N. O. Nelson
Encyclopedia
N. O. Nelson was the founder of the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company.
, in Aust-Agder
county, Norway
. His family immigrated to the United States
in 1847. He grew up on the farm of his parents near St. Joseph, Missouri. After serving in the American Civil War
, he was introduced into a career in accounting. He became a bookkeeper for a plumbing fixtures firm in St. Louis, Missouri
.
in Madison County, Illinois
. The complex was designed by St. Louis architect A.E. Cameron specifically for the Nelson Manufacturing Company. The site chosen developed into a company town that Nelson named Leclaire.
, who had inaugurated employee profit sharing
in France
. Leclaire was a model cooperative village offering affordable homes, free education, opportunities for recreation, and employment at the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company. Nelson implemented profit sharing and employee benefits.
In 1934, the city of Edwardsville, Illinois
annexed the village. Leclaire was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979. The renovated N. O. Nelson factory buildings are now the historic N. O. Nelson Campus of Lewis and Clark Community College
.
Background
Nils Olas Nelson was born the son of Anders Nelson in LillesandLillesand
is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Lillesand.-General information:...
, in Aust-Agder
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. His family immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1847. He grew up on the farm of his parents near St. Joseph, Missouri. After serving in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he was introduced into a career in accounting. He became a bookkeeper for a plumbing fixtures firm in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Co.
In 1877, he started the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company in St. Louis, Missouri. Once he had established his business, the N.O. Nelson Company, he moved from simply wholesaling items to manufacturing items dealing with the area of plumbing. The company manufactured and distributed plumbing supplies of all kinds, including faucets, water closets, water heaters, valves and fire hydrants. In 1888, Nelson decided to relocate the manufacturing facility from St. Louis to a rural area. In 1890 a suitable location was found across the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in Madison County, Illinois
Madison County, Illinois
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to...
. The complex was designed by St. Louis architect A.E. Cameron specifically for the Nelson Manufacturing Company. The site chosen developed into a company town that Nelson named Leclaire.
Leclaire, Illinois
N.O. Nelson founded the village of Leclaire in 1890, naming it after Edme-Jean LeclaireEdme-Jean Leclaire
Edme-Jean Leclaire was a French economist and businessman. He developed an early system of employee profit-sharing....
, who had inaugurated employee profit sharing
Profit sharing
Profit sharing, when used as a special term, refers to various incentive plans introduced by businesses that provide direct or indirect payments to employees that depend on company's profitability in addition to employees' regular salary and bonuses...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Leclaire was a model cooperative village offering affordable homes, free education, opportunities for recreation, and employment at the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company. Nelson implemented profit sharing and employee benefits.
In 1934, the city of Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...
annexed the village. Leclaire was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979. The renovated N. O. Nelson factory buildings are now the historic N. O. Nelson Campus of Lewis and Clark Community College
Lewis and Clark Community College
Lewis and Clark Community College is a comprehensive community college in the Metro-East region of Illinois in Godfrey, enrolling 13,500 credit students and more than 33,000 total students annually....
.
School
In Edwardsville,Illinois, there is a Pre-K to 2nd grade school that is in the ECUSD#7 School District.Other sources
- Rygg, Andreas Nilsen A Norwegian Settlement in Missouri (Norwegian-American Historical Association.Volume XIII: Page 108) http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume13/vol13_6.htm
- Stephens, G. W. Nelson Olsen Nelson (Dictionary of American Biography, 13:419-420. 1934) http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume08/vol08_9.htm