History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 751

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IJSTR OFTXS 5

ing there for the time mentioned lie moved
within a mile and a half of the same place,
settling on a farm, which he cultivated for
twelve years. About this time he began to
engage in land speculation, which he found
so profitable that he eventually removed to
Giddings, where lie has since followed the
real-estate business.
Mr. Alexander was married, November 8,
1836, to Miss Louisa Murphree, daughter of
Stephen Murphree, and they had four sons
and one daughter, all yet living. The wife
died July 25, 1855, at the age of thirty-seven
years. She was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, in which she was a devout
and active worker. After twenty years our
subject married again, this second wife being
Mrs. Saletha Harrison, who died in 1886,
aged sixty-two years. Our subject has been
a member of the I. 0. 0. F. for many years.
He does not take very much interest in poli.
tics, but is an honest, worthy, public-spirited
and popular man. No one stands higher in
the esteem of his fellow-citizens than the
subjectof this sketch. He is a man of warm
sensibilities, firm in his friendships and unswerving
in the discharge of his duties. Few
men in the State are so generally, admired
and liked by the people and none are more
deservedly popular.
J. NELSON, whose history is here
outlined in brief, is worthy of recognition
as one of the prisoners of Williamson
-county. A resident of the
State since 1856 he has become identified
with many early events, and has witnessed
the 'development and growth of the frontier
into one of She most admirable of the brilliant
galaxy of States. Mr. Nelson is a na

tive of Sweden, born July 24, 1835; he was
reared to the life of a farmer, learning the
habits of economy and industry that insure
success. Without capital except the energy
bestowed by nature, and without inheritance
except a good name, he determined to try his
fortunes in the New World. He embarked
at Gottenberg in company with his father's
family, arriving at New Orleans by way of
Boston, and continuing the journey thence
to Texas. The father located four miles south
of Georgetown in Williamson county, and
there with the aid of his son developed the
most excellent tract of laud and built a home;
they labored and managed together with indefatigable
zeal until the opening of hostilities
between the North and the South. A. J.
Nelson then entered the Confederate service,
and was detailed to transport supplies. When
the war was ended he accepted the result as
a satisfactory solution of the great problem,
laid aside his uniform for the garb of a citizen,
and resumed his former occupation. He
was extensively engaged in the live-stock trade,
which he was conducting with much profit,
when the stringency in the money market of
1872 compelled him to suspend operations,
though without loss. He afterwards invested
his capital in real-estate, and turned his attention
especially to agriculture. The first purchase
of land was a tract of 450 acres; six
years later, in 1866, he made an additional
purchase, and in 1871 bought the old home
place. Of late years he has been feeding
cattle for the market, shipping annually from
100 to 200 head. His landed estates aggregate
8,000 acres, 2,000 acres of which are in
an advanced state of cultivation. Reaping
large harvests, he does not dispose of a crop
until he can do so with profit.
The father of our subject was born in the
year 1802, and died in 1884; he was a man

BISURYOF TXS

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History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. (Book)

History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties.

Book containing a brief overview of the state of Texas and more specific focus on six specific counties, with extensive biographical sketches about persons related to the history of those places. An alphabetical index of persons who are included follows the table of contents at the front of the book.

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Lewis Publishing Company. History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties., book, 1893; Chicago, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29785/m1/803/ocr/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .

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