Emil Alfred Nelson, State Librarian 1901-1905

Emil Alfred Nelson was the State Librarian from 1901-1905

Emil Alfred Nelson was born in Vassa, Goodhue County, Minnesota on March 18, 1870 to Swedish parents. Peter Nelson (Pehr M. Nilson) and Petronella Nilsdotter married in Sweden and emigrated to the United States in 1868 and 1869.

Nelson attended local schools in Goodhue county and at age 16, in 1886, he began teaching. He eventually moved to Hallock in north western Minnesota to work as principal of the school there. He also served three terms as superintendent of schools for Kittson County, from 1894-1900.

Nelson became more involved in the Hallock community and in 1889 he took over as publisher, editor and owner of the Hallock Weekly News.

He continued his education, mostly through independent study and in 1897 he graduated from Augustana College in Illinois. He spent only 9 months taking classes on campus to complete his Bachelor's degree. 

On Dec. 22, 1897, Nelson married Florence Dure in Hallock, MN. She was a local teacher. Nelson's brother Frank J. Nelson also made his way to Hallock and the two joined in a farming interest, Nelson Brothers, based in Red River Township. The families also lived together for a time.

Nelson was appointed state librarian by governor Samuel Van Sant, in 1901. He was a republican and had been active in political campaigns. He served in the position until 1905. He did not issue any annual reports during his term, however he did publish a catalog of the library collection in 1902. He employed his sister-in-law Charlotte Dure as the official cataloger and hired future state librarian Elias Johnson Lien, also from Kittson County, as Assistant Librarian.

During his time as state librarian, he received his masters degree from the University of Minnesota in 1902 and his wife gave birth to a daughter, Charlotte, in 1904. In 1905, Emil, Florence and Charlotte moved back to Hallock and into a house down the street from his brother Frank. Florence gave birth to a second child, Margaret, in 1908.

Nelson continued to be involved in state government. He worked as engrossing clerk of the senate in 1907 and 1909, and as assistant secretary in 1911. 

Emil Nelson seems to disappear from the records at this point. There is no record of his death, but in 1917, according to the Hallock Weekly News, his wife, Florence got a job as a travelling corset saleswoman. She is listed on subsequent census records as a widow, however, there is nothing in the Hallock Weekly News announcing the death of such a prominent resident and no death record or grave has been found. There are no obituaries to be found in any other digitized newspapers, either.