John Nelson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 758-761 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" 	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and 
	was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN NELSON. 

	John Nelson, a well-to-do farmer of Fairview township, Clay 
county, was born in Sweden, September 25, 1857, and is a son of Nels 
Hanson, who was a farmer in Sweden and passed away there some years 
ago. He was the father of four children: Peter, who is now a station 
agent in Iowa; Benta and Keiste, both of whom are living in Sweden; and 
John. 

	The last named grew to manhood in his native land and divided his 
time between attendance at the public schools and work upon his 
father's farm. In 1880 he came to America and first settled in Chicago, 
where he remained for three years, working at various occupations. In 
1886 he became a devout Christian and began doing missionary work, 
preaching, acting as colporteur and otherwise spreading the gospel. He 
felt the need of further preparation for the work of preaching and 
attended the Congregational school in Chicago for three years. At the 
end of that time he took a pastorate in Michigan and for one year was a 
minister in that state. In 1892 he came to South Dakota, settling in 
Clay county. He preached there for a time and then bought his present 
farm, which is situated in Fairview township and which was then nothing 
but barren prairie. He planted trees, erected substantial and 
attractive buildings, graded the lawn surrounding his residence, fenced 
the fields and has transformed the place into one of the most 
attractive farm properties of the county. His first purchase was eighty 
acres of land but at two other times he bought a similar tract, 
becoming the owner of two hundred and forty acres, but has since sold 
eighty acres. He retains the ownership of one hundred and sixty acres 
and also has eighty acres in southern Texas. He does general farming 
and in addition to the raising of grain raises cattle and hogs. He owns 
an orchard in Medford, Oregon, and stock in the Farmers Elevator 
Company of Vermillion, South Dakota, of which he was one of the 
organizers. 

	Mr. Nelson was married on the 10th of May, 1892, to Miss Mary 
Albertina Swanson, who was born in Sweden but accompanied her parents 
to the United States when quite small The family settled in Dakota 
territory in 1869 and took a homestead and preemption claim in what is 
now Clay county, this state. To Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were born two 
children: David U., who died when four months old; and Charles, who 
died in infancy. 

	Mr. Nelson is a republican and has been a delegate to the 
republican state convention. He is now acceptably serving as justice of 
the peace. His religious faith is that of the Congregational church and 
he still takes a very active part in church work although he has given 
up preaching almost entirely. He holds the confidence and goodwill of 
all who have been brought in contact with him and is a valued citizen 
of his part of the state.