Nelson, London
From Santa Cruz County history wiki
Revision as of 00:49, 27 November 2021 by Carey (talk | contribs) (Created page with "'''London Nelson''' ([https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8716432/louden-london-nelson 1800-1860]) was a former slave who came to Santa Cruz after buying his freedom with mone...")
London Nelson (1800-1860) was a former slave who came to Santa Cruz after buying his freedom with money earned mining for gold in the Sierra foothill gold fields. He willed his estate to Santa Cruz Schools. The school district sold his property and used the money to buy a lot from Samuel Hillman, adjacent to the school property on Mission Hill. A 20th-century misreading of his signature rendered Nelson's first name as "Louden", which remained in use for decades. The City of Santa Cruz officially recognized the error in 2021.
