SWETTING, ERNEST VOLNEY

SWETTING, BROADWELL, JOHNSON, PERRY

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 7/18/2003 at 22:30:20

Biography reproduced from page 528 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

For almost a third of a century Ernest Volney Swetting has been a resident of Algona and since 1886 has been an active practitioner at the bar of Kossuth county. He brought to the starting point of his professional career certain admirable qualities and in the years of his practice his clientage has constantly grown, indicating his ready mastery of important and involved problems. He was born at Berlin, Wisconsin, August 1, 1858, and is a son of John Volney and Louise (Broadwell) Swetting. The father was a pioneer of Green Lake county, Wisconsin, where he took up his abode in 1848. He proved an active, useful and valuable citizen there, serving as a member of the school board, as a progressive member of the city council of Berlin and in other offices. He was a lawyer by profession and was elected city judge of Berlin. He was also for six terms clerk of the circuit court of that county and for ten years was a member of the board appointed by the United States government to appraise the overflowed lands of the Fox River with the ultimate purpose of making that river navigable. He likewise served as assessor of the city for three terms and discharged every public duty with promptness and fidelity, thereby winning for himself a place among the most capable, trustworthy and valued citizens of his community.

At the usual age Ernest Volney Swetting entered the public schools and passed through consecutive grades until he became a high-school student in Berlin. The year 1878 witnessed his arrival in Algona, where for four years he successfully engaged in teaching school. He then took up the study of law in the office of Coolbaugh & Call, and in 1886 was admitted to practice before the supreme court at Des Moines. He has since followed his profession with offices in Algona and is an able lawyer, whose careful analyzation of his cases and clear presentation of facts before the court win for him many successes. He also displays sound judgment in business affairs, causing his cooperation to be sought along various lines. He is now a director of the First National Bank of Algona, a director of the First National Bank at Titonka, treasurer of the Algona Brick & Tile Works and has other important business interests throughout the county.

In 1886 Mr. Swetting was united in marriage to Mrs. Bernice P. Johnson, a daughter of Ambrose Perry, of Swan Lake, Iowa. He was a life-long farmer and at one time was a resident of Berlin, Wisconsin, and later of Everett, Washington. He died in the year 1905. Mr. Swetting belongs to Red Gauntlet Lodge, No. 233, K. P., at Estherville, in which he has passed through all of the chairs. He is also a member of Algona Lodge, M. W. A., of which he has been a trustee. While he had no special advantages at the outset of his career he has made steady progress since starting out in life on his own account and has realized that only individual effort can win success at the bar. He has so directed his labors that he stands now as one of the capable lawyers of Kossuth county, having indicated knowledge of principle and precedent and demonstrated with clearness the relation of his case to the point in law cited.

Kossuth Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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