Note: Peter's will made no mention of his wife although she was alive at that time that he wrote it. His son Lewis was named executor and is given the farm. Elizabeth died at the same time as Peter--both likely of the cholera epidemic--in the summer of 1849.
The will also mentions is daughters Nancy Drummond, Polly Clark and Betsey Clark.
Biographical Notes
Note: February 10, 1807, "David Neday and Mary his wife" "for and in consideration of their natural love and affection they bear to their son Peter and also for the further consideration of $2.00 " give to Peter 118 acres of land in the valley of Sinking Creek, 70 acres of which was patented by Absalom Looney, July 19, 1787. In October 13, 1807 "Peter Neday and his wife Elizabeth" for $466. sold to John Leffle 118 acres in the Valley of Sinking Creek.
Peter Nida owned property in Giles County, Virginia (probably in that part which later became a part of Craig County). He sold his property in that county November 3, 1828, and moved to Gallia County, Ohio. He probably went by way of the Greenbrier Valley and Kanawha Valley, which was one of the much frequented routes to Ohio from Virginia.
By 1830 there were seven male Nidas in Gallia County, Ohio: David, Jacob, John, Peter Sr., Peter Jr., William and Henry. Of those Henry, William and John would go west to Illinois, Missouri and Iowa.
January 4, 1831 Peter purchased a quarter section of land in Walnut Township, Gallia County, Ohio. This was in what is known as the "Lincoln Ridge" settlement. "Peter Cave Creek" in that township was named after him. His house was on the hill just north of the foot of "Salem Hill" (or Drummond Hill as it is sometimes called, being the hill on which the old Salem Church was once located.). The old road leading to his house connects with the county road at the foot of Salem Hill. It is said that the house was of logs and two stories in height. His barn, also of logs, was said to have been exceptionally large, permitting a team and wagon to drive through it.
Nida David Walnut p. 30 Jacob " [later lived in Lawrence Co.] John " [later went to Iowa c. 1860--Corydon] Peter " [father] Peter, Jr. " [That would be Peter S. Nida, s/o Peter] William " [Later went west w. John & Henry]
1840 Census: NIDA Lewis Walnut p 80 Peter " " Peter " '"
NIDA, Peter (Walnut) 2 in household one male (50-60) & one female (20-30)
Historical Notes
Note: "Peter's Cave" Rd. [in Gallia County] is named for Peter Nida. It is located in the middle of beautiful downtown Mudsoc. You won't find it on the map but if you take SR 141 out of Gallipolis and turn onto SR 775, it's about 10 miles out.
Name Note
Note: In Jack E. Nida's History p. 45, he says "In signing documents his name was variously spelled Nida, Niday and Nidy. Earlier instruments use Nida while later ones use the Niday and Nidy. Most of his descendants now living there use Niday.
Old Resident Recalls Many Historical Points of Interest In Southern SubDivision
Special to The Times, Having now passed my 80th milestone, I wish to mention to your readers some of the early history of Mercerville and Guyan township. The first Mercerville school house stood where Ross Halley now lives, and was built of hewed logs. The windows were made by cutting out a log full length of the house. The seats were hewed pucheons with round pegs stuck in them for legs, and the floors were made of the same material as the seats. All the log houses were about the same.
Among the early teachers we remember the late S.V. Clark and Jehu Rose and of their pupils living I know only C.E. Fry, T.J. Montgomery, W.R. Unroe and myself. Among the pioneers of the Mercerville community were Halleys, Montgomerys, Frys and Caldwells.
The farming was done chiefly along the creeks and on the Perigen fork of Guyan were two improvements, one the home of Peter Niday, a splendid citizen, who gave four gallant soldiers to the Civil War, the other the home of London Briggs, the only colored family that ever lived in Guyan township, at present the home of a Mr. Houck.
A great deal of the land belonged to Douglas Putnam of Marietta, and was owned by the Putnam heirs until after the Civil War. The northwestern part of the township was owned by the Martts, and was very productive and heavily timbered, as was all of the township, and was covered with a thick growth of underbrush of dogwood, leatherwood, sumac, etc. Making a home was not easy in those early days.
Further down the creek was a large tract of land owned by the later Henry Swindler, a bachelor who made his home with his brother John, near where Cherrington Chapel now stands, and consisted of some 1500 acres besides other but smaller farms over the township.
Further down Guyan we come to John's Creek at the mouth of which Uncle Billy Sheets owned a large tract which he divided between his sons and daughters, this accounting for the large number of the Sheets name in that community. We think Uncle Billy, as he was known, to everybody owned the first buggy in the township. We remember also his telling us of killing a bear on the Charley Hineman farm, where Gallipolis' Mayor, A.J. Stormont, was born.
At the mouth of Rock Fork settled another family of the Sheets name who had a large tract of land settled by old Uncle Johnny, distantly related to the others, and a large number of his descendants are still in the neighborhood.....
Note: According to two grandsons of Peter, both alive in 1932, both Peter and his wife Elizabeth died during the cholera epidemic which took many lives in Walnut Township during 1849. It is said that both died unattended as all of the family were sick and the neighbors were afraid to come near the house. Both were buried in the Drummond Graveyard, near the old Salem Church. Peter's grave is unmarked.
Note: It is believed that Elizabeth and Peter Niday died during the cholera epidemic of 1849. In the Drummond Graveyard, besides the grave of the wife of Lewis Nida (Jane Blankenship), there is a headstone of badly eroded sandstone from which may be read "Elizabeth" and "1779". It is probably the marker for Elizabeth Nida and indicates that she was born in 1779.