Camp Nelson’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 3 old photos of Camp Nelson. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗In 1886, John Nelson began to homestead land above Porterville that became Nelson’s Camp. This became a popular stopover spot for cattlemen, sheepmen, hunters, and fishermen. Nelson soon enlarged his house and remodeled it into a two-story hotel. Afterwards, a few cabins were added and the spot became known as Nelson’s Camp. John Nelson died August 3, 1909, aged 79. With his death, his daughter, Emma, and her husband took over the operation. In 1922, a road suitable for automobiles was completed to the camp. The camp was sold in 1937 and operated by different families over the years. Electricity reached Camp Nelson in 1951 and in the mid-1960’s, the road was upgraded to all year access. From 1976 to 1979, the Civil War Re-Enactment Society held Civil War skirmishes in Nelson Meadow with a "Blue and Grey" ball later at the Lodge.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Camp Nelson’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Camp Nelson’s history is told.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewHammond's Studio 629A - Camp Nels…, 1904–1918: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people close to Camp Nelson
See all 17 →
Camp Nelson, decade by decade
1990s
Nothing in Camp Nelson is on the National Register yet
That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Camp Nelson has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is C. A. Elster Building in Springville, 11.6 miles away.
Camp Nelson and the nearest listed places
How a place gets listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Hammond's Studio 629A - Camp Nelson Hotel (1904–1918) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (4). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.