Lockley, Fred.  "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the
Sea." Vol. 3.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.  p. 964.
 
CHARLES A. NELSON

     One of Pacific county's native sons is Charles A. Nelson, of Nahcotta, who
has lived an active and useful life, and is now rendering capable service as
road foreman of his district. Mr. Nelson was born at Oysterville, Pacific
county, Washington, on the 5th day of August, 1883, and is a son of Charles and
Anna (Parker) Nelson. His father was born in Kalmar, Sweden, in 1842 and at the
age of fourteen years became a sailor on the high seas. He sailed to nearly
every part of the world and at one time, because of the brutality of the second
mate, he deserted his ship at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In 1872 he
sailed around Cape Horn to San Francisco, and soon afterwards went to
Oysterville, Washington, on an oyster schooner. There he went to work for the
Morgan Oyster Company, being employed for several years in tonging oysters. He
then ran a sailboat, carrying the United States mail from Oysterville to
Woodard's Landing. He later steamboated on Shoalwater bay for several years and
about 1885 engaged in the oyster business on his own account, tonging and
selling oysters to the schooners plying between Oysterville and San Francisco.
Between seasons he ran a gasoline passenger launch, the "Iris," between Astoria,
Oregon, and Ilwaco, Washington. He was active in business almost to the time of
his death, which occurred in 1918. His wife was born in Savannah, Illinois, in
1852, and died in 1922. Her father, John Parker, started across the plains with
his family from Savannah, Illinois, in 1861, traveling to Chillicothe, Missouri,
where they spent the winter. In the following spring they started overland for
Oregon, and in due time arrived in Portland, where he traded his heavy wagons
for lighter vehicles, with which he drove to Cosmopolis, Washington. There he
loaded his family and belongings onto a scow and went to Westport, Washington,
where they spent the winter of 1862-3. In the following spring they came to
Shoalwater bay, where Mr. Parker engaged in the tailoring business, in which he
built up a prosperous trade, making many wedding suits of broadcloth for the
pioneer oyster men. He was successful in his affairs and lived there until his
death. Mrs. Anna (Parker) Nelson was a second cousin of Judge Alton B. Parker,
at one time the democratic nominee for president of the United States. To Mr.
and Mrs. Nelson were born seven children, all of whom are living, namely:
Esther, the wife of Frank Norblad, of Bay Center, Washington; Antone, of
Nahcotta, Washington; Ferdinand, who is a boat builder and has a clam cannery at
Nahcotta; Thomas, who operates a clam and crab cannery at Oysterville; Arthur,
of Nahcotta; Charles A.; and Herbert, of South Bend, Washington.
     Charles A. Nelson received his early education in the public schools at
Oysterville, after which he spent three years in old Peninsula College at that
place. He assisted his father in the oyster business until he was seventeen
years old, when he started in that business for himself, running an oyster sloop
on Shoalwater bay for Andrew Wirt, for whom he bought oysters for three seasons.
He then went to work as steamboat fireman on the Columbia river between Astoria,
Oregon, and Grays Harbor, Washington, towing logs for sawmills, and later
carried the United States mails on steamboats. His next job was that of engineer
of a donkey engine in the lumber woods on the Willapa river, after which he ran
an engine and had charge of the machinery in a gravel pit at Sandy Point, on
Shoalwater bay. After a year of that work, he became a night watchman for the
Union Pacific Railroad and a year later became a locomotive fireman on that
road. He followed that line of work one year, when he moved to Astoria and
became labor foreman in the George F. Rogers shipyard, which position he held
for two and a half years, when he came to Nahcotta, cleared off some land which
he had previously bought and in 1919 planted a few acres to cranberries. He has
also, in partnership with E. C. Durdle, county agricultural agent for Benton
county, Washington, planted three acres to narcissus bulbs, of the Golden Spur
variety, and this venture has proven very satisfactory, the climate and soil
both being very favorable to the growth of this popular flower. In 1922 Mr.
Nelson was elected road supervisor of District 1 of Pacific county, which
position he held until the consolidation of the districts, when he was appointed
road foreman of District 2, which position he is still holding and which demands
the greater portion of his time, though he still carries on his horticultural
operations.
     In 1909 Mr. Nelson was united in marriage to Miss Deane Smith, who is a
native of Arkansas and is a daughter of D. W. and Mattie Smith, both of whom are
deceased. Mr. Nelson is a man of estimable personal qualities, has exemplified
in his career a hight type of citizenship and throughout the community where he
lives is held in high regard by his fellowmen.

 
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in March 2013 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.