Bio of NELSON, W. A., Hennepin Co., MN
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EXTRACTED FROM: History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; 
Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. 
Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.; Volume I - Shutter (Historical); 
volume II - Biographical; volume III - Biographical
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Vol II, pg 806-807
W. A. NELSON
W. A. Nelson, a prominent contractor of Minneapolis, is one of the city's
native-born business men. The son of Nels W. and Maria Nelson, he was educated
in this city, then joined his father in the contracting business, in which his
father had already made a considerable reputation. Since the death of Nels W.
Nelson in 1918, his son has been continuing his work as the president and
treasurer of the N. W. & W. A. Nelson Company. The chief business of this firm
is, as it has long been, constructing railroad bridges and buildings, most of
its work having been done for the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific
railways. Since taking over the direction of his firm W. A. Nelson has
maintained the same high standards that characterized its work under the regime
of the father, proving himself in every way worthy of the responsibilities to
which he has fallen heir.
The founder of this contracting business, Nels W. Nelson, was born in Sweden and
came to the United States at the age of ten in the late '60s. The Nelson family
settled on a farm near Minneapolis, so for a few years little Nels was able to
attend school in this city. As a young man he left the farm and came to the city
to live, where he learned the trade of a bricklayer and followed his trade until
he was able to go into business for himself. He has long been connected with the
building trade of Minneapolis and may be considered one of the pioneers in that
line of work. He was one of the army of the faithful who put up many of the big
bridges in this part of the country. It will be remembered that in the later
part of the nineteenth century the majority of the bridges were of masonry, many
of them of the type of the old stone arch bridge just below St. Anthony's Falls,
which is still being used by the railroads entering this city. In the '80s Mr.
Nelson started in business as a sub-contractor doing railroad contracting. He
continued with this sub-contracting until 1897, when, with Thomas Libby, he
formed a partnership under the name of Libby & Nelson. This firm became very
prominent in the field of railroad construction and continued until 1915, when
Mr Nelson took his son, W. A. Nelson, into the business, buying out the interest
of Mr. Libby. The new company bore the name of the N. W. & W. A. Nelson Company,
which still exists, though the senior partner has ceased his labors in this
world. When Nels W. Nelson died in 1918, at the untimely age of fifty-nine, his
son became the president and treasurer of the firm.
Nels W. Nelson was one of the most highly respected business men of his
generation. He was noted in commercial circles for his high sense of honor and
everyone valued his judgment on matters of business or technical concern. As one
of the early builders and citizens of Minneapolis he had a wide acquaintance and
a host of sincere friends. Thomas Libby, his former partner, said of him
recently: "I worked with him for twenty-five years, and there wasn't a squarer,
truer man than Mr. Nelson in the state of Minnesota." Mr. Nelson was a
republican in politics and fraternally was affiliated with the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks. He was also a charter member of the Bricklayers'
Union. He made an important contribution to the organization of the financial
and industrial forces of the city as one of the founders of the Builders
Exchange.