Eric Nelson Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 664-665

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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ERIC NELSON. Prominent among the more intelligent, active and 
enterprising citizens of Logan township, Clark county, South Dakota, is 
the gentleman whose name heads this biography. He has a reputation for 
integrity and industry second to none in the county, and as a 
progressive farmer and stock raiser has met with most excellent success 
during his residence here. 

Mr. Nelson was born in Norrkoping, Sweden, on the 12th of April, 1839. 
His father, who was a gardener by occupation, died in that country in 
1849. At the age of fifteen years our subject was apprenticed to the 
same vocation, and received his papers as an expert gardener at the age 
of twenty. He was first employed at Husgerdet, and afterward in the 
king's gardens, where he remained until 1865, when he was sent to 
America with a rich man's son who was coming across. 

On the 3d of August, 1865, Mr. Nelson arrived in New York and, after 
spending a week in that city, went to Chicago, where he worked at odd 
jobs the first fall. He was also ill in the county hospital in that 
city for about three weeks. During the following winter he was employed 
in the country at husking corn, and in 1866 worked on a construction 
train in Indiana. Subsequently he was employed in a sawmill in Michigan 
until the chills and fever sent him back to Chicago, via an old 
schooner on Lake Michigan. The winter of 1866-7 was spent in a sawmill 
at Memphis, Tennessee, and he was next employed in the reconstruction 
of the Memphis & Little Rock railroad, where he was compelled to work 
under General Forrest until he was again taken ill. Returning to 
Chicago in the spring of 1867 he worked as a trusted employee for the 
contractors, Mortimer & Topper, for a time. In the winter of 1868 he 
was employed as a laborer on the Union Pacific railroad in Utah, and 
helped cut the big Wasah tunnel. In the spring of 1869 he returned to 
Chicago, and soon afterward commenced working for William Samson at 
Geneva, Illinois, as a gardener. Later he followed the same occupation 
with J. Y. Scammon, and in 1872 commenced working for the Groveland 
Park Association, with which he was connected for thirteen years. 

In 1884 Mr. Nelson returned to his native land, and he spent the entire 
summer in traveling through Germany, Denmark and Sweden. After that 
delightful trip he returned to this country, which he prefers as a 
home, and in the spring of 1885 came to Clark county, South Dakota, 
where, while prospecting in 1883, he had purchased the southwest 
quarter of section 13 and the southeast quarter of section 14, Logan 
township, and the northeast quarter of section 8, Fordam township, 
paying for the same two thousand dollars. He has since spent about six 
hundred dollars in trying to beautify the place by setting out trees 
and shrubs, but in this has not met with great success on account of 
the extreme changes in temperature. In his farming operations, however, 
he has prospered and now has one hundred and sixty acres under a high 
state of cultivation. He always keeps upon his place about fifty head 
of cattle, nine horses and twenty hogs, and has met with success in 
this branch of his business. He now milks twelve cows, has a cream 
separator and makes his own butter, for which he finds a ready sale in 
the Chicago markets on account of its excellence. 

On the 15th of June, 1886, Mr. Nelson was united in marriage, in 
Chicago, with Miss Adelina M. Hanson, also a native of Sweden, who came 
to this country in 1882. They have a family of four children: Emily, 
Elizabeth M., Ellen and Elmer, all at home. 

Since casting his first vote Mr. Nelson has been identified with the 
Republican party, and is one of the influential and popular citizens of 
his community. He has been called upon to serve in many official 
positions of honor and trust. He has filled all the town offices and is 
the present supervisor. Religiously, he is a member of the Lutheran 
church. For the success that he has achieved in life he deserves great 
credit, for he came to America in limited circumstances, and has 
through his own well directed efforts obtained a comfortable home and 
competence.