urn:taro:utexas.cah.02982 A Guide to the Albert Aldrich Nelson Papers, 1833-1853 Original EAD encoding by Bethany Anderson according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. August 2011 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Nelson, Albert Aldrich, 1814-1892 Nelson, Albert Aldrich, Papers 1833-1853 Materials are written in English. 2 vols. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Two bound volumes of typescripts of correspondence, a diary, and petitions compose the Albert Aldrich Nelson Papers, 1833-1853, documenting Nelson’s career as a sailor and surveyor. Biographical Note

Born to Samuel Nelson and Cynthia Aldrich in Milford, Massachusetts, Albert Aldrich Nelson (1814-1892) was a whaler in New England before immigrating to Texas in 1838. Working as a surveyor, he helped establish the town of Crockett and the Nacogdoches Land District. In 1845, he married Jane Caroline Simpson, with whom he had seven children. Nelson was appointed as the Nacogdoches County surveyor, while also serving as mayor and alderman of Nacogdoches. During the Civil War, he enlisted in the Confederate Navy but was captured at the battle of Glorieta Pass and incarcerated in a northern prison. Following his release, Nelson returned to Nacogdoches.

Source:

Dickson, James G., Jr. Nelson, Albert Aldrich. Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed July 25, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fne12.

 Scope and Contents

Two bound volumes of typescripts of correspondence, a diary, and petitions compose the Albert Aldrich Nelson Papers, 1833-1853, documenting Nelson’s career as a sailor and surveyor. Correspondence and petitions concern surveys in Texas, while the diary discusses his experiences as a sailor on whaling ships in the Pacific Ocean.

 Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Nelson, Albert Aldrich, 1814-1892 -- Archives. Subjects Surveying -- Texas. Whaling -- Pacific Coast (North America). Places Nacogdoches County (Tex.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. Preferred Citation

Albert Aldrich Nelson Papers, 1833-1853, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Processing Information

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project, 2009-2011.

 Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 2R126 Two typescripts, 1833-1853