Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Ancestor I Would Most Like To Meet-Maternal Family

Here is my 2nd Great Grandfather from my maternal Nelson Family line. His name is, (and it's quite a mouthful), Bradley Moulton Richardson Nelson. He was born Sept. 24, 1831 in Wheelock, Caledonia, Vermont. By the age of 19, BMR (as he was known), was already a driven young man, with a strong determination, and a growing sense of smart business savvy. He would continue to expand in every direction, while reaching for the stars. In 1859, he made a decision to move to Barton, Orleans, Vermont, and his life would never be the same.
BMR began on a small scale, buying cattle and other stock on a commission basis. In 1861, he would marry Martha Eliza Boody, and work the family farm while slowly building his future empire. He made great business contacts, and grew his circle of friends in the community. Besides being known as a very successful broker in livestock; he made wise investments in real estate. One of those investments would later be donated to the town to build Northern Vermont's very first major bank. It was named "Barton National Bank", and BMR served as the director for 20 years, then was named as the vice-president.
Though he was very busy in the business sector and in the community, he still made time for the 3 children that he had with Martha. My head spins sometimes when I think about all his accomplishments throughout his life! He was very much loved by all of Barton's townspeople. The proof is in the large family memorial stone that was placed at the cemetery later. Donations came pouring in from everyone in Barton. It was their personal way of paying tribute to a man who provided so much to the town that he loved!