Nelson Play Forts

An example of the Nelson brothers' play area

A Natural Playground

The Nelson brothers grew up playing outdoors, creating an imaginary world within the brook that ran by their house. Each brother took claim to a different “island” within the brook. Elmer Nelson, the oldest brother, known as Burt Green within the boys’ imaginary world, is the leader of Round Continent. Arthur Nelson, the middle child, known as William Little, is the president of Long Continent. Walter Nelson, the youngest brother involved with the imaginary world, is known as Ethan Allen and commands Big Continent.

The brothers would spend their days playing in the brook, furthering the storylines of their respective continents, as well as the imaginary world at large. Their outdoor play influenced the stories told within their collection of books. “Although our early play-times were not as important as our later outings they were as real and interesting as any, and our play-grounds witnessed many exciting conflicts and miniature battles. While we were living at Mill Village our play-grounds vacillated between the pasture, brook and "islands", from playing Indian, and naval engagements to war - "as the fit took us"(Sketches of Our Home Life, Vol. 1, “Our Early Play Times”). Sure, the Nelson brothers were not the only brothers playing outdoors in the late 19th century, but most children were not returning to their homes to create a cohesive history about their play within an expansive imaginary world.

Maps (Detail)- The Eastern Hemisphere

Map of "The Eastern Hemisphere"

“Then there was the islands. Each of us owned a small island in the brook on which we built houses and miniture fortifications and had battles which Arthur (the worlds historian) made very stirring with accounts of spirited charges and valiant repulses; he also made maps of the islands which we had named Big, Long and round continent's and peopled them with millions of imaginary inhabitants about which we wrote many stories. On Big Continent (my island) we built a small, one-roofed shanty in which I hung a small picture and called it both my palace and fort while on round Continent (Elmers) we erected another house of the same pattern as mine; then just in front of this Elmer and Arthur made a ladder on two ash-trees which must have been ten feet high and seemed then a wonderful piece of architecture. Elmer and Arthur once slept over night in their little house and as it was their first experience in camping-out it was probably quite interesting. I intended to sleep there too, but at the last moment my courage gave-'way and I concluded to stay with Papa and Mama” (Sketches of Our Home Life, Vol. 1, “Our Early Play Times”). Walter's reflection on the boys' early play times helps illustrate the world that the boys created in their backyard. This imaginary world continued to develop throughout the brothers' early childhood. Many of the agricultural, technological, societal advances within their imaginary world were directly imapcted by the socioeconomic factors surrounding them in reality.

Fort at Number 4

Example of fortification techniques used at the "Fort at No. 4" in Charlestown, NH, a town nearby Goshen--quite similar to the image of the Nelson's fort above (2014).

Cultural Influence

The nation was a little over one hundred years old when the Nelson brothers were beginning to develop their young minds in the late nineteenth century. Plenty of history was made in America during its early years, and the boys were likely learning about events such as the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the French and Indian War. Many of these historical events took place in the New England area around where the boys grew up and certainly influenced the battle narratives within their collection. In Charlestown, NH—a local town near Goshen—the historical “Fort at Number 4” currently operates as a museum, documenting the rich history of the English’s early settlement in North America. In the mid 1700s, English settlements, including the Fort at No. 4, experienced many Indian raids and began to live in fear of the surrounding Native tribes. The English settlers built a fort “in the shape of a square with pointed twelve foot posts standing five inches apart, enough to shoot out from, but not wide enough for someone to enter”(History of the Fort at No. 4). This design seems to serve as a blueprint for the fortifications constructed by the Nelson brothers in the picture above. The cultural influence on the boys’ imaginary world is evident when taking regional history into account. War and battle were not the only cultural influences on the Nelson brothers. The boys applied realistic socioeconomic practices into their imaginary world as well.

Current View of Continents

Current Aerial View of the Nelson Brothers' Imaginary World outside their Mill Village home

Battle

Most of the three Continents' interactions with each other happend on the battlefield, often fighting over territorial matters. When viewing the realistic geography of the boys' imaginary world, it makes sense that tensions would rise given the Continents' close proximity."At the Mast" is a story that takes place during 1898--the time of a war between Chipewa and Big Continent. The story focuses on the Captain of the "New York" ship, Harry Nelson—"a great, broad-shouldered sailor, deep of chest and of great muscular ability”—and his ship’s preparation for the Big Continent fleet. Capt. Nelson and the Chipewa soldiers are considered the "underdogs" in this battle, fighting against a much stronger nation. Naming the Captain, Harry Nelson, was one way that the author decided to incorporate a realistic element into this fantastical world. The remainder of the story is entirely imaginative. The story ends in the midst of battle, which suggests that the boys had not finished, or plan on completing the rest of the story in another issue--or perhaps the boys had to return the the outdoor battlefield themselves and settle the unfinished conflict.  

