CHARLES NELSON

 

 

Charles Nelson, whose death occurred June 5, 1909, was one of the honored California pioneers who achieved large and worthy success, and he was long and prominently identified with large and important business interests, including lumbering and shipping operations. He owned and occupied at the time of his death one of the beautiful homes at Oakland, was president of the Merchants National Bank of San Francisco, as was also president of the Charles Nelson Company, controlling large lumber and shipping interests.

 

    Captain Nelson, as he was familiarly known, was born in Denmark, September 15, 1830, and as a lad of thirteen years he found a modest position on a seagoing vessel. His efficiency and fidelity won him advancement, and on one of his voyages he visited New York City, in 1847. In July, 1850, he arrived in the Port of San Francisco, and for a time he was engaged in mining for gold, with fair success. He then obtained an interest in a whaling boat and placed the same in commission in the transporting of passengers and freight between Sacramento and Marysville, besides taking up a government claim of 250 acres of land. He later became associated with John Kantfield in the ownership of a barkentine, the first vessel of this type built on the Pacific coast. His holdings in connection with vessels eventually became of large volume and he was thus prominent in the shipping trade, as was he also in connection with lumbering operations. It was for the handling of these extensive interests that he organized the Charles Nelson Company, of which he continued president and active manager until his death. The captain was a man of splendid initiative and administrative ability and his sterling character won to him a host of friends. He was in the fullest sense the architect of his own fortunes, and was a leader in enterprises that contributed much to the development of the Pacific coast country.

 

    Captain Nelson was a staunch republican, was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and the Dania, a Danish society. He held for four years the presidency of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and for a number of years he was a trustee of Mills College.

 

    In 1856 Captain Nelson wedded Miss Metha Clausen, likewise a native of Denmark, and her death occurred in 1896. Of the six children all died in infancy except one daughter, Margaret, who became the wife of Eugene Bresse. In 1901 Captain Nelson married Miss Helen Stind, likewise a native of Denmark, and she survived him.

 

    

 

Transcribed by Elaine Sturdevant.