Edward H. Nixon, one of the earliest of Walla Walla's pioneers now living and for many years a dominant factor in civic affairs, was born in Guyandotte, West Virginia, on the 26th of May, 1842. When he was ten years of age his parents removed to Jackson county, Iowa, settling on a farm about eight miles west of Sabula. He was there educated in the district schools and at his mother's knee, she having been educated for a teacher in the Massachusetts schools in early life. Subsequently she went west to teach in the West Virginia schools and it was there that she was married. After mastering the early branches of learning Mr. Nixon continued his studies in the high school at Maquoketa, Iowa, and at the age of twenty years he was elected to the office of constable in his district, but the commissioners refused him a commission because he was not of legal age. He began reading law at Maquoketa, Iowa, and advanced sufficiently to try cases before a justice of the peace.
In sentiment he was strongly anti-slavery at the beginning of the Civil war and as his sympathies were with the north, he determined he would not fight for any country that would uphold slavery, but after the Emancipation Proclamation he offered his services to the country and was accepted in December, 1863, being mustered into the service as a member of Company A, Ninth Regiment of the Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for one year, five months and eleven days. He then received an honorable discharge, the war having been brought to a close. He had participated in the battles of Snake Creek Gap, Resaca, Dallas and New Hope Church, Ackworth or Big Shanty, and the seven days' siege of Kenesaw Mountain and many skirmishes. He was also in the battle of Atlanta on the 22d of July, 1864, in the battle of Ezra Church and many others, taking part in every engagement in which his regiment participated until the fall of Atlanta. At close of the war he received an honorable discharge and returned to his home with a most creditable military record, having nobly done his part to preserve the Union. He afterward pursued a course in Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York, and subsequently he engaged in farming until 1873, when he started for the far west with Walla Walla as his destination. He arrived here on the 16th of March of that year and took up the profession of teaching. He also engaged in farm work and in fact accepted any employment that would yield him an honest dollar.