Howard Llewellyn Swisher (September 21, 1870 – August 27, 1945) was an American businessperson, real estate developer, orchardist, editor, writer, and historian. As a prominent businessman, he established several companies responsible for the development of businesses and real estate in
Morgantown,
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
.
Swisher was born in 1870 near
Levels, West Virginia. He became a schoolteacher there at the age of 18, then graduated from
Fairmont State Normal School (present-day Fairmont State University) and
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...
. He then remained in Morgantown, where he established a bookstore and stationery shop. Following the success of his bookstore, Swisher organized the Main Street Building Company, the Howard L. Swisher Company, and the Morgantown Building Association, each of which constructed a large number of residences in the city. He was also the inaugural secretary-treasurer of the West Virginia Real Estate Dealers' Association.
Swisher was secretary of the Royalty Oil Company, which owned mining rights for approximately of prospective oil lands throughout the United States. He also held prominent leadership and management roles in the Valley Wood Working Company, the Monongahela Valley Posting and Distributing Plant, the Federal Savings and Trust Company, and the West Virginia Tri-Products Company. In
Hampshire County, Swisher maintained fruit growing interests and served as the president of the South Branch Merchandising Company. He was an active member of the
West Virginia Democratic Party
The West Virginia Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of West Virginia.
History
The state of West Virginia granted itself statehood after its people, through a state constitutional convention, became a fr ...
and was selected as a delegate from West Virginia to the
1936 Democratic National Convention.
In 1897, Swisher co-authored ''History of Hampshire County, West Virginia: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present'' with West Virginia historian
Hu Maxwell
Hu Maxwell (September 22, 1860, Saint George, Virginia (now West Virginia) — August 20, 1927, Evanston, Illinois) was a local historian, novelist, editor, poet, and author of several histories of West Virginia counties.
Biography
Maxwell was ...
. The book was the first comprehensive history of Hampshire County ever compiled. He composed a collection of poetry and short stories, ''Briar Blossoms'', in 1899, and was the editor of ''The Ghourki'', a
literary journal of poetry, short stories, and
aphorism
An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by ...
s. In 1908, Swisher published ''Book of Harangues'', a selection of passages from ''The Ghourki''.
Family background
Howard Llewellyn Swisher was born on September 21, 1870, on a farm near the
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
of
Levels,
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
.
He was the son of David Warner Swisher and his wife, Mary Katherine Bonnifield Swisher.
David was born in
Augusta County
Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its count ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
on April 29, 1822, and was of
Swiss German and
French ancestry.
David moved to
Preston County
Preston County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 34,216. Its county seat is Kingwood, West Virginia, Kingwood. The county was form ...
in present-day West Virginia in 1838, and a few years later, he purchased land near present-day Levels in Hampshire County and relocated there.
He then established a farm on this land, known as "The Levels," and remained there for the remainder of his life.
The Swisher family owned and operated one of the largest orchard operations in the Levels community.
In 1846, David married his wife, Mary Katherine Bonnifield,
the daughter of Dr. Arnold Bonnifield of
St. George, West Virginia.
Early life and education
Swisher spent his early years and adolescence on his father's farm, until he became a schoolteacher in Hampshire County at the age of 18.
He began his post-secondary education at Fairmont State Normal School (present-day Fairmont State University) in
Fairmont, which he graduated from in 1892.
While enrolled there, Swisher became affiliated with the Mu Mu Chapter of the
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American fraternal literary societies. The fraternity has 244 active (undergraduate) chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more t ...
fraternity.
Following his graduation, he traveled throughout the northwestern United States and the
Canadian provinces and territories
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nort ...
of
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
,
Assiniboia
Assiniboia District refers to two historical districts of Canada's Northwest Territories. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation.
Historical usage
''For more information on the history of the provisional districts, see also Distri ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, and
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Winn ...
.
Swisher then moved to
Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, where he worked as a public schoolteacher for two years.
He then returned to West Virginia and attended
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...
in Morgantown.
While at the university, he aspired to become a
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
and edited ''
The Athenaeum'', the institution's official student newspaper.
In 1897, after three years of studies, Swisher graduated from the university with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree.
Business career
![Howard Llewellyn Swisher 1903](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Howard_Llewellyn_Swisher_1903.png)
As a prominent businessman, Swisher established several corporations and companies responsible for the development of businesses and commercial and residential real estate in Morgantown.
He remained in Morgantown after his graduation from West Virginia University, and in 1897 with $700 in capital, he opened a book and stationery store known as the Acme Book Store.
The business prospered, and in April 1898, Swisher established the Acme Publishing Company, which he served as president of for several years.
Swisher subsequently organized the Main Street Building Company, which became responsible for building the Strand Building, a business and commercial block in Morgantown.
He established and incorporated the Howard L. Swisher Company in November 1914. He also organized the Morgantown Building Association in November 1918 with an authorized capital of $250,000 and himself serving as its general manager.
The Morgantown Building Association undertook extensive construction of residences in the city.
In December 1914, following its organization in
Parkersburg
Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metro ...
, Swisher was named the secretary-treasurer of the West Virginia Real Estate Dealers' Association.
The association was formed in cooperation with the
West Virginia Department of Agriculture and other state agencies for the promotion and development of the states's agricultural resources, real estate, and investments.
