El
Dorado County
Biographies
CHARLES A. SWISLER
In the last half of the nineteenth
century the lawyer has been a pre-eminent factor in all affairs of private
concern and national importance. The man
versed in the laws of the country as distinguished from businessmen or
professional politicians, has been a recognized power. He has been depended upon to conserve the
best and permanent interests of the whole people, and without him and the
approval of his practical judgment the efforts of the statesman and the industry
of the businessman and mechanic would have proved futile. The reason is not far to seek. The professional lawyer is never the creature
of circumstance. The profession is open
to talent, and eminence or success cannot be obtained except by indomitable
energy, perseverance, patience and strong mentality.
A most prominent and able member of
the profession in Placerville, California, is Charles A. Swisler, whose life
history cannot fail to prove of interest to many of our readers, owing to his
wide acquaintance. He was born in Akron,
Ohio, on the 24th of June, 1863, and through many generations his
people have been American citizens. His
father, Dr. Elias H. Swisler, was also born in Ohio, and when he had arrived at
years of maturity he wedded Miss Mary Wise, a native of the same state. On emigrating to the west they located in
Chico, California, but in 1879 removed to Placerville, where the father was
engaged in the practice of medicine until 1882, when his life’s labors were
ended in death, in his forty-eighth year.
His wife passed away in 1897. The
paternal grandfather was a physician and a Methodist minister, and Mrs.
Swisler, the mother of our subject, was a valued member of the Presbyterian
Church. The parents were both people of
high respectability whose well-spent lives commended them to the confidence and
good will of all with whom they came in contact.
Charles A. Swisler, their only
child, acquired his preliminary education in the public schools of his native
state, and in 1874 became a resident of California. Here he attended the Chico high school,
Healdsburg College and the Placerville Academy, acquiring a broad and
comprehensive literary knowledge to serve as a foundation upon which to rear
the superstructure of his professional learning. Determining to make the practice of law his
life work, he entered the law department of the University of California, and
on the completion of the full course was one of six chosen as class
orators. He graduated at the Hastings
College of Law, with the degree of L. B., in 1883, and was thereupon admitted
to practice in the supreme court of California and the United States courts at
San Francisco. He has since been an
active representative of his profession and has won a position of distinction
in the legal fraternity. He was
associated with Hon. George G. Blanchard until the latter’s death, which
occurred in December, 1891, and since that time has continued in practice
alone, acquiring a large and distinctively representative clientage which
extends into adjoining counties. He has
earned the reputation of having a thorough knowledge of the law and of being an
able advocate and orator. The greatest
characteristic of his mind is strength, his predominant faculty is reasoning
and the aim of his eloquence is to convince.
Merit has enabled him to mount the ladder of fame and he now occupies a
prominent position.
Mr. Swisler is also a recognized
leader in political circles, being a staunch Republican. In 1894 he became a candidate of his party
for the assembly branch of the state legislature, and being elected, served in
the session of 1895. He was a leading
member of that body and left the impress of his individuality upon the
legislation of the state. He served as a
member of a number of important committees, among them the judiciary committee,
the ways and means committee and the committee on roads and highways, having
the chairmanship of the last mentioned; and he was the author of the bill
whereby was established the Lake Tahoe wagon road, a state highway extending
from Placerville to the eastern boundary of the state on the route to Carson
City, Nevada. This was a measure of considerable
importance and established the first state highway in California, besides
restoring and improving an old and historic inter-state road, crossing the Sierra
Nevada mountains to the state of Nevada. During his service in the assembly Mr.
Swisler was a faithful worker and labored earnestly for the adoption of every
measure intended to benefit the commonwealth.
As few men have done, he seems to realize the importance of the
profession to which he devotes his energies, and of the fact that justice and
the higher attribute of mercy he often holds in his hands. His reputation as a lawyer has been won
through honest, earnest labor, and his standing at the bar is a merited tribute
to his ability.
In 1885 he married Miss Mabel
Blanchard, a daughter of Hon. George G. Blanchard, then his law partner. They now have a daughter, whose name is
Sybil. Mrs. Swisler is a valued member
of the Presbyterian Church and is a lady of culture and refinement. They have a delightful home in Placerville
and enjoy the high esteem of all who have the pleasure of their
acquaintance. Mr. Swisler is an active
member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the blue lodge, chapter and commandery,
and has the honor of being the eminent commander of El Dorado Commandery, No.
4, Knights Templar, which is located in Placerville. He is also a past noble-grand of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and for many years was the chairman of the
committee on legislation in the grand lodge of that order. He was appointed by the government a member
of the board of election commissioners for the reorganization of the city
government of Placerville in January, 1900, and assisted in the reorganization
of that city as president of that board.
He is also deeply interested in
educational matters, and for a number of years has been, and still is, the
chairman of the board of education of the city of Placerville. He also takes an active interest in military
affairs, and is a regularly commissioned officer in the National Guard of
California. He is the captain of Company
H, of the Second Regiment of Infantry, Third Brigade, and his command is one of
the most efficient companies in the state service.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 627-629. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden
Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies