An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 395
	
	WILLIAM NELSON, a contractor, builder and brick manufacturer, of Chehalis,
Washington, was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, June 5, 1855, being a
son of Richard G. and Adaline (Morrison) Nelson. The father is a native of
Pennsylvania, being of English extraction, and the mother was born in the State
of New York.
	William Nelson, the third in a family of seven children, was engaged in farm
work until eighteen years of age. He has been prominently engaged in the
building trade of this city since the winter or 1883, and since that time has
erected under contract the greater portion of Chehalis' brick business blocks.
Among the number may be mentioned the Improvement Block, Racket store, Columbia
Block, and the 
	Barrett Block, known as the Hotel Rainier. Mr. Nelson also did the stone
work on the Commercial bank-building and put in the sewer system of that city.
His brick yards are located a short distance south of town, the enterprise being
yet in its infancy, although the capacity is for 25,000 brick daily. The output
of the plant will be regulated by the demand, but the industry is one that can
not fail to thrive under its present egective management. The yards will furnish
employment to a corps of about twenty work men.
	March 15, 1893, Mr. Nelson was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth A. Bush,
a native of New York. In political matters Mr. Nelson is identified with the
Democratic party and his fraternal associations are with the I.O.O.F. and the
A.O.U.W. He is a stockholder in the County Agricultural Association.
	
Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer
	
	
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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project.  Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.