Isaac De Groff Nelson

Isaac De Groff Nelson (also known as Isaac Degroff Nelson and I. D. G. Nelson) (July 2, 1810 – March 24, 1891) was an early pioneer in Indiana, where he owned a newspaper, held several political offices, and became the father of newspaperman William Rockhill Nelson.

Early life

I.D.G. Nelson was born in New York state on July 2, 1810.[1] In 1836, he moved to Fort Wayne, arriving via steamer along the newly opened Wabash and Erie Canal.[1] Nelson bought the Fort Wayne Sentinel from George W. Wood in 1840 [2] and turned it from a Whig paper to an organ of the Democratic Party.[1] In 1851 he was elected as a representative from Allen County, Indiana to the Indiana General Assembly, where he helped pass the Nelson railroad bill.[1] In 1852, he also helped organize the Wabash Railroad Company.[1] Nelson served in various state government roles, including an 1854 appointment as clerk of the Allen circuit court,[3] a member of the first board of trustees of Purdue University, and in 1877,[1] he helped oversee the construction of the Indianapolis state house under Governor James D. Williams.[4]

But I.D.G. Nelson, as he was fondly known for many years in Fort Wayne, was also renowned as a nursery owner. His own estate, "Elm Park" was considered "the showplace of Allen County." Nelson lived in Elm Park, and had great fondness for horticulture.[3] Nelson helped to incorporate Lindenwood Cemetery in Fort Wayne, where a monument was built to him.[1] He was also a member of the National Pomological Society.[1]

Nelson died March 24, 1891.[1]

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References
  1. Dunn, Jacob Piatt (1912). Memorial and Genealogical Record of Representative Citizens of Indiana. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bown & Company. pp. 438–444. Retrieved 15 April 2016. Isaac De Groff Nelson.
  2. "Fort Wayne News-Sentinel" (PDF). www.indianahistory.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  3. Ragan, W.H. (1892). Transactions of the Indiana Horticultural Society. Indianapolis: Indiana Horticultural Society / Wm. Burford, contractor for state printing and binding. pp. 108–109. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  4. Nelson, Ida; Kirkwood, Laura Nelson (1915). William Rockhill Nelson: The Story of a Man, a Newspaper and a City. Riverside Press. p. 3. Retrieved 15 April 2016.


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