a city of Athens county, Ohio, U.S.A., on the Hocking river, 62 m. S.E. of Columbus. Pop. (18 9 o) 4558, (1900) J421, of whom 328 were foreign-born and 204 were negroes. Nelsonville is served by the Hocking Valley railway. The city is in one of the most productive coal sections of the state; there are large quantities of clay in the vicinity; and the principal industries are the mining and shipping of coal and the manufacture of fire-clay products. Nelsonville was settled in 1818 and was incorporated in 1838; it was named in honour of Elisha Nelson, who built the first house here.