{"id":1373,"date":"2020-03-02T00:49:38","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T00:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biglakemnhistory.org\/option1\/?p=1373"},"modified":"2025-08-26T02:13:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T02:13:24","slug":"the-ray-nelson-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biglakemnhistory.org\/option1\/2020\/03\/02\/the-ray-nelson-home\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ray Nelson home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This is another one of our Big Lake long standing stately manors on Powell St. The Ray Nelson family lived in it when I was growing up. According to the Big Lake History book it was built for Wm Johnson and then bought by a Wm Floyd before Nelsons. According to the Postcard dating website, per the stamp box the photo was taken in 1921. It was built in 1918. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gretchen Moos<\/a> I’m Ray and Jean Nelson’s granddaughter (Tricia Nelson Martin<\/a> ‘s daughter) I am living here now. The house needs some work, but I love the old architecture. So many memories here.  \u2764<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheri Roelke<\/a> Before the Nelson family bought it, the house was owned by my uncle’s father – Archie Brouillard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Kerber “In the 1940 and 1950\u2019s it was owned by the William Floyd\u2019s. I can\u2019t remember Mrs Floyd\u2019s first name but in my day we always called adults Mr or Mrs; never by their first names! According to an account mentioned on this site, this property was owned by Archie Brouillard after the Floyds. Sometime in the 1980\u2019s it became the home of Ray and Jean Nelson and their seven kids.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert Swanson<\/a> My dad built a new home in 1953 on the property adjacent to the north of this house. Our family became very good friends with the Floyd family over the years. It was a sad time when the Floyd’s moved from Big Lake to Texas. The Brouillard’s were great neighbors. Very nice people. I remember celebrating the day the Nelson’s moved into the house because Ron and Rick Nelson were already two of my very best friends at the time. Our entire family had a close bond with the entire Nelson family for many years. Many, many, many fond memories!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever wonder why there are so many postcards of homes? Old House Journal states that “beginning in 1902 Kodak offered a preprinted card back that allowed postcards to be made directly from negatives.” [3] This technology allowed photographers to travel from town to town and document life in the places they visited. Old House Journal continues: “Local entrepreneurs hired them to record area events and the homes of prominent citizens. These postcards documented important buildings and sites, as well as parades, fires, and floods. Realtors used them to sell new housing by writing descriptions and prices on the back. Real photo postcards became expressions of pride in home and community, and were also sold as souvenirs in local drug stores and stationery shops.” [3]<\/p>\n\n\n\n