![Howard L Swisher Adverisement - Jackson's Real Estate Directory](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Howard_L_Swisher_Adverisement_-_Jackson%27s_Real_Estate_Directory.png)
In addition to his real estate and construction ventures, Swisher was an organizer and secretary of the Royalty Oil Company, which owned mining rights to approximately of prospective oil lands throughout the southern and southwestern United States.
He built and operated the Swisher Theater in Morgantown.
Swisher was also a director of the Valley Wood Working Company, the owner of the Monongahela Valley Posting and Distributing Plant, and the secretary of the Federal Savings and Trust Company prior to 1903.
By 1913, he was the president of the West Virginia Tri-Products Company, which invested in coal and oil production, glass manufacturing, and the production of timber and fruit.
Swisher maintained fruit growing interests on
South Branch Mountain
South Branch Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest to northeast through Hampshire and Hardy counties in the Eastern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia, rising to its greatest elevation of 3,028 feet (923 m) above sea-level in ...
(known as Jersey Mountain) in Hampshire County, and served as the president of the South Branch Merchandising Company.
Writing career
During his travels, Swisher contributed articles and poetry to newspapers throughout the Northwest.
While attending West Virginia University, he published a small book containing approximately 600 lines of poetry, which he dedicated to his classmates.
In 1897, Swisher co-authored ''History of Hampshire County, West Virginia: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present'' with West Virginia historian
Hu Maxwell
Hu Maxwell (September 22, 1860, Saint George, Virginia (now West Virginia) — August 20, 1927, Evanston, Illinois) was a local historian, novelist, editor, poet, and author of several histories of West Virginia counties.
Biography
Maxwell was ...
.
The book was the first comprehensive history of Hampshire County ever compiled.
He composed a collection of poetry and short stories titled ''Briar Blossoms'', which was published by his Acme Publishing Company in 1899.
Swisher was the editor of ''The Ghourki'', a
literary journal of poetry, short stories, and
aphorism
An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by ...
s.
He began each issue with an introductory commentary entitled "Harangues to the Ghourki" in which he referred to himself as the "Chief of the Tribe".
In 1908, Swisher published ''Book of Harangues'', a selection of passages from ''The Ghourki''.
Politics
![Howard Llewellyn Swisher 1899](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Howard_Llewellyn_Swisher_1899.jpg)
Swisher was an active member of the
West Virginia Democratic Party
The West Virginia Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of West Virginia.
History
The state of West Virginia granted itself statehood after its people, through a state constitutional convention, became a fr ...
.
In 1900, he was selected as a candidate for State Superintendent of Free Schools.
In the 1902 general election, he ran as the Democratic candidate for the Eleventh District of the
West Virginia State Senate
The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature.
There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in t ...
.
Despite his loss, Swisher received the largest number of Democratic votes ever amassed in
Monongalia County up until that time.
Swisher was a delegate at the
1936 Democratic National Convention in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
and was selected as an alternate delegate to the
Democratic National Conventions of
1912 and
1924
Events
January
* January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after.
* January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China holds ...
.
Personal life
In August 1897, Swisher married Mary Dering of Morgantown, daughter of Edward A. Dering and his wife, Cordelia Walker Dering of Morgantown.
Both the Dering and Walker families, from which Swisher's wife descended, had arrived in the
Colony of Virginia during its earlier periods of settlement.
Swisher was a member of the Morgantown Union Lodge No. 4 of the
Free and Accepted Masons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, Morgantown Lodge No. 411 of the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City.
History
The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...
, the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce, the
Kiwanis Club
Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizatio ...
, the Country Club, and the
Old Colony Club
The Old Colony Club is one of the oldest Gentlemen's Clubs in the United States, founded in 1769 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
History
The club was founded in January, 1769, by Isaac Lothrop, Pelham Winslow, Thomas Lothrop, Thomas Mayhew, E ...
. Swisher served on the Old Colony Club's National Advisory Council.
On August 27, 1945, Swisher died of a
cerebral hemorrhage due to
hypertension at his residence at 80 Donley Street in Morgantown.
Swisher was
interred
Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
on August 30, 1945, at Oak Grove Cemetery in Morgantown's
Chancery Hill Historic District.
Selected works
*
History of Hampshire County, West Virginia: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present'. 1897. Co-authored with
Hu Maxwell
Hu Maxwell (September 22, 1860, Saint George, Virginia (now West Virginia) — August 20, 1927, Evanston, Illinois) was a local historian, novelist, editor, poet, and author of several histories of West Virginia counties.
Biography
Maxwell was ...
.
*
Briar Blossoms: Being a Collection of a Few Verses and Some Prose'. 1899.
*
Book of Harangues'. 1908.
References
Bibliography
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Swisher, Howard Llewellyn
1870 births
1945 deaths
19th-century American historians
19th-century American male writers
19th-century American writers
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American writers
American businesspeople in the oil industry
American male non-fiction writers
American male poets
American orchardists
American people of French descent
American people of Swiss-German descent
American publishers (people)
Burials at Oak Grove Cemetery (Morgantown, West Virginia)
Businesspeople from Morgantown, West Virginia
Deaths from hypertension
Editors of West Virginia newspapers
Education in Hampshire County, West Virginia
Educators from West Virginia
Fairmont State University alumni
Historians of West Virginia
Local historians
People from Hampshire County, West Virginia
Poets from West Virginia
Real estate and property developers
West Virginia Democrats
West Virginia University alumni
Writers from West Virginia