Nixon, George Stuart, 1860-1912
Description
George Stuart Nixon (1860-1912) was a United States Senator from Nevada during the early 1900s. Nixon was born on April 2, 1860 on a farm close to Newcastle, California. He received his early education from public schools within California and helped with the farm until the age of nineteen. Nixon eventually found work for a railroad company and decided to study telegraphy. Nixon moved to Nevada in 1881, working as a telegraph operator for the Carson and Colorado Railroad for three years.
In 1886, he arrived in Winnemucca, Nevada to start a career in banking and helped organize its First National Bank. Years later in 1891, Nixon became a member of the Nevada Legislature from Humboldt County. He was soon elected to the U.S. Senate on March 4, 1905 and was reelected in 1911. On January 29, 1888, Nixon married Kate I. Bacon and moved with his family to Reno, Nevada in 1906.
During his time as Senator, Nixon was known as the president of the Tonopah Banking Corporation, the Carson Valley Bank of Carson, the Nixon National Bank of Reno, and the First National Bank of Winnemucca. He had gained an interest in mining, associating with his friend George Wingfield to mine from the Southern Nevada mines, leading to the development of the Nye County Bank. He had also built and donated the Nixon Opera House to Winnemucca as a gift to his home city. He served as senator until his death on June 5, 1912 and was succeeded by William A. Massey. The town of Nixon, Nevada was named after him in his honor.
Sources:
“George S. Nixon.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, June 27, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Nixon.
“George S. Nixon - Humboldt Museum in Winnemucca, Nevada.” Humboldt Museum. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://humboldtmuseum.org/mini-tour/9-portraits-paintings-maps/38-george-s-nixon.
Luce, Stewart. “George S. Nixon - from Railroad Agent to Senator - By Stewart Luce.” Goldfield Historical Society - Senator George S. Nixon. Accessed July 6, 2020. http://www.goldfieldhistoricalsociety.com/featured-SenatorGeorgeSNixon.html.