Current View of Round Continent

Current View of Round Continent (2014)

The continents are often at war in many of of the boys' historical accounts. Many times Long and Round Continents (Arthur and Elmer) will team up to take on Big Continent (Walter). This alliance between makes geographical sense based off the continents physical location in reality, but also hints at the close relationship between Arthur and his older brother Elmer, most likely the originators of this imaginary world before Walter came along. Another example of battle is included in the Complete History of Big Continent.The reader can visualize Walter Nelson playing in reality as he reads about “President Allen [ordering] his men to fire on the forts." It is likely that the boys used sticks and rocks as weapons, but weapons are listed as "cannons," "rifles," and "bullets" when writing their stories--far more exciting and lethal. The sounds battle continue with "bang bang boom boom went the canons and rifles and bullets shells canester and [grape?] flew at the forts the sun rose high but the battle did not cease the sun shone hot down on the blackened decks and the battle of forts and the sun went over to the west and still they fought harder than ever and no signs of stopping”(Complete History of Big Continent, Ch. 8 “War with Long and Big Continent”)

 

Sunny Shore [Editorials] (Detail)

Agriculture

The boys also kept specific notes of the agricultural production on each continent. Many periodicals are dedicated to recording the production of crops in specific provinces within the continents. Big Continents popular provinces include Poplington, Briarwood, and Grassington. Round Continent is broken up into Alderton and Cherrydale, while Long Continent is split into five provinces: Rockburn, Fern Dale, Brushwood, Hulkton, and Rock Island. Forest Continent is heavily divided into three main sections with smaller provinces within each larger section--Elm: New Poplington, Coast Colony, and Cape Colony; Birch Valley: Chipewa, Twin Pass, and Grand Rapids; Trappers Land: [Berry Land?], Ferndale F.C., and Sand Island. There are illustrations in Complete Geography of the World that depict the agricultural production by region. The boys also include this information in newsletters like The Sunny Shore Record, noting that “The Long Continent egg plants are the stars this year...Long Continent and its provinces is said to have more egg plants than all to world put together”(Sunny Shore Record).

The Sunny Shore Editorials was an fragmented item found in the collection. Its contents include a sales pitch trying to convince people to inhabit Sunny Shore. Sunny Shore's agricultural success is a big selling point for the author as he notes, “Sunny Shore has 7 millions of inhabitants which is about 2 million less than the largest state in Dixville that being Northland Plains. When William Little bought Sunny Shore it only had 1 million inhabitants it has increased 3 million a year since then. Is not that alone a pretty good recommend for it there is said to be 8 million acres of strawberries which would make 1 1/7 acres of strawberries to every person for Sunny Shore is the biggest strawberry country in the world. We recommend Sunny Shore to all the farmers and gardeners who want to do a big thing, as ‘The’ place to start in”(Sunny Shore Editorials). There are many other examples of agricultural influence in the Nelson brothers' collection (See Farm in Themes)

Chit Chat- (Detail) Skater Illustration

Illustration of Skaters from Chit Chat (January)

Recreation

When the continents were not competing on the battlefield, it is possible that citizens were competing recreationally. One particular story about Long Continent Skating Club's triumph over, perennial powerhouse, Round Continent's Fork River Skating League is included in “The Adoption of the Whelpley Long Reach Skate.”

The author sets the stage for a compelling underdog story as he describes Long Continent Skating Club being "far out distanced by the famous Round Continent Fork River Skating League." The author insists that the Long Continent's failure is due to the "inferior quality and patern of their speed skate," as well as the "extra years the R.C. League had to practice, that being 20 years, the oldest in 1890." Round Continent's new skates were of the "Barney & Berry make and a very fine all clamp skate, leaving the L.C. Club the poorest equipped of the three great skating clubs of the world"(Little City Democrat and Trapper).

 

Gunnison Lake (2014)

Gunnison Lake, Goshen, NH (2014)

Each of the three skating clubs met at Little City, L.C. for the "first great skating party of the season." There were 1,000 skaters from each team and 10,000 spectators. Unfortunately, Long Continent Skating Club came up short. The L.C. Club captain was "so disgusted with the result of the skate that he proposed trying a new skate so at the 3[r]d skating party at [Cape] colony the 1000 L.C. skaters came out in all their glory on the trial Whelpley long reach skates. The skates were a grand success and they quickly found themselves close on the heeles of the R.C. skaters and far ahead of the Ferndale Skaters who were out that evening. A few improvements were made in the skate and now the L.C. Club have fitted out all their men with these grand all clamp skates.”(Little City Democrat and Trapper) The race ends in favor of the Long Continent Skating club and the boys complete a well-crafted underdog story. Even though some sentences run-on, this story is one of the easier stories to follow. It also serves as another example of the boys applying realistic elements to their imaginary narratives. The brook that ran by their house would certainly freeze in the winter, and the brothers would spend their outdoor time skating on the ice. Once they moved away from the brook, the boys would skate on the Gunnison Lake, a.k.a. "The Goshen Ocean", that was not far from their Gunnison house. The boys conscious effort to include realistic experiences in their stories strengthens the connection between their realistic and imaginary lives. The lasting effect of the physical land present in their realistic lives helped shape the boys' imaginary world. The Continents within the brook behind the Nelson family's Mill Village home are still distinguishable today, and the Nelson brothers' historical accounts give rich meaning to this area, proving that these Continents represent far more than just small, insignificant pieces of land. 

SOURCES:

"The Fort at No.4 Living History Museum." The Fort at No.4 Living History Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2014.