Freeman Nickerson

Who was Freeman Nickerson?

Freeman Nickerson was an early missionary in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a member of Zion's Camp.

Nickerson was born in South Dennis, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. He moved to Vermont in 1800 and shortly after that married Huldah Chapman. During the War of 1812 he served as a lieutenant in the United States military. After the war, Nickerson moved to Springville, Pennsylvania.

In 1824, Nickerson moved to Perrysburg, New York. He later worked on the construction of the Erie Canal.

Nickerson was baptized a member of the Latter Day Saint church in April 1833 by Zerubbabel Snow. That fall, he served a mission in western New York and Upper Canada with Joseph Smith, Jr. and Sidney Rigdon. On 12 October 1833, Smith received a revelation at Nickerson's home in Perrysburgh, New York.

In 1834, Nickerson was a member of Zion's Camp. In 1835, he served as branch president in Perrysburg, New York. In the winter of 1835–1836 Nickerson served as a missionary on Cape Cod. In 1839 he and his family moved west: they spent the winter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he baptized about 40 people and established the first branch of the church in that city.