October 2, 1889
Nicholas Creede was born under the name William Harvey in northern Indiana, though he was known as "Billy" to his family and friends. His family moved on to Iowa, and as a teenager Billy worked with the US Army. By the time he was nineteen years old, Billy Harvey was working as a scout for the Army with the Pawnee Indians and traveled throughout the West as they campaigned against the Sioux.
Having been up in the Badlands and the Black Hills when gold was discovered, Billy's interest in prospecting was sparked. He returned to Iowa in order to marry the girl of his dreams, only to find that she was already married...to his brother. Billy changed his name to Nicholas C. Creede and headed to Colorado in pursuit of a mountain of riches.
