G. A. Nichols

Born in Owensville, Ohio in 1876, Gilbert Apple Nichols first came to Oklahoma Territory in 1890. Originally settling in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Nichols eventually made his way to Oklahoma City after statehood, where he would become a real estate developer. He was also the founder of the city of Nichols Hills. Originally a dentist, Nichols began building and selling houses when his doctor told him to spend more time outside. The first house he built was a bungalow located at 624 NW 19th Street, at the time a mostly empty part of Oklahoma City. Nichols also built houses in the areas now known as Heritage Hills and Lincoln Terrace among other neighborhoods in the city.

Nichols would begin building in what is now Nichols Hills in 1929, the same year Nichols Hills was incorporated as a municipality. By 1931 there were 35 families living in the area.

Nichols passed away in the summer of 1950 due to heart failure.