Biography of Henry Swift, Clay Co, AR

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From: 
The Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of N. E. Ark.
Biographical Information.

Henry Swift was born in Orange County, N. Y., July 29, 1843, and is a son of
John and Jane (Weloh) Swift, who were born in Nottingham, England, the former's
birth occurring in 1815. His father, William Swift, was a postman, and carried
the mail from Longar to Elton, a distance of four and a half miles, making two
trips per day, and in fifty-three years service did not lose one day's time.
John Swift served as a private in the Crimean War, and was in the siege of
Sebastopol, being one of the only two surviving members of his camp. He died in
1882, having been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. and a well-to-do
land holder. His wife was also a member of the Methodist Church, and in 1843
came to the United States, locating in New York State, but returned to England
the same year, and died there in October, 1846. Henry Swift lived with his
grandfather until his eleventh year, and received a good common school education
in the schools of Longar. He then made a trip to the United States, and after
living three years in York State returned to England and again attended school.
Eleven years later he came again to the United States, and lived with an uncle
in Jo Daviess County, Ill., for about three years, later working out and
residing among the farmers in that county for two years more, attending school
during the winter and doing farm work in the summer months. While the war was
going on he traveled over the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and at the
close of hostilities began working on the Mississippi River, being engaged in
the construction of the Belleville Railroad, continuing such work until 1873,
when he came to Arkansas. He was occupied in farming in Randolph County until
1885, since which time he has been a resident of Clay County, and owns 280 acres
of fertile land, eighty-three of which are under cultivation, although all could
be easily put under improvement. It was heavily covered with timber, but is now
furnished with good buildings and fences. He gives much attention to breeding
Poland China hogs, and is a thrifty and successful farmer and stockman. He was
among the first to demonstrate the fact that swamp and overflowed land could be
tilled as profitably as the sand ridges, and seven or eight of his neighbors
have followed his example and now possess comfortable homes of their own. He is
active in school matters, is a Mason, and in his political views is a Democrat.
He was first married February 7, 1879, to Miss Malinda Smart, a daughter of
Lemuel and Jane Smart, of Arkansas and by her became the father of two children:
Laura, who died at the age of fifteen months, and an infant, deceased. His wife
died in 1882, and he took for his second wife, in 1884. Miss Retta Boyd, a
daughter of William Boyd, of Shannon County, Mo. She died quite suddenly in
February, 1885, having borne one daughter: Henrietta, who was born on the 22d of
March, 1883.