Biographical Sketch of Absalom Nelson, Laclede County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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A. Nelson.  The Ozark Plateau Land Company is represented by A. Nelson
as general manager.  This company owns about 140,000 acres of land, 
located in Laclede, Webster, Camden and Dallas counties, which is sold
off in any quantity, on long time and easy payments.  Mr. Nelson was 
born in Oneida county, N.Y., and is the son of John A. and Clarissa
(Hamlin) Nelson, and grandson of Elijah Nelson, who was born in England
and who immigrated to the State of New York at quite an early date.  He
located in Westchester county, N.Y., where he purchased a large tract 
of land, cleared it, and here passed the residue of his days, dying in
1848.  He first came there in the latter part of the seventeenth cen-
tury, and was in his ninety-second year at the time of his death.  He
purchased a silver watch, manufactured at Peakhill, England, which he
brought over with him.  It bears the date of 1727, and is now in the 
possession of A. Nelson.  He was also one of the first subscribers to
the first bibles that were sold only by subscription, and this volume
is also in our subject's possession.  John A. Nelson and wife were born
in Westchester county, N. Y., on the Hudson River, and in this state
they were reared.  The father was a farmer by occupation and a promi-
nent citizen.  He served six months in the War of 1812, and died in
Wayne county, N. Y., in July, 1865.  The mother died in 1835.  They
were the parents of five children, only two now living: Fannie E., who
resides in Buffalo, N. Y.; and Absalom, subject of this sketch.  He was
reared on the farm, and received a meager education in Oneida county,
N. Y., being obliged to grub stumps in his boyhood days instead of
attending school.  After his marriage to Miss Nancy A. Jackson, a 
native of Oneida county, N. Y., and of English descent, he moved to
Buffalo, N. Y., still retaining his farm, however, in Oneida county.
He here engaged in the lake and canal transportation business, which
was quite an extensive calling, and which he carried on for about
twenty-five years.  Twenty-three years of this time he was a resident
of Buffalo City.  He was a citizen of Wayne county, N. Y., for three
years, where he had a large farming interest, and also kept up his 
business in Buffalo.  In 1883 he moved to Lebanon, and in connection
with his company purchased 177,000 acre of land, which company he still
represents, as stated above.  This concern is represented by a well
posted gentleman, in behalf of Mr. Nelson, who has a thorough knowledge
of this county and its lands, having gone all over them before purchas-
ing.  Mr. Nelson is quite extensively engaged in farming, and is a man
universally respected.  He is chairman of the Republican city committee
and took an active part in the campaign of 1888.  Mr. and Mrs. Nelson
are the parents of five children: Homer A., Arthur T., Harry A., Alfred
J. and Laura A., and both are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Mr. Nelson is a member of the Masonic order, and also a member of the
K. of H.  He has spent a great deal of his time and money in building 
up the county, in way of stock, fruit and grain, etc., which he has
exhibited at the St. Louis Exposition, to show what Laclede county 
could do.  He has made fine exhibits at Springfield on stock, etc., and
has always taken the premium.  He is certainly one of the leading and
enterprising citizens of this portion of Missouri, and deserves great
credit for his enterprise.  

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