Clearfield County PA Archives - Photos: NELSON, Swan August Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Ellis Michaels, , Oct 2008 Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ ________________________________________________ http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/photos/nelson-s-a.txt Photo may be viewed at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/photos/nelson-s-a.jpg Swan August Nelson, leading citizen of Clearfield County photo scanned from Roland D. Swoopes "Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, PA and Representative Citizens", published 1911, page 482 S. A. NELSON, proprietor of the Nelson House, one of the well kept, comfortable and low priced hotels of DuBois, Pa., which is situated on the corner of DuBois and Main streets, has been a resident of this borough since 1889. He was born at Wermland, Sweden, August 5, 1870, and is a son of Nels and Johanna (Olson) Nelson. In Sweden, the name Nelson is spelled Nilson. Both parents of Mr. Nelson were natives of Sweden, where the mother still lives. His father died in 1880, when in his fortieth year. There were six children in the family, namely: Carl Emil, Swan August, Gustaf (deceased about four years), Hannah, Julius and Clara. The youngest two children were drowned when skating. S. A. Nelson attended school and gained some knowledge of business, in his own land, for a time being a clerk in a store, before he left home and ventured across the sea to America, the only one of his family. He reached Elk county, Pa., in 1887, where he was employed in the Dagus mines for two years and six months. After reaching DuBois he continued to work in the coal mines for a time and then worked in a stone quarry, where he became a foreman. During all this time he had been careful and prudent, preparing to go into business for himself. In 1901 he opened the Nelson House and a few months later bought the building and through good management has made it a paying property. The Nelson House offers comfortable accommodations and Mr. Nelson still charges the same moderate rate that he asked when the house was first opened, only a dollar a day. He has twenty bed-rooms. On February 2, 1892, Mr. Nelson was married to Miss Clara Amanda Swanson, who was also born in Sweden. They have five children, namely: Richard, Carrie, Arthur, Ella and Carl. Mr. Nelson is a member of the DuBois Business Men's Exchange. He belongs to the Elks and the Knights of the Golden Eagle, to the Swedish Brotherhood and to the Swedish-American Club. In 1903 Mr. Nelson visited his mother in Sweden, also expects to return to his native land to visit his mother, brother and sister, this year.