Jones County Texas Archives - Swenson School - 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 16, 1927Swenson School District No. 48 has an outstanding bonded indebtedness of $7,000.00.Valuation $149,943.00 Local tax rate 60c. Bond tax 40c. The area of the district is17 square miles. The trustees are Messrs. S.L. Edling, C.E. Youngquist and I.J.Choate. The teachers are Mrs. Eva L. Stone, Mrs. Ruby Rowland Carlson, and MissGladys Conley.Swenson School District No. 48, is located in the extreme northeast corner of JonesCounty, 25 miles from Anson. The school district is known as Swenson School, but thecommunity, comprising this school district, is usually known as Ericksdale Community.The name of the community is derived from the fact that the settlement is situatedwithin the confines of the old S.M. S. Ericksdale ranch. The old headquarters, ranchhouse, after a little remodeling, is still one of our good farm homes. Perhaps thisfact may explain reason for our community being called Ericksdale, when our school iscalled Swenson.The settlement, now a little over 20 years old, is principally Scandinavian. Theoriginal land sales were made to Scandinavian settlers. Like all West Texassettlements, this settlement has had its lean years, but most of the originallandowners remained, bravely carrying on. Now we have a community comprised largelyof landowners remained bravely carrying on. Now we have a community comprised largelyof landowners, with good farms, good homes, and good equipment. The greater percentof land is still owned by these original settlers or their children, but there noware also good landowners and farmers of other nationalities.Our early settlers thought in terms of community, and typical of new settlements.Ericksdale has been a pleasant, friendly neighborly community. The pioneers were notsatisfied with homes for themselves alone. They wanted church and school house intheir neighborhood. These they set about to get, and according to standards ofchurches and school houses of those days, very creditable buildings were erected. Theold, frame school house has been superseded by a modern three-room brick building, onmore desirable location. Endeavors are not afoot to have our boys and girls do somereal work under the supervision of our county agent. Last year a very serviceableteacherage was added to our school equipment.From the very first, the center of activities has been the church, the EvangelicalLutheran. In the very early days before a church building was erected, divineservices were conducted in the open in some mesquite grove, and it was not unusualfor the whole congregation to be served Sunday dinner form one of the S.M.S. churchwagons.In recent years a playground has been built on the church property. This play groundis lighted by Delco, and is used by the community every Thursday night throughout thesummer. The older people enjoy the social hour, and it need not be added the childrenand young people enjoy the various games. Thursday night gatherings are realget-together events.The neighborly, friendly spirit of new settlements in the west is, perhaps, thegreatest trait of character in America. But as settlements grow older in the east,north or west, prosperity, with its attendant care, preoccupation rush and worry,often, too often crowds to the background that neighborly, friendly spirit, wasinstinctively known as genuine real and worthwhile. True, it is usually doneunintentionally, but intentionally or unintentionally crowded to the background justas effectually. This should not be done under any circumstances. And if it ispossible for any community factors to say, Òthis must not happen. It shall not bedone,Ó church and school are the factors to say it. The passing of the old Westernspirit of friendly neighborliness is an irreparable loss to any community, not becounteracted by any amount of material prosperity.So, as our communities, with our county, grow older, the spirit of cordiality,hospitality and helpfulness should be cherished and assiduously guarded. May it neverpass from among us, and our victories of the future shall be greater than those ofthe past.--By Hugo B. Haterius