Sketch of the Life of Mrs. Ida Farr Nelson (1940)
Memoir written by Ida Farr Nelson in 1940 when she was in her mid-80s . It was written at the request of her granddaughter Doris Nelson Newman and transcribed in 2017 by her great-grandson Brian Nelson Burford. The text includes information about Ida's own childhood in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as her teenage and adult life in Goshen, New Hampshire. She includes some recollections of her sons' childhoods, and more information about their lives as grown men.
Ida Farr Nelson
Manuscript journal, photocopy in the possession of the Nelson family, Transcription by Brian Nelson Burford
1840
Nelson family
Typescript Transcription
Journal of the Hillsboro Lyceum Association
A year before her marriage to Hial Nelson, Ida Farr served as "Editress" for what purports to be the March 13, 1875 issue of the weekly newspaper of the Hillsboro Lyceum Association. Ida herself wrote an essay titled "Home" for the Journal which also contains a generally humorous and flirtatious collection of poems, announcements, and conundrums. The Hillsboro Lyceum and its publications may well have served as a model for the family lyceum that Ida would later convene in the Nelson parlor.
Ida L. Farr
Transcription by the Goshen Historical Society
1875
Goshen Historical Society
Typescript Transcription
Interview with Beatrice Jillette, granddaughter of Elmer Nelson-2014 (Part 2)
Listen to Part 2 of our interview with Beatrice Jillette, granddaughter of Elmer Nelson and current resident of Goshen, NH. In this particular interview, Beatrice discusses the current state of imaginative play in Goshen, which Nelson brother she wished she had met/knew, her early encounter with Arthur Nelson, the resources available to the Nelson brothers during the 19th century, details about the Nelson family farm and creamery, her fondness for other Nelson relatives, and the beneficial nature of the Nelson brothers’ juvenilia collection.
Interview with Beatrice Jillette, Elmer Nelson's Granddaughter, 2014 (Part 1)
<p>Check out Part 1 of our interview with Beatrice Jillette, granddaughter of Elmer Nelson and current resident in Goshen, NH. In this interview, she discusses her decision to move to Goshen from NYC, her various jobs held while living in Goshen for 50 years, the history of the Nelson family reunion, her archival work with the Goshen historical society, her feelings about her grandfather, growing up in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, and her reaction to the discovery of the Nelson brothers’ juvenilia.</p>
[Elmer's Hunting Diary] November 18-19 1895
Elmer's <em>Hunting Diary </em>includes stories about his hunting excursion with Uncle Oren, Arthur, Walter, and his father on Nov. 18th-19th. The account details the boys' successful hunting of hedgehogs, their construction of a campsite, and preperation of meals.
Nelson, Elmer
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
1895
Sketches of Our Home Life, Volume 2
<p>In March of 1897, Elmer, Arthur, and Walter state that they wrote <em>Sketches of Our Home Life Vol. 2 </em> to “get in some of [their] later adventures.” These adventures include accounts of hunting and camping trips around New Hampshire, descriptions of the Nelsons’ “ideal camera,” “The Three Great Snow Storms of 1898,” and their perspective of the Spanish-American War.</p>
Nelson, Arthur, Elmer, and Walter
Transcription by the Goshen Historical Society
1898
Goshen Historical Society
Typescript Transcription
Sketches of Our Home Life, Volume 1
<p><em>Sketches of Our Home Life, Vol 1 </em>is a detailed account about notable aspects of the Nelson family’s life written by Hial, Ida, Elmer, Arthur, and Walter. This volume includes an opening journal entry by Ida, poetry by Hial, including “The Joys of the Farmers Boy,” “Our Early Play Times” by Walter, “Our Cameras” by Elmer, hunting and camping entries from Arthur and Elmer, as well as other notable happenings of the family’s everyday lives. </p>
Nelson, Hial, Ida, Elmer, Arthur, and Walter
Transcription by the Goshen Historical Society
Compiled 1897, from earlier writings
Goshen Historical Society
Typescript Transcription
Worcester and Boston Travel Diary
<p>The <em>Worcester/Boston Trip</em> consists of original<em> </em>diary entries (eventually copied by the Nelson brothers into <em>Sketches of Our Home Life, Vol. 2) </em>that provide a detailed account of a trip to Worcester and Boston by one of the brothers. The diary entries include details about the boys’ train rides, meeting at the First Baptist Salem Sq., a trip to a YMCA to see their first basketball game, as well as trips to the County Jail and Art Museum with Aunt Sadie.</p>
Nelson, Elmer
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
1900
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Typescript Transcription
Ida Farr's Journal 1872 (Prologue by Doris Nelson Newman)
<p>Prologue to Ida Farr's 1872 journal written by her granddaughter Doris Nelson Newman. It provides illuminating context and family history, especially about Ida's parents Eleazer Farr and Charity Tandy, and about Ida's own childhood in Philadelphia.</p>
Newman, Doris Nelson
Typescript in the Goshen Historical Society
1998
Typescript Transcription
My Library
<em>My Library </em>is a school essay written by Elmer Nelson and corrected by his teacher, describing his personal collection of books and his passion for travel and adventure.
Nelson, Elmer
Goshen Historical Society
1899
Goshen Historical Society
Typescript Transcription