My Genealogy Hound

NICOLAI NIELSEN, one of the most prominent farmers of Sappa township, Harlan county, Nebr., was born in Germany in 1853. His father, Peter Nielsen, was born in 1820, was a prosperous farmer, and died in his native country, Germany, in 1862, a member of the Lutheran church. In 1851 he married Maria Anderson, who was born in 1830 and died in 1874, the mother of five children, namely — Nicolai (our subject), Ida (Mrs. Clausen), in Germany; Andrew at Oxford, Harlan county, Nebr.; Maggie (Mrs. Hellner), and Peter, in partnership with Andrew in the hardware business at Oxford.

Nicolai Nielsen attended school in his native land until sixteen years of age, and then superintended the home farm for his widowed mother until 1872, when he came to America. Here he first bought a quarter section of land in Saunders county, Nebr., and while working it lived with an uncle. In a short time, however, he rented out the place and engaged in freighting one summer from Sidney, Nebr., to the Black Hills; the following fall he engaged in selling and buying cattle, at which he prospered, but in a short time returned to Germany to look after his property interests there. In 1878 he came back to America, rented out the farm again, and commenced dealing in cattle and feeding and dealing in horses. He then sold his farm in Saunders county and in partnership with his brothers, Andrew and Peter, bought land in Harlan county, and continued to purchase as chances offered until the firm owned twelve hundred and eighty acres. He now possesses in his own right six hundred and fifty-five acres well stocked. He takes a special interest in fine horses, and owns four of the best in the county, ranging in value from $1,200 to $2,000, three of them being imported. He is also proprietor of the popular Stanford House at Stanford.

In 1881 Mr. Nielsen nuirried Miss Carrie Casse, a native of Illinois, born in 1865, who has borne two children— Anna and Arthur. Mr. Nielsen is an Odd Fellow; in politics he is a republican, and has been town treasurer four or five years.