Grandfather Augustus Gustave Nelson was among the early pioneers that settled Utah. He was just a small boy as his family crossed the ocean headed for Utah and finally settling in Mt. Pleasant. He took up a farm three miles west of Mt. Pleasant where he and his bride Ann Catherine Porter built a small log home, to which they later, added a larger brick portion to accommodate their increasing family.
As the sheep industry started to take hold in the Sanpete area, Augustus or A.G., as he was more commonly known, decided to invest in sheep along with Andrew Larsen. This was ideal for his family of seven boys and four girls.
It wasn't long until A.G. was stricken with Rheumatism Arthritis as we know it. As the painful disease took over his body he was confined to bed of a rocking chair used as a wheel chair, but, he continued to oversee and give direction to his young sons.
As the boys got older they increased their herd and went on their own as a family becoming known as the "Nelson Brothers", Cannon, Edgar, Evan, Obed, Hugh, George and Frank.
The Nelson Brothers were reaching the age of getting married and having their own families. When it became available for them to acquire "Homesteads", through the Homestead Act. They were required to "Prove Up" on this ground by living on it and making improvments for 5 years. Each brother was ale to do this.
Typical of "Proving Up", was Edgar and his wife Talula and their family. They spent five summers on the Homestead, enjoying the beautiful mountains near Cotlon, Utah. They built a log cabin from native trees, fences, roads, there own bridges across the washes so they could get in easier, as well as many other improvements.
The children enjoyed the beautiful mountains, riding horses, making squirrel cages, chipmunk traps, cutting their names in the trees and gathering wild flowers and mushrooms. One time they even built a house for the dog and six puppies.
These homesteads became lambing grounds and summer feed for part of their sheep. They were also able to get summer range permits on the mountain and winter range in the west desert. These areas all became like second homes to their family as they spent many weeks and months herding the sheep and enjoying the beauties of nature. There were always new trails to explore, fishing holes to be fished and lambs to be tended.
Then the "Great Depression" hit. Many of the men were going broke, loosing everything they had. They were unable to sell their wool or the lambs so they could meet their obligations. The Nelson Brothers, were able to mortgage their sheep to a bank that would give them $10.00 a month to live on.
The Nelson Brothers pulled together, they did their own herding while their families took care of their homes and their small farms, raising gardens to take care of their food and do what they could to make it through the years.
Talula raised a beautiful garden, tomatoes and carrots were taken to the school to exchange for us children to get a bowl of soup to go with our dry sandwiches, if we were lucky enough to have a sandwich.
She tried to sell tomatoes to the neighbors, but they didn't have any money either so they were shared with the neighbors.
Through their diligence and hard work they were among the few that were able to pull herds through these hard years.
They were eventually able to get on the road back to prosperity. Their sheep herds were able to provide jobs for other men along with the meat and wool they produced.
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Sources:
Family History of Edgar L. Nelson
Family Histoty of Augustus G. Nelson
Personal Recollection
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