An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 385 HIRAM NELSON, one of the pioneers and business men of the State of Washington, was born in Stark county, Ohio, August 26, 1836. His father, William Nelson, was a native of Pennsylvania and married Rebecca Stands, who was a native of Ohio. Mr. Nelson was a farmer and came to Ohio when a young man, thence moved to Indiana, where he lived until 1872. In May, of that year, he met a violent death, being taken from his house and murdered by some unknown persons, his lifeless body being left on a pile of lumber. It was all very mysterious and the guilty person has never been discovered, nor has any cause for such a dastardly crime ever become known. He was sixty-one years of age. In the following October his wife died, at the age of fifty-five years. They had been the parents of ten children, six of whom are yet living. Our subject was the second child born into the family. As he grew to manhood he became ambitions and in the spring of 1857 he started for the Golden State, by way of the Isthmus, landing in San Francisco in due time, after which as soon as possible he proceeded to the Eureka mines. Here he remained for four years, making considerable money in this time, but losing the major portion by entrusting it to others. In 1861, he sought a new field of labor; came to Walla Walla county and here bought land on Dry creek, six miles north of the city. Leaving his family here, he went to the Oro Fino mines in Idaho, and until 1879 he engaged in mining there through the summers and worked at home during the winters, thus making a great deal of money. Mr. Nelson now owns 800 acres of fine farming land on Dry creek, and here has a fine residence and well improved farm. He has worked assiduously to obtain his present comfortable position, and in 1891 he decided to take life a little easier and rented his farm. He then removed to the city of Walla Walla, where he engaged in a grain and general commission business. Our subject was married, March 4, 1866, to Miss Sarah A. McInroe, a native of New York, and they have had five children, as follows: William T., residing in Lincoln county; James E., at home; Addie, wife of F.E. Smith, resides six miles north of Walla Walla; Clark S., at home; and Herman O., also at home. Our subject is not of a temperament to find pleasure in idleness; hence he attends to his present business merely as an occupation, as he has abundant means and need have no care for the future. Politically, he is a Republican, believing that the principles of that party are the best for the government of a great country like our own. Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * 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.