George Swanston
High
on the roll of the men who by their individual efforts along well directed
lines contributed in large measure to the development of the Sacramento valley
stands the name of George Swanston, one of the founders and until his death the
head of the packing firm Swanston & Son, the largest concern of its kind in
the valley. His success was the legitimate result of hard and persistent
effort, backed by clearheaded judgment and stanch integrity, and for years he
stood as an exemplar of the best type of business man and citizen. Mr. Swanston
was born near Salem, Columbiana county, Ohio, on the 3rd of January,
1866, and was a son of Charles and Nancy (Powers) Swanston, natives of the
north of Ireland and Pennsylvania, respectively. About 1881 Charles Swanston
came with his family from Ohio to California, locating in Sacramento. Here he
engaged in the cattle business with notable success, and a little later he established
the packing business which has since been carried on under the name of Swanston
& Son. He was an energetic and capable business man and was recognized as
one of Sacramento’s most substantial and influential citizens. His death
occurred April 15, 1911, at the age of seventy-eight years. His wife had died a
number of years previously, leaving him with two children, George, and Mrs.
Lillian McCaslin, now of Oakland, California.
George
Swanston, who was about fifteen years old when brought to California, had
received his elementary education in the public schools of his native state.
This he supplemented by a commercial course in the Atkinson Business College,
and then became associated with his father in business. He learned the cattle
business, becoming an expert judge of livestock, especially as to marketable
meat value. Together they proved a splendid business combination and were
distinctively successful. They started a small packing plant on Riverside road,
where they had acquired valuable land holdings, and this business also proved
profitable. About that time they built the pioneer cold storage plant of
Sacramento and in all of their operations they were progressive and
enterprising. After his father’s death, George Swanston incorporated the
business under the old firm name of Swanston & Son, at which time the
company entered upon an aggressive policy, their first move being the erection
of a large packing plant in North Sacramento, where Mr. Swanston owned
considerable acreage. This plant is modern and up-to-date in every particular
and stands as a monument to the sagacity and enterprise of Mr. Swanston, who was
president and general manager of the corporation. His years of practical
experience, coupled with his natural business ability and his vision of future
demands, made him invaluable to the company’s operations and led to its
outstanding success. Besides the interests already mentioned, he owned large
tracts of land in Sacramento county, Lake, Colusa and Yolo counties and he was
a member of the board of directors of the National Bank of D.O. Mills &
Company. After giving the best years of his life to the development of some of
the most important natural resources of northern California, Mr. Swanston
closed his eyes to earthly scenes July 3, 1923, honored and respected by all
who knew him.
On
May 1, 1888, at the home of the bride, on the Auburn road, sixteen miles north
of Sacramento, in Sacramento county, Mr. Swanston was united in marriage to Miss
Jennie Ward, who was born in Eldorado county, this state, and is a daughter of
Robert and Mary A. (Slater) Ward. Her father was born in England and came to
California by way of the isthmus of Panama, when he was seventeen years of age.
His wife crossed the plains with her parents when she was a girl of eight
years. Robert Ward followed mining for a while, but eventually turned his
attention to farming, becoming the owner of a good farm on Auburn road, where
he reared his family, and where his death occurred. Mrs. Ward, still active and
well preserved, is living in Sacramento, at the age of eight-six years. To Mr.
and Mrs. Swanston were born two children, Lillis, the wife of Harry H. Krebs,
and Robert, who, since his father’s death, has assumed the presidency and
management of the firm of Swanston & Son.
George Swanston was a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Sutter Club and the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. He donated the sum of ten thousand dollars to Sacramento for the purpose of erecting in William Land Park a fountain to the memory of his father. He maintained a never failing interest in the welfare and progress of his city and county, giving his earnest support to every movement which had for its object the betterment of commercial, civic and social conditions. He was one of the best known men in Sacramento Valley and none stood higher than he in public esteem and confidence.
Transcribed
by Marla
Fitzsimmons.
Source: History of the
Sacramento Valley California Vol. III J. W. WOOLDRIDGE 1931. Page 130-134.
© 2004 Marla
Fitzsimmons.