Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 6 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 48

An interesting old settler in Fresno County, who can look back to such a part in laying the foundation for the chief city of Central California that, when the first railway locomotive puffed and snorted into Fresno, he was on hand to haul goods from the train to Tollhouse, and contended with such difficulties that he paid as high as twenty-five cents a bucket for water sold in the town, is J. H. Nelson, who came to California on September 13, 1859. He was born in Bearcreek, Cedar County, Mo., on Washington's birthday, 1854, the son of Len Edward Nelson, a native of Virginia, who was a marble-cutter by trade, but became a farmer. The father married Miss Nan Emmerson, who was born in Tennessee. In 1858 he started across the plains with his family of two children, and the usual ox teams. Arriving in Stockton, he set up for a year as a marble-cutter, and then he went to Sonora, continued to ply his trade and opened a marble yard.

The elder of the two children, J. H. Nelson, crossed the plains when he was four years of age, and then had the experience that he still remembers of wintering on the prairies. Settling with his folks in California, he went to school at Sonora, but at fifteen he was thrown upon his own resources. In 1869, he came to old Millerton to work for Uncle John Emmerson, who ran the old McCray Hotel, and he continued with him for about three years. In 1873, having worked awhile on a ranch at Centerville, he removed to Tollhouse, where a cousin, Joe Carter, ran a dairy on Pine Ridge; and he remained with him until 1874. Then he engaged in lumbering, and later worked in the saw mills; and for a season he ran a mill himself.

On June 7, 1882, Mr. Nelson was married at Tollhouse to Miss Phoebe Waite, who was born in Des Moines, Iowa, the daughter of T. A. Waite, a native of Ohio, who settled in Iowa as a farmer. Her mother was Alary J. Cavin before her marriage, and she was born in Ohio. In 1875, Mr. Waite brought his family to Fresno on account of his health, and located at Tollhouse, where he worked in the mill. The same year he was seriously hurt in an accident, and on June 18, 1876, he died. The mother also died there, leaving eight children, of whom Mrs. Nelson was the fourth eldest. She came to California in her eighth year, and attended the public school at Tollhouse.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Nelson engaged in the manufacture of shakes on Pine Ridge, which he hauled to Tollhouse and from there transported by teams to Fresno. In 1884, Mr. Nelson located a preemption of eighty acres at Tollhouse and improved the land, and in the summer time he made shakes on Pine Ridge. He set out an apple orchard on his home place, and later he bought eighty acres adjoining, and then had 160 acres on which he raised both stock and fruit. He used the brand I C, and he still continued to make shakes on Pine Ridge. He had five acres in some of the finest apple orchard to be seen in that vicinity.

In the fall of 1915 Mr. Nelson sold his ranch, and located near Clovis; and since then he has engaged in the scientific work of viticulture. He owns ten acres one and a half miles to the north of Clovis, which he has also set out in attractive vineyards.

Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Nelson, and have added to the social popularity of the family in the communities in which they have lived. Lee Edward is a carpenter near Clovis; Alice J., now Mrs. Burritt, resides at Oakland; Annie D. has become Mrs. R. N. Cobb, of Hoopa, Humboldt County; Laura M., now Mrs. Arthur Cate, resides at Clovis; Mary G., is a graduate of the Clovis High School, now studying for nurse at Burnett Sanitarium; and Edith A. attends Clovis High School. Mrs. Nelson is a member of the Methodist Church of Clovis, and Mr. Nelson is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World.