Origin
Nathaniel (or Nate) was formerly a resident of Boston that moved with his family in Kansas, Smallville back in the mid 1850’s and took up the job of a Sheriff.
With the recent events that took place in Superboy (Vol. 4), it was revealed by Phantom Stranger under the disguise of a Smallville resident that, in 1871, Nate along with deputy Albert Valentine were doing their best to keep the peace alive in Smallville until Eben Took and his family started getting involved in Necromancy and Witchcraft which lead -decades later- to the “Hollow Men” events.
Creation
Written by John Ostrander, Nathaniel Kent first appeared in The Kents series in August 1997 through journals discovered by Jonathan Kent.