J. W. Nelson    

J. W. NELSON, fruit grower, post-office Indian Run, was born March 3, 1844, to James A., born in Pennsylvania, and Lydia (Holman) Nelson, who came to Mercer County after marriage, and settled on the farm where our subject now resides. They erected a log cabin, in which they lived for many years before building the residence yet standing. Here the father died April 22, 1887, and his widow still resides on the farm. They had nine children: Adonin J. (engaged in the fruit business in Kansas), Sophia A. (deceased), John A., Jonas (enlisted October 10, 1862, in Company I, Tenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, was taken prisoner August 19, 1864, and confined in Salisbury prison, and died March 27, 1865, a few days after being released from confinement in that terrible prison), J. W., Susan J. (deceased), Margaret E., Mary L., Elizabeth and one died when young. The father began the nursery business about 1857, planting out from 2,500 to 5,000 trees. After 1870 he made a specialty of small fruits. About this time, however, he retired, leaving the business to his sons, J. W. and John A., who are running an extensive business in small fruits. The father was a Democrat, and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Mercer. Our subject was educated in the common schools, and was married in 1879 to Kate Grubb, a native of Erie County, Penn. Her father, T. P. Grubb, came to this county in 1854, and settled where his son now resides. Mrs. Grubb died in 1855, and Mr. Grubb in 1886. Mr. Nelson enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served fourteen months. He belongs to the G.A.R., is a Republican, and he and wife are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Mercer. He is one of the enterprising, progressive men of the township.

History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present : including its aboriginal history, its early settlement and development, a description of its historic and interesting localities, sketches of its boroughs, townships and villages, neighborhood and family histories, portraits and biographies of pioneers and representative citizens, statistics, etc. : also, a condensed history of Pennsylvania. Chicago, Ill.: Brown, Runk & Co., 1888.  Read this book on line - Free Trial  Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.