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F.E. Nelson left the most elaborate sidewalk stamps in Martinez yet is one of the most mysterious of contractors considering the degree to which he helped build
the Bay Area.
Sidewalk experts and architect societies know little about F.E. Nelson. Nowhere in city directories or phone books
is Nelson listed as a business, although his residence appears in Berkeley City directories.
His Martinez sidewalk stamps display 1911, 1912, 1913?, 1918, & 1919 and occur around 30 times throughout the greater downtown area.
According to the City of Berkeley Clerk's building records,
F.E. Nelson was key in building the Berkeley Wharf
and many other parts of Berkeley. Records at
Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association show Nelson worked closely with the famous architect J.G. Howard (U.C. Campus and others)
in 1909 and in 1911
John Reid Jr.,
San Francisco City Architect responsible for S.F.'s Civic Center,
The Chronicle Building,
and many other architectural treasures.
According to Martinez Town Board of Trustees minutes, F.E. Nelson first appears in Martinez on December 11, 1900 on behalf
of J.A. Marshall and asks which streets are being improved so that Mr. Marshall's attorney can prepare a resolution. Nelson is then referred to the
Town Engineer, Elam. C. Brown "for the necessary data". F.E. Nelson's elaborate sidewalk stamp is very similar to the J.A. Marshall stamps one finds in Berkeley. Obviously Nelson took over for Marshall in
Martinez at some point. The similarity could be either from Nelson obtaining a stock stamp from Marshall's supplier, or Nelson
took Marshall's stamp, shaved off its face, and adhered his own onto it. The upside down "2" and "S' in below
Nelson stamps suggest each character on a stamp was replaceable.
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On Sept. 27, 1898, a letter by J.A. Marshall is read at the Town Trustees' meeting regarding "...constructing stone sidewalks from
the Main Street Bridge to Mill Street...from Escobar Street to the right of way of the Northern Railway Company". Marshall writes "I have secured to lay
a cement crossing 7 feet in width...." On August 15, 1899 the Town Trustees ask the Town Clerk to communicate with these property owners as to why
"artificial stone sidewalks" construction has been delayed, and if they did not proceed the Town would use the
private contractor of J.A. Marshall. This choice is offered to property holders repeatedly during this period.
the Berkeley Herald reports on
January 01, 1896 that J.A. Marshall has constructed 9/10ths of the cement walks in Berkeley already and had done $35,000 work in one year.
J.A. Marshall's oldest surviving sidewalks stamp is 1899 in Berkeley. On July 18, 1885 a J.A. Marshall received $4.50 for Town of Martinez street work.
Homes built between 1880 & 1910 co-occur with the "F.E. Nelson" and other stamps and
the sidewalk is specially scored to delineate the entrance to those
homes, with the sidewalk continuing onto those properties sometimes up to the front steps.
