Hans Nelson Black Smith Shop of Greenwood, Wisconsin, opened for business in early 1900.  It was located on Schofield Avenue, west of Bishop's and the Big Store which was later locally known as "The Farmers' Store". 

Hans was born about 1846 in Akershus, Norway and was the son of Nels & Clara (Hanson) Nelson.

July 5, 1869, Hans married Auriel Head in Jackson, Washington Co., Wisconsin.  In 1885, the Star News reported the suicidal death of Mrs. Nelson on April 4th of that year and noted that several small children were left to be cared for.  She was thirty-four years of age and was born in Cattaraugus, Cattaraugus Co., New York. She is buried in the Neillsville City Cemetery in lot G-22.  December 25, 1887, Hans married Emily C. Noyes who was born at Galesburg, Illinois May 9, 1853.  Emily died October 25, 1929 at the age of seventy-six and was buried in the Greenwood City Cemetery.  Hans died April 27, 1936 and is buried beside her.

His children by his first marriage to Auril, were: Herman Nelson (St. Paul, Minnesota), Effner Nelson (Laydysmith, Wisconsin), Leroy Nelson (Washington) and Mrs. Otto (Myrta) Schinke (Jefferson, Wisconsin).

He also had a son, Carl (b. 24 Nov. 1888 in Christie, Wisconsin) and daughter with Emily.
 

Census Record

 

1880 Federal Census-Washburn, Clark Co., Wisconsin
Name	Relation	Marital Status	Gender	Race	Age	Nativity	Occupation	Father's Nativity	Mother's Nativity
Hans Nelson	Self	M	Male	W	32	Norway	Cooper	Norway	Norway
Auril Nelson	Wife	M	Female	W	29	New York	Keeping House	Massachusetts	Vermont
Herman Nelson	Son	S	Male	W	10	Wisconsin	At School	Norway	New York
Myrta Nelson	Dau	S	Female	W	6	Wisconsin	At School	Norway	New York
Effner Nelson	Son	S	Male	W	5	Wisconsin	At School	Norway	New York

Newspaper Clips

January 1880: Hans Nelson, living in the town of Washburn (only a  “P.S. Nelson on 1880 Washburn map in sec 6, gone by 1893 with no further info.), on the road to T. J. LaFlesh’s, (in Sherwood township sec 3) has a neat well-equipped cooper shop, where he makes the variety of barrels and butter-tubs, at reasonable rates. Hans’ hammer can always be heard, the noise thereof echoing through the heavy timber that stands all around his place. He is at present engaged under a contract with Charlie Gates for barrels for pork packing.

Research Notes

July 7, 1897, Effner Nelson married Catherine Shoop in Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.

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