Nash enlisted in the Union Army on September 10, 1861, mustering into Company D of the 27th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry ten days later.

Nash stayed in the Army for the remainder of the American Civil War, re-enlisting when his initial term of enlistment expired in 1863.

[5] In response to a land grab made by the City of Minneapolis, whereby Minneapolis annexed a number of nearby townships in order to increase its taxable property, the residents of Crystal Lake Township incorporated the Village of Crystal in 1887, which would, six years later, be reincorporated as the Village of Robbinsdale.

[10] Four years later, on October 3, 1890, Clara gave birth to Jay's younger son and the couple's first child together, Floyd E.

In 1902, Nash was chosen to serve as the nominee of the newly renamed Socialist Party of Minnesota at that year's gubernatorial election.

[16][17] Although the party name prohibition did not apply to any of the Socialist candidates for the other state constitutional offices in that election (who were all listed on the ballot with the "Socialist" designation), the party knew it would be vulnerable to legal actions if it continued to run candidates with that designation in the future.

Despite his lackluster finish in the 1902 election, Nash's star in the Public Ownership (Socialist) Party, as it was then known, continued to rise.

In 1905—just one year after Nash assumed the position of State Secretary—the Public Ownership (Socialist) Party of Minnesota averaged 791 members in good standing;[22] by 1908, that number had more than doubled, to 1,837.

[23] In July 1914—just two years after Nash left office as State Secretary—the Socialist Party of Minnesota peaked at 5,600 members in good standing.

[20][32] The party in Minnesota also began to experience outright victories during the middle and latter half of Nash's tenure as State Secretary: In 1908, Adolf Evensen Ousdahl was elected Mayor of Brainerd.

[33] After serving for eight years as the State Secretary of the party, Nash left office in 1912, being succeeded by future-Minneapolis Mayor Thomas E. Latimer.

Nash ran as a candidate in that year's election for the office of State Treasurer, winning 36,424 votes, or 12.65 percent.

[5][37] 72 years old at the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Clara, his sons, George and Floyd, and his daughter, Ruby.