Jones County Texas Archives - Swenson Family - 1927 *********************************************************** Submitted by: Dorman Holub Date: 19 January 2020 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/jones/jonestoc.htm *********************************************************** The Stamford AmericanThursday, June 30, 1927Swensons Played Important Part in Local HistoryS.M.S. Cattle known throughout the nation; Headquarters hereS.M. Swenson born in OleÕ Sweden, and later coming to the U.S.A. and still later tothis part of the county where he took up claims, bought land and cattle, probably didnot realize how gigantic an undertaking he had started. For today the famous S.M. S.Brand of Commercial Herefords is known from coast to coast and north and south. S.M.Swenson was the founder of this great institution Swenson Bros. and more recentlySwenson Land & Cattle Co.These people today, own and operate about 400,000 acres of land. Even though theremay be ranches much larger it is hard to realize the amount of territory covered inso large a tract. Or in this case, tracts of land.E.P. and S.A. Swenson, present owners acquired the famous Tongue River ranch of about90,000 acres in 1898.The S.M.S. Throckmorton ranch was the original Swenson ranch, acquired by S.M.Swenson when he first moved to West Texas. In this tract there are about 110,000acres. He also acquired the famous Flat Top (now headquarters) ranch of about 40,000acres, a part of which has been sold since.S.M. Swenson also acquired the Ericksdahl ranch, about 40,000 to 50,000 acres, butmost of this land has been sold since that time.The S.M. S. Spur ranch, owned by a New York Syndicate, in which Swenson Bros. areprominently recognized, was bought in 1907. There were 400,000 acres originally inthis tract. These lands are being sold from time to time.In the beginning of S.M.S. history all lands in this part of the west were in openrange. Swenson Bros. were the first to fence with barbed wire.From almost the beginning the Swenson Bros. have been consistently improving on theirherd. Their breeding policy has been for a number of years 90 percent Hereford and 10percent Shorthorn or probably more clearly understood as an infusion of Shorthornblood which is produced by putting one shorthorn bull to nine Hereford bulls in everycommercial herd. Bulls from the best herds in the world are put in these registeredherds.The S.M.S. does not specialize in registering cattle, but are proud of the fact thatthey keep only purebred herds. All cattle that donÕt stand up to breeding and makegood individuals are cut out.MarketingIn the early days, buyers came down from the east for roundup and bought herds at atime. Cattle were sold in large numbers in this way until after 1900.The policy then adopted was to sell direct to the feeders in the corn belt forfattening. S.M.S. Cattle were introduced to the feeders by auctions and specialadvertising. Most feeders wanted either calves or yearlings more than others and inthis event Swenson Bros. featured a standardized product, known as S.M.S. StandardCalves, and S.M.S. Standard Yearlings, the same standard sold to all buyers. In thisway the S.M.S. has built a reputation that is nationally known.From 12,000 to 15,000 Calves are branded each year, and as the size of the herdremain practically the same then it is safe to say the sale runs in the sameproportion.Keep 1500 HorsesAbout 1500 horses are kept by the S.M.S. including mares and cow ponies for own use.The year-round services of 75 cowboys are used in the operation exclusively.One of the outstanding characters in S.M.S. history was Frank S. Hastings, deceased.Mr. Hastings was nationally known as a poet, writer and speaker. He was manager ofthe S.M.S. Ranches for 20 years and until his death in 1922.Another of the famous S.M.S. men that is nationally known and is loved and respectedby all who know him is Joe Ericson of Spur. Mr. Ericson has been with the S.M.S. anumber of years longer than any other cowboy that is still in their service.Then, of course, everyone in our near Stamford knowns ÔScandalousÕ John Selman,foreman of the S.M.S. Flat Top ranch. An account of the life history of ÔScandalousJohnÕ is found elsewhere in this issue.A.J. Swenson, present manager and superintendent, is now on a tour of Europe.W.G. Swenson, son of A.J. Swenson is in active charge of S.M.S. activities at thepresent time. The writer has this to say about W.G. or more familiarly known as Bill,that he is an efficient executive, that he is capable of handling the office he nowholds, assistant manager and superintendent, to perfection. And Bill is a realcowboy, too. He can and often does Ôride right outÕ on roundup, handles a rope in anenviable way in branding, and it is generally known and understood around the corralthat bill doesnÕt have to Ôclaw leatherÕ on a bad horse.The S.M.S. office and town headquarters for the last quarter of a century is nowbeing moved from its old location on the northeast corner of the square in Stamfordto make way for a modern store and office building.So, it is in ranching history, that many things have been accomplished on the S.M.S.modern methods are supplanting the old. The old Texas Longhorn has retired in favorof the purebred Hereford. The open range is a thing of the past. The chuck wagon is anovelty in the eyes of the great American public and the cowboys go a courtinÕ inautomobiles.