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Our story begins in 1841 with Nelson Aldrich, who started life far from the world of mansions and millionaires. Born in the rural town of Foster, Rhode Island, into a modest family, Nelson worked as a grocery clerk in Providence during his youth. Demonstrating ambition and shrewdness, he eventually became a business partner. His entrepreneurial spirit propelled him into politics: from Providence’s city council to the Rhode Island General Assembly, and by 1881, he sat in the U.S. Senate, serving for nearly three decades.