Nelson Powell Hulst (February 8, 1842 - January 11, 1923) was an industrialist, engineer, chemist, and a leader in the development of the Menominee Iron Range. He discovered and developed six major mines in Upper Michigan (Vulcan, Cyclops, Norway, Quinnesec, Chapin, and Pewabic) and one in Florence, Wisconsin. By the time of his retirement, Hulst was vice-president of U.S. Steel in charge of mining operations in the Midwest and had held many executive positions in various mining companies.

Biography

Early life

Nelson Powell Hulst was born in 1842 in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. In 1857, his family moved to

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

, where Hulst attended a small Quaker private school. He subsequently attended a Quaker school in Sandy Spring, Maryland. Prior to his entry to Yale, Hulst was recommended to President Lincoln for appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Him and his father had met Lincoln, but an appointment that was promised to a young Hulst by the president never came to fruition.

Yale and Career After Graduation

Hulst attended

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

from 1863 to 1867 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. He subsequently attended Sheffield Scientific School and in 1870 received his PhD. In that same year, he accepted a position at the Milwaukee Iron Company in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, as a chemist and technical engineer. The plant was closed by 1878. By then, Hulst and others had organized the Menominee Mining Company and were looking to continue pursuing iron further in the Menominee Iron Range in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At the time of his retirement in 1904, Hulst was vice-president in charge of mining properties for the United States Steel Corporation. Hulst's career in mining was said to have two milestones: the discovery of the Chapin mine in

Iron Mountain, Michigan Iron Mountain is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Michigan. The population was 7,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 7,624 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Located in the state's Upper Penin ...

, in 1879 and the discovery of the Pewabic mine, which began producing in 1887.

Death

Nelson Powell Hulst died January 11, 1923, in

. He was buried in Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee. At the time of his death, Hulst was said to be "the greatest American authority on iron".

Recognition

From 1891 to 1892, a school named N. P. Hulst High School and usually referred to as "Hulst School" was built on Madison Avenue in

. The building was razed in 1949. Hulst School 1892

References

{{reflist 1842 births 1923 deaths