-bio.html

Last Modified Aug 8, 2002