History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties

"History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"

Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others. Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill. 787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.

Biography

Nelson, Frank A. representative and manager in Tomahawk for the Inter-State Oil Co. of La Crosse, and a citizen who is widely known and respected, was born in Ljunsby, Sweden, June 20, 1882, son of Carl J. and Mary C. (ANDERSON) NELSON. The father was born in Sweden, Feb. 10, 1846, and the mother April 1, 1855. They were married in their native land and came to America in 1883, settling in Muskegon, Mich., where they resided some 12 or 13 years, Carl J. NELSON being employed as a lumber grader in the mills. He then moved with his family to Tomahawk, where he worked in the same capacity for the Bradley Lumber Co., remaining with that concern until they closed down their mill. Having been a hard worker for many years he then retired and built a comfortable home at 12 East Prospect Street, where he died May 22, 1922, and where his widow still resides. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Carl J. NELSON were are follows: Gustaf, born in Sweden Aug. 22, 1880; Frank A., subject of this sketch; Sarah M., born at Muskegon, Mich., June 10, 1885, and now living with her mother in Tomahawk; Jennie E., born at Muskegon Sept. 23, 1886, now Mrs. S. Y. CURVAN of Milwaukee; Edith W., born at Muskegon, Aug. 12, 1888, unmarried and residing in Milwaukee; Albert J., born at Muskegon, March 26, 1896, now residing in Tomahawk; and three younger children who died in infancy. All the surviving children were given the opportunity of a good public school education, two of them, Edith and Albert, being graduated from the high school, and the others might have done so too had they so desired. Both parents and children were affiliated with the Swedish Mission Congregation, and politically Carl J. NELSON was a Republican. Frank A. NELSON came to Tomahawk before the other members of the family. He was a mechanic and became a locomotive engineer. From 1889 to 1909 he followed railroading, working as a railroad mechanic, and traveling through nearly every state west of the Missouri River. It was in 1914 that he settled in Tomahawk and having formed a partnership with J. A. FITZGERALD as senior member of the firm they engaged in business as local agents for the Ford Company. In 1918 this partnership was dissolved, owning to the failure of Mr. NELSON'S health, and he then bought a 200-acre farm in the town of Bradley, a mile and a half south of Tomahawk, which was a good farm with an improved set of buildings, and here he engaged in general farming and dairying. The outdoor labor brought back his health and he continued to do active work on it until March 14, 1923, at which time he hired a man to look after the place and moved into the city of Tomahawk. He directs the operations of the farm, however, has good buildings, and is developing a good Jersey Herd of cattle, gradually discarding his former Holsteins. On Dec. 27, 1922, he entered into his present employment in town as representative and manager for the Inter-State Oil Co. of La Crosse, which has an established trade here, having bought the interests of the Star Oil Co. of Sutcliffe. the territory covers a radius of 20 miles from the town. Mr. NELSON is a Republican, but not a storng party man, voting as his reason and conscience dictate. He is affiliated religiously with the Swedish Mission Congregation and belongs to the Masonic Blue Lodge in Tomahawk. He was married May 3, 1918 to Cora E. WHITNEY, who was born Dec. 6, 1897 near Merrill, on the farm of her parents, William and Emma (KLUBENAU) WHITNEY. Mrs. NELSON is a graduate of the Lincoln County Training School and taught for some time in the rural schools of that county. She is a Baptist in religious belief. Mr. and Mrs. NELSON have one son, John Whitney NELSON, who was born Feb. 5, 1919.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 751-752, History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others 1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co

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