A Comment about The Maine Spirit Blog

Historians and horse lovers owe a great debt of gratitude to Stephen Thompson for his thorough and fascinating survey of Maine’s tie to the magnificent beast that, in both work and sport, was a principal means of tying this vast state together in the long era before the automobile. Water Village, my history of Waterville, only touches on the horse, most particularly the astonishing creature named Nelson. Thompson’s work reveals the full tale of the impact of these beloved animals in this area, and in celebration of the horse, future generations will be grateful to know a story that otherwise might have been lost in the mists of time. -- Earl Smith, Dean of College, Emeritus, Colby College

Monday, April 6, 2020

The Story of C.H. Nelson -- Proprietor of Sunnyside Stock Farm on the Oakland Road, Waterville, Maine


Charles Horace Nelson (1843 to 1915)

A Story of Fame & Glory -- Disgrace & Redemption


Clark P. Thompson, Harness Racing Historian, began his research in the 1990s. In the process, Clark discovered the story of Nelson 4209 foaled in 1892 and owned by C.H. Nelson who was also known as Hod. Clark's research led Clark on an adventure of discovery that revealed the story of a Maine trotter that in 1892 was proclaimed the King of the Stallions. Clark's work led to Nelson 4209's induction into the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame's Hall of Immortals (Horses).



Below you will find four links highlighting the story of C.H. Nelson and his famous trotting stallion, Nelson 4209. The first three links are PDFs that you can open and even download to your computers. The fourth link is to 91 posts that are found in the Lost Trotting Parks Archives. The story of Nelson in its time was a story not only of the State of Maine, but of our nation.
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