Isaac De Groff Nelson (July 2, 1810 – March 24, 1891) was an early pioneer in Indiana, where he owned a newspaper, held several political offices, and became the father of newspaperman William Rockhill Nelson. I. D. G. Nelson was born in New York state on July 2, 1810. In 1836, he moved to Fort Wayne, arriving via steamer along the newly opened

Wabash and Erie Canal The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 460 miles long, it was th ...

. Nelson bought the

Fort Wayne Sentinel ''The News-Sentinel'' was a daily newspaper based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The afternoon ''News-Sentinel'' was politically independent. The papers suspended publication in November 2020, after the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. Early history '' ...

from

George W. Wood George W. Wood (1808–1871) was an American politician and newspaperman. He was elected as the first mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1840. He served only 16 months before resigning on July 5, 1841. He continued in later life as a newspaperman ...

in 1840 and turned it from a Whig paper to an organ of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. In 1851 he was elected as a representative from

Allen County, Indiana Allen County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 385,410, making it the third-most populous county in Indiana. The county seat and largest city is Fort Wayne, the second largest city in Indiana. ...

to the

Indiana General Assembly The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...

, where he helped pass the Nelson railroad bill. In 1852, he also helped organize the Wabash Railroad Company. Nelson served in various state government roles, including an 1854 appointment as clerk of the Allen circuit court, a member of the first board of trustees of Purdue University, and in 1877, he helped oversee the construction of the Indianapolis state house under Governor James D. Williams. Nelson also renowned as a nursery owner. His own estate, "Elm Park" was considered "the showplace of Allen County." Nelson lived in Elm Park, and had great fondness for

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

. Nelson helped to incorporate

Lindenwood Cemetery Lindenwood Cemetery is a rural cemetery operated by Dignity Memorial in Fort Wayne, Indiana, established in 1859. With over 74,000 graves and covering , it is one of the largest cemeteries in Indiana. Famous interments include some of the most im ...

in Fort Wayne, where a monument was built to him. He was also a member of the National Pomological Society. Nelson died March 24, 1891.

References

1810 births 1891 deaths Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives Politicians from Fort Wayne, Indiana 19th-century American politicians Pomologists {{Indiana-politician-stub