Irving Eugene Nichols

"Late Irving Nichols Was Witty Poet-- By Richard Palmer--
Every community has had its resident poet over the years and Cortland is no exception.
At practically every important community event in the early 1900s, Irving E. Nichols of Cortland was asked to recite a poem that was often humorous and many time poked fun at some local prominent person.
Generally, however, his poems or rhymes reflected the life and times of the community and are considered by some as historical documents.
Originally from Cincinnatus, Nichols worked at the Lotridge drug store as a youth before moving to Cortland. For many years, he operated a small grocery store that later became Coe Dexter's meat market on Grant Street. He was also a traveling salesman.
In 1909, he published a book of his works called 'Rhymes of the Road,' which, he said, was 'written for entertainment of brother knights of the grip sack and other friends.' A copy was recently supplied to this reporter by Elsie Gutchess of Cortland.
Nichols covers a variety of everyday happenings in his work, ranging from the frustrations of travel in the days before automobiles to fishing and daydreaming. He even devoted some lines to the city's 'clock in the tower' at the corner of Tompkins and Main streets. Of this he wrote:
'It affords one delight,
Coming home late at night,
Or, perhaps, in the wee morning hour,
To be able to say
To his friends the next day,
It was ten by the clock in the tower.'

Another poem, called 'Winter in Cortland,' extolls the virtues of this area's climate:
'Around some Cortland cottages
The snow is piled so high,
The occupants all go upstairs
To watch the teams go by.
Impatiently we wait for thee,
So hasten, gently spring,
We'll take the bitter with the sweet,
Whatever you may bring.'

On March 11, 1936, Nichols died in Albany at the home of his son, Harold N. Nichols. He was 76-years-old. But his legacy of unabashed humor lives on in his writings which we occasionally stumble onto." (Cortland Standard, 7/13/1990; available in the Nichols family file at the Cortland County Historical Society).