Picture provided courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society.

LAW FIRM HISTORY

The law office now known as Dow, Einhaus, Mattison & Carver, P.A. and located in the Parrott Building (pictured above) was founded in 1911 by Harold S. Nelson.  Harold was born in 1890 and practiced at the firm until his death in 1972.  He was a graduate of the Pillsbury Military Academy in Owatonna and was very proud of his military heritage.  He served with the Minnesota Guard on the Texas-Mexican Border, in both World Wars.  Harold attained the rank of Brigadier General in the Army Reserve and is buried at the Fort Snelling National Military Cemetery.  Harold graduated from the University of Minnesota in June, 1911 and ranked number one in his class of 99 law students.  Upon graduation, Harold opened the law office in Owatonna.  Four years later, in 1915, Harold was joined in practice by his father, Soren R. Nelson, who had emigrated from Denmark as a teenager and who became a prominent and successful businessman in Owatonna.  From 1912-1914, he served as Owatonna's mayor.  Soren had actually wanted his son to enter business with him, but Harold declined to do so, at least until he was established as an attorney.  Not to be outdone, Soren then studied law in his son's office and, in 1915, at age 60, passed the bar exam, earning the top score of twenty applicants.  (Soren did not attend law school and his formal education was limited to the "common" or non-college prep schools of Denmark.)  Then arose the question of naming the new firm.  Harold wanted to call it "Harold S. Nelson and Father," but Soren had already printed business cards saying "Nelson and Son, Attorneys and Counselors at Law."  That settled the matter and Harold conceded the name to his father.  In 1921, father and son were joined by Harold's younger brother, Otto J. Nelson.  Otto also served on the Mexican Border and, like Harold, was an Army officer in the First World War.  He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1921 and joined the firm, which became Nelson and Sons.  Byron Casey joined the firm in 1946 as Otto's replacement and after serving his country as a pilot in World War II.  In the subsequent years, Byron and Wallace M. Tripp pursued lifelong, successful careers with the law firm.