Nelson, Julia B., 1842-1914

Julia Bullard Nelson was born May 13th, 1842 in High Ridge, Connecticut, to Edward and Angeline Bullard. As a small child, Nelson moved to Denmark, Iowa and in 1857 the family moved to Wacouta, Minnesota. She attended Hamline University in Red Wing, Minnesota, and was the first person in Goodhue County to receive a first-grade teaching certificate. Nelson taught in schools around the country, including Minnesota, Connecticut, Tennessee, and Columbus, South Carolina. She became well-known for her work with the temperance and women's suffrage movements, participating in debates and speaking around the country. In 1881 she helped form the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association and in 1886 addressed the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on the issue. She was active as a speaker and an officer in the Women's Christian Temperance Union.

Julia married Ole Nelson in September 1866. The couple had a son, Cyrus, in 1868 but the child survived only nine months. His death was followed just five months later by Ole's in January 1869 at age 28. Julia passed away in December 1914 at her home in Red Wing, Minnesota.

From the guide to the Julia B. Nelson papers., 1870-1918, 1997., (Minnesota Historical Society)