Theodore G. Nelson Photograph Collection
Collection
Identifier: Photo 2160
Scope and Contents
This collection contains nine photographs consisting of Farmers Union meetings, portraits, and family photographs. It also consists of a drawing done of him.
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1908-1950s
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection is held by the NDSU Archives.
Biography
Theodore Gilbert Nelson was born January 26, 1880, in Rock Dell Township, Olmstead County, Minnesota to Ole G. and Gulbjor Nelson. When Theodore was fifteen months old his parents moved to a homestead near Hatton, North Dakota. Besides farming, O.G. Nelson served four years in the North Dakota Legislature, and was president of Farmer's Insurance Company. Theodore went to the Traill County School and in the summer of 1897 attended Red Wing Seminary at Red Wing, Minnesota. Dissatisfied with this, he attended the State Normal School at Mayville, North Dakota. After developing tuberculosis, in 1898 he traveled to Norway for a year to regain his health, and while there he taught in an English language school. He returned to Mayville Normal for a year and then started farming in Traill and later Dunn counties. In 1906 he became involved with the American Society of Equity movement and went to Chicago where he served as president of the Department of Grain Grovers and also as editor of the Equity Farm Journal. In 1908 he was instrumental in getting the Federal Grain Inspection Law passed and in 1910 he attended the joint American Society of Equity and Farmer's Union Convention in Missouri. By 1911 his health failed, so he moved to Eastgate, Texas, then in 1915 returned to Dunn County to farm. In 1916 he opened the Nelson Land Co. at Dunn Center which developed town sites and sold land for the Northern Pacific Railroad.
In 1917 he helped organize the Independent Voter's Association which fought against the Townley led Non-Partisan League, also publishing the Independent, later the Rural Independent, the IVA's periodical. In 1918 he managed S. J. Doyle's campaign for governor and in 1921, led the successful campaign by the Plain Citizens Political Reform Association to recall Gov. Lynn Frazier, William Lemke and John Hagan, the first such recall in the nation. At this time, he acquired his nickname, "Two-Bit Nelson". In 1923 he was a delegate to the Northwest Agricultural Price Stabilization Conference and the National Wheat Conference at Chicago. In 1924 again in poor health, he moved to Eugene, Oregon, in 1925 was in a Loma Linda., California Sanatorium, and then went to Beaumont, California, where he raised cherries. In 1926 he went to San Bernardino, California, where he formed the Nelson Realty Co. In 1933 he returned to Eugene, Oregon, where in 1936 he was nominated by the Townsend Club for Senator, and in 1937 established Sunset Retirement Home in Eugene. In 1938 he moved to Salem where he ran Nelson's Poultry Farm, managed a Producer-Consumer Co-operative Market and ran Nelson's Realtors. He started the Oregon Pension Federation to work for national pensions. In 1957 he published Scrapbook Memoirs containing family history as well as history of the Equity Society, the IVA-NPL battle and other events in his life.
He was married June 20, 1901 in Traill County to Julia Rendedal of Mayville, North Dakota. They had four children, Orlinda, Thelmer, Norwald and Gertruda, and then they were divorced. On June 4, 1916, Mr. Nelson was married in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Eva Hultgren of West Union, Minnesota. They had three sons, J. Manning, Harold, and Merlin. Mr. Nelson died June 26, 1961 and is buried at Belcrest Memorial Park, Salem, Oregon.
He was a Master in Salem Grange, a President of Salem Sons of Norway, was a Y.W.C.A. "Four-minute Man" and a Senior Member of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. He was San Bernardiano's Man of the Year, and a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church of Salem.
In 1917 he helped organize the Independent Voter's Association which fought against the Townley led Non-Partisan League, also publishing the Independent, later the Rural Independent, the IVA's periodical. In 1918 he managed S. J. Doyle's campaign for governor and in 1921, led the successful campaign by the Plain Citizens Political Reform Association to recall Gov. Lynn Frazier, William Lemke and John Hagan, the first such recall in the nation. At this time, he acquired his nickname, "Two-Bit Nelson". In 1923 he was a delegate to the Northwest Agricultural Price Stabilization Conference and the National Wheat Conference at Chicago. In 1924 again in poor health, he moved to Eugene, Oregon, in 1925 was in a Loma Linda., California Sanatorium, and then went to Beaumont, California, where he raised cherries. In 1926 he went to San Bernardino, California, where he formed the Nelson Realty Co. In 1933 he returned to Eugene, Oregon, where in 1936 he was nominated by the Townsend Club for Senator, and in 1937 established Sunset Retirement Home in Eugene. In 1938 he moved to Salem where he ran Nelson's Poultry Farm, managed a Producer-Consumer Co-operative Market and ran Nelson's Realtors. He started the Oregon Pension Federation to work for national pensions. In 1957 he published Scrapbook Memoirs containing family history as well as history of the Equity Society, the IVA-NPL battle and other events in his life.
He was married June 20, 1901 in Traill County to Julia Rendedal of Mayville, North Dakota. They had four children, Orlinda, Thelmer, Norwald and Gertruda, and then they were divorced. On June 4, 1916, Mr. Nelson was married in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Eva Hultgren of West Union, Minnesota. They had three sons, J. Manning, Harold, and Merlin. Mr. Nelson died June 26, 1961 and is buried at Belcrest Memorial Park, Salem, Oregon.
He was a Master in Salem Grange, a President of Salem Sons of Norway, was a Y.W.C.A. "Four-minute Man" and a Senior Member of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. He was San Bernardiano's Man of the Year, and a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church of Salem.
Extent
10 Items (Nine photographic prints and one printed cartoon.)
Language of Materials
English
Overview
A collection of photographic prints from the Nelson family.
Provenance
Donated by Theodore Nelson, 1955, 1957, 1959 (Acc. 631).
Property Rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Theodore G. Nelson Photograph Collection
- Description rules
- Appm
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu