Individual Details
William A. SWANSON
(3 Jul 1875 - 17 Apr 1961)
W. A. Swanson recorded a Brand in Book C page 461 of Brands in Tulare County and William A. Swanson recorded a Mark in Book C page 465 of Brands. No date shown for those recordings.
Book of obituaries at the Exeter Library, has two. One hand dated 18 Apr 1961 doesn't give the newspaper and says: "WM. SWANSON OF THREE RIVERS TAKEN BY DEATH -
William A. Swanson, a man whose life almost parallels the growth of the City of Three Rivers and Giant Forest National Park died yesterday afternoon in a Tulare hospital at the age of 85.
He had been sick only a short time. Mr. Swanson was the first white man born in Three Rivers.
He ranched for approximately 60 years in the Three Rivers area and was born not far from the site of an old Indian burial ground, unearthed with the relocating of Highway 198 through Three Rivers.
In honor of his service to the community of Three Rivers, he cut the ribbon on the new stretch of highway when it opened several months ago.
He attended schools in Three Rivers and was the son of the late Mr.and Mrs. George Swanson. He was also the stepson of the late HaleTharp, who is the acknowledged founder of Giant Forest. Tharp was the first white man to be taken into the forest by Indian tribes.
Mr. Swanson first entered the park at the age of four with his father.
He had a varied and colorful life which saw him do work as a teamster,a cowboy, a deputy sheriff, a packer and a guide in the forest. He was a guide as recently as 10 years ago.
Mr. Swanson was preceeded in death by his wife, Carrie, who died in 1952.
Mr. Swanson has been called the foremost authority and the man best acquainted with the Sierra Mountains. He worked on the early roads through the mountains and was employed by the State Division of Highways on the Highway 198 route when it was first built.
He also was employed for a time by the State Division of Forestry.
He hauled the first redwood from the mountains to build the flumes for the Mt. Whitney Power Plant.
His grandfather, John Fancher, had the first licensed cattle brand in Tulare County.
Mr. Swanson was an honorary member of the Three Rivers Lions Club, an honorary deputy sheriff, and a member of the Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce.
He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Ida Ward, of King City.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Hadley Funeral Chapel, Visalia, with the Rev. John Buchholz officiating. Cremation will follow in Fresno."
The second article is from The Exeter Sun, handwritten date of 19 Apr 1961. "W. A. SWANSON, COLORFUL THREE RIVERS PIONEER, PASSES; FUNERALTOMORROW - William A. Swanson of Three Rivers, who was said to be the first white male to be born in that area and the oldest native of the Three Rivers district, died in a Tulare hospital Monday night after an illness of about three weeks. He was 87.
Funeral services will be held at the Hadley chapel in Visalia at 11a.m. tomorrow with Rev. John Buchholz officiating. The body will be taken to Fresno for cremation.
Mr. Swanson was born in the Three Rivers district in July, 1874, to George Swanson and Rachel Fancher Swanson. His father was the stepson of Hale Tharp, the first white man to see the Giant Forest, having been guided there by the Indians in 1858. His mother was the daughter of John Fancher, who registered the first cattle brand in Tulare County.
He made his first trip into Giant Forest at the age of two, riding in front of the saddle of his mother's horse during the annual migration of the family to the summer pasture at his grandfather's summer camp,now known as Tharp's Log.
"Uncle Billy," as he was known to his many friends in this part of the county, worked as a long time teamster, hauling redwood timber from Atwell's Mill during the building of the flume for the Mt. Whitney Power company in 1899. He was for many years a packer and guide in the Sierra, serving such groups as the Sierra Club. He built high Sierra trails and worked on some of the earliest roads into the mountains. For 10 years he was employed in state highway maintenance work.
He had also worked in the early state division of forestry fire suppression crews and in recent years had been a special deputy sheriff at many events in the Three Rivers area. He was an honorary member of the Three Rivers Lions club.
Because of his long years in the district, he was an authority on the history of the area.
His nearest relative is a sister, Mrs. Ida Ward of King City."
Book of obituaries at the Exeter Library, has two. One hand dated 18 Apr 1961 doesn't give the newspaper and says: "WM. SWANSON OF THREE RIVERS TAKEN BY DEATH -
William A. Swanson, a man whose life almost parallels the growth of the City of Three Rivers and Giant Forest National Park died yesterday afternoon in a Tulare hospital at the age of 85.
He had been sick only a short time. Mr. Swanson was the first white man born in Three Rivers.
He ranched for approximately 60 years in the Three Rivers area and was born not far from the site of an old Indian burial ground, unearthed with the relocating of Highway 198 through Three Rivers.
In honor of his service to the community of Three Rivers, he cut the ribbon on the new stretch of highway when it opened several months ago.
He attended schools in Three Rivers and was the son of the late Mr.and Mrs. George Swanson. He was also the stepson of the late HaleTharp, who is the acknowledged founder of Giant Forest. Tharp was the first white man to be taken into the forest by Indian tribes.
Mr. Swanson first entered the park at the age of four with his father.
He had a varied and colorful life which saw him do work as a teamster,a cowboy, a deputy sheriff, a packer and a guide in the forest. He was a guide as recently as 10 years ago.
Mr. Swanson was preceeded in death by his wife, Carrie, who died in 1952.
Mr. Swanson has been called the foremost authority and the man best acquainted with the Sierra Mountains. He worked on the early roads through the mountains and was employed by the State Division of Highways on the Highway 198 route when it was first built.
He also was employed for a time by the State Division of Forestry.
He hauled the first redwood from the mountains to build the flumes for the Mt. Whitney Power Plant.
His grandfather, John Fancher, had the first licensed cattle brand in Tulare County.
Mr. Swanson was an honorary member of the Three Rivers Lions Club, an honorary deputy sheriff, and a member of the Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce.
He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Ida Ward, of King City.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Hadley Funeral Chapel, Visalia, with the Rev. John Buchholz officiating. Cremation will follow in Fresno."
The second article is from The Exeter Sun, handwritten date of 19 Apr 1961. "W. A. SWANSON, COLORFUL THREE RIVERS PIONEER, PASSES; FUNERALTOMORROW - William A. Swanson of Three Rivers, who was said to be the first white male to be born in that area and the oldest native of the Three Rivers district, died in a Tulare hospital Monday night after an illness of about three weeks. He was 87.
Funeral services will be held at the Hadley chapel in Visalia at 11a.m. tomorrow with Rev. John Buchholz officiating. The body will be taken to Fresno for cremation.
Mr. Swanson was born in the Three Rivers district in July, 1874, to George Swanson and Rachel Fancher Swanson. His father was the stepson of Hale Tharp, the first white man to see the Giant Forest, having been guided there by the Indians in 1858. His mother was the daughter of John Fancher, who registered the first cattle brand in Tulare County.
He made his first trip into Giant Forest at the age of two, riding in front of the saddle of his mother's horse during the annual migration of the family to the summer pasture at his grandfather's summer camp,now known as Tharp's Log.
"Uncle Billy," as he was known to his many friends in this part of the county, worked as a long time teamster, hauling redwood timber from Atwell's Mill during the building of the flume for the Mt. Whitney Power company in 1899. He was for many years a packer and guide in the Sierra, serving such groups as the Sierra Club. He built high Sierra trails and worked on some of the earliest roads into the mountains. For 10 years he was employed in state highway maintenance work.
He had also worked in the early state division of forestry fire suppression crews and in recent years had been a special deputy sheriff at many events in the Three Rivers area. He was an honorary member of the Three Rivers Lions club.
Because of his long years in the district, he was an authority on the history of the area.
His nearest relative is a sister, Mrs. Ida Ward of King City."
Events
| Birth | 3 Jul 1875 | California | |||
| Census | 1880 | Kaweah & Mineral King Twp., Tulare Co., sheet 42 line 3. Soundex card. William, son, 5 (1875) born CA, father born IL, mother born CA. | |||
| Census | 15 Apr 1910 | Kingman, Mohave Co., AZ, ED 82 Sh 7B; William Swanson, step son, 35 (1874-75), single, born CA father born Missouri mother born CA, laborer - farm. | |||
| Death | 17 Apr 1961 | Tulare Co., California |  | ||
| Reference No | 2143 |
Families
| Spouse | Carrie Clara TOPPING (1874 - 1950) |
| Father | George Wallace SWANSON (1850 - 1924) |
| Mother | Rachel FANCHER (1858 - 1942) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth SWANSON (1878 - 1924) |
Endnotes
1. CADI - post 1940.