Pioneer Manistique industrialist George Nicholson was born on February 8, 1852 in Hartford, Wisconsin, the fourth child in a sibling group of five. His parents, George Nicholson Sr. and Fannie White, were natives of Ireland, having settled first in New York before moving west to Wisconsin. As a young man, George Nicholson Jr. attended business school in Appleton, Wisconsin. His first venture into the world of commerce came in Graysville, Wisconsin, where he operated a general merchandise store. After relocating to Chilton, Wisconsin, he opened a clothing and dry goods store and also had interest in a grain elevator.