Monadnock Moment No. 101

Multi Era 4 - 6: 1816 to 1882

Richmond's Millionaire Peddler

Horatio Nelson was born in Richmond, New Hampshire in October of 1816. He was the first of eight children of Ezekial and Ruth Nelson. At the age of sixteen Horatio went to work as a woodenware peddler. He was one of about twenty peddlers working for Milton Chaplin, a woodenware dealer in Fitzwilliam. Nelson worked for Chaplin for ten years, travelling throughout New England in his peddler's wagon.

In the 1840s Nelson moved to Montreal and entered the woodenware business of Isaac Butters. Nelson remained in the firm after Butters retired and became sole proprietor in 1874. At that time Nelson's four sons became members of the firm and the company name was changed to Nelson & Sons. The Nelson's soon had two large stores, one in Montreal and one in Toronto. Not only did Horatio Nelson become a wealthy businessman, he also served as a member of the Provincial Legislature, as a director of Molson's Bank, and fourteen years as a member of Montreal's city council.

Most Keene area residents had no idea who Horatio Nelson was when his obituary appeared in local newspapers in 1882. However, 1000 leading citizens of Montreal attended the funeral of this Richmond native who had risen from the peddler's cart to the life of a millionaire businessman.