Matthew Nelson

Matt Nelson opened Nelson’s Hardware in Whitehorse in the early 1950s. The first store was located on First [Front] Street, and it burned down on Christmas Day in 1961. The hardware relocated to Second Avenue in 1963 and was operated by Matt’s son Gary Nelson and his wife Christina. The store, fearing fierce competition, closed before Home Depot opened and the building and lot were purchased by a consortium of businessmen. They tore down the building and donated the neon signs to MacBride Museum.¹⁾