ISHPEMING — Robert Nelson’s obituary in The Mining Journal proclaimed him to be the ‘Founder of Ishpeming” and it was an appropriate title.

Nelson was born in 1821 in Ohio, although little is known about his early life. He was one of the early settlers of the area probably coming to Marquette County in the late 1840s. His marriage to Sara Johnson on December 8, 1850, was the first recorded marriage in Marquette County.

He worked for the Cleveland Iron Company for a time and was witness to the struggle of attracting a labor force to the area, as it was remote, the winters were harsh and the hours were long. The men often worked for 11-12 hours a day, six days a week, with the only day off being Sunday.

Nelson started the first retail establishment in 1860, occupying a portion of the Ishpeming House and erected a slaughterhouse near Lake Bancroft. He also started the first meat market. He also dipped his fingers into banking.

Perhaps Robert Nelson’s most lasting contribution to Ishpeming was starting the business district for the city.

In 1869 he purchased the surface rights to 120 acres of land from the Iron Cliffs Company, considered to be worthless cedar swamp, filled it in with waste rock from the mines, platted it and sold the lots. Most of the lots were sold for a nominal $1.

He knew that in order to attract miners and their families to the area, there needed to be a business district. Buildings went up so rapidly in the summer of 1869 that it became difficult to determine just which was the ‘first’ building.

The Rock Store was the first completed and the second completed building was owned by Cornelius Keogh and housed the first saloon.

Nelson also purchased residential areas in the city, platted and sold the lots, usually for several hundred dollars at least.

“A history of Robert Nelson’s career is practically a history of Ishpeming. The founder of the city, the head and front of many of its most important enterprises, he was from the beginning the city’s first citizen in every sense.

During the prosperous days in Ishpeming’s infancy Mr. Nelson’s business activity was manifest in almost every branch of trade.

He established the Bank of Ishpeming and in 1874 built the Barnum House, which later in those days was an extraordinary enterprise.

The panic of 1873, which closed so many banks and caused many others to temporarily suspend, never stopped the one over which Robert Nelson presided, and when in 1879 the Barnum House was destroyed by fire the Nelson House rose from its ashes as rapidly as the plans for it could be completed and the work of building performed.

One of his most prominent and successful enterprises was the development of what is now the Cleveland Hematite mine.

In 1876 Mr. Nelson was elected county treasurer, an office he did not seek, but which sought the man.” (Mining Journal, June 17, 1895)

Nelson retained control of the Nelson House for many years, but eventually sold the business to his son-in-law, John P. Outhwaite.

“Information arrived here yesterday of the death of Robert Nelson in Chicago, inflammation of the bowels being the immediate cause of his taking off.

He had been sick about two weeks. The remains will be brought to Ishpeming, but interment will take place in Marquette, where the remains of his wife were laid to rest where she dies many years ago.

The news of the death of “Uncle Robert,” as he was always known by those nearest him in social and business life, was a startling surprise to this entire community.

As a token of respect to his memory, flags about the city were immediately raised at half-mast. As word was passed from mouth to mouth that Robert Nelson was no more, a feeling of deep sorrow was expressed everywhere.

To those who saw him often during the past few years the news of his death was no surprise, for he was failing fast. The extraordinary energy that characterized the deceased, even in old age had left him.

And Robert Nelson without his tireless activity was not the familiar figure that we will always remember by that name.”(Mining Journal, June 17, 1895)