Nelson Town

Nelson Town

In the town of Nelson we find the following land: 1. All of the fractional Township 22, Range 13, from section 1 to 24, as far as the sections exist. 2. The whole Township 22, Range 14, of which th^^re are but few sections, mostly fractional. 3. All of Township 23, Range 13. 4. All of Township 23, Range 14, that is situated east of the Chippewa River, The eastern half of the town, and almost all of Township 23, Range 13, is very hilly, with deep valleys, from which Trout Creek flows to Beef River, the other Creeks flow partly to Beef Slough, partly to Little Bear Creek. The western part, though level, is mostly swamp land, through which Beef Slough and its many ramifications extend. In Township 23, Range 14, there is a strip of sandy land, which is high above the slough and between it and the hills. Bluflf lands and valleys show the sanie character as elsewhere in the county, but there is quite a considerable area of woodland in the town. The town of Nelson was established in July 1857, jjrobably in about the same shape and extent which it now has, except that the western half of the present town of Modena also belonged to it. The northern mile strip, as it is now called, seems to have been apportioned to Maxville, but was added to Nelson in 1867, separated from it again in 1883, and returned to Nelson by a resolution of the county board at its last annual session. The town is bounded on the west by the Chippewa and Mississippi Rivers, on the south by the city and the town of Alma, on the east by the towns of Alma and Modena, on the north by the town of Maxville. It is the largest town in the county. Settlements of a desultory kind were probably commenced early along the Mississippi and possibly on the Chippewa, but the first settler of whom we know is Madison Wright, who came in 1848 and about whom see chapter on Pioneers. Next after him came Christian Schaeublin probably in 1851. From a statement of Mr, W, H. Gates it appears that in 1852 he came to Nelson's Landing, but settled in Alma 1855. The greater part of the early settlers caaao in 1855 among them Hon. J. L. Hallock, Hon. John Burgess, Andrew Dewitt, Ira Lawrence, Hartman Kohlhepp, Peter Mathew. In the following year Erick Alma, Ole Hanson, John Christenson, Wilson Crippin and others began settlement; in 1857 J S. DeGroff, Luther Hewitt, Archibald Bell and H. H. Hurlburt, and others. After this period it would be tedious to enumerate all the new arrivals, but a good number of them will be found in the lists of early settlers.

The first birth is said to have been a child of Christian and Barbara Schaeublin. The earliest marriage on record to have been solemnized by Wilson Crippin, Esq., was that of Henry Case to Mary Gumbert Nov. 24, 1857, which would precede that of E. A. Warner and Mrs. Dickens by some weeks or months. Among the first deaths was a daughter of Ira Lawrence, who died of the bite of a rattlesnake.

The first election was held at the house of E. A. Warner on Sec. 8, T. 22, R. 13. There were only eight votes, and Wilson Crippin was elected chairman, John Burgess clerk and treasurer; this was in J 858. One of the most influential men of the town, though not one of the earliest settlers was Alexander Swim, a native of Illinois, who lived on the land afterwards owned and occupied by Isaac Butler.

There are at present two postoffices in the town, Nelson and Misha Mokwa. The exact date of the establishment of Nelson post office I was unable to to learn, but as E. A. Warner was the first postmaster, it was not established before 1858 as he had come but a short time before. Nor can I give the exact date when it was transferred to Ed.Giebel, who at that time kept store near the old Farmers' Home Tavern. J. P. Butler, the present postmaster, was appointed July 28, 1886. The office is now kept in the village of Fairview near the railroad station of

Misha Mokwa postoffice was established in 1871. Jas. W. Kelly was the first postmaster. After him the following gentlemen succeeded each other in the office: J. K. Latschaw, Robert Aitkin, J B. Green, Jas. Imrie, Allen H. DeGroff and Wm. Chafee, who was appointed March 15, 1887. The office is kept in the village

Besides this village there are now two others laid out in this town besides an addition. The first in point of time is Fairview, about half a mile northwest of Nelson station, the plat of which was recorded Sept. 5, 1884, in Vol. 33, page.

The Village of Nelson is laid out adjacent to the station of the Burlington and Northern railroad. Misha Mokwa contains a gristmill, one store and one hotel besides other houses. Fairview has several saloons, one store and one blacksmith shop, Nelson one store, one hotel and two saloons, besides "warehouses, depot, coalmagazine, and, I think, the schoolhouse of Dist. No. 5 and a Catholic church, which is not yet completed.

The population of this town is very much mixed, but Germans and Norwegians constitute the majority of it, with the rest Americans, and some Scotch.