SWEITZER, Louis W., b 1859; 1905 Bio, Delta County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/delta/bios/sweitzerlw.txt --------------------------------------- Donated September 7, 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Louis W. Sweitzer Although born and reared in this country, and indoctrinated from his childhood in its lessons of human equality and individual freedom, and witnessing all his life and participating from his youth in its civil institutions, Louis W. Sweitzer, of Delta county, has many traits of his German parentage and has put into practice in his laudable endeavors for advancement among his fellow men the sterling characteristics of his race which make its people conquerors in any field of enterprise and worthy of all regard in all the elements of good citizenship wherever they happen to cast their lot. His life began in Ohio on July 22, 1859. His parents, Henry and Elizabeth (Leonard) Sweitzer, were natives of Germany, the father born on the banks of the river Lahn and the mother at the town of Arbor. The father came to this country when a young man and settled in Ohio, where he is still living. He is a wagon maker by trade and has passed his life so far in the industrious pursuit of his craft. The mother died in the autumn of 1901. Their son Louis was educated at the public schools and remained at home until he reached the age of nineteen years. Then in 1878 he came to Colorado and until the spring of 1880 he made his home at Denver. That year he moved to Leadville and engaged in mining. In 1881 he transferred his energies to Telluride but continued in the same vocation with prospecting in addition, returning to Leadville in the spring of 1882. Here he remained steadfastly with the mining industry until the spring of 1887, when he began an enterprise in merchandising at Leadville in which he still has an interest. He moved to Delta county in 1894 and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land on Garnett mesa, one mile and a half from Delta, which is now and ever since has been his home. On this tract he has erected a fine dwelling and planted fifty acres in fruit. The rest of his land is given up to alfalfa and other general farm products, and both in the agricultural and the orchard lines of his business he is doing well. His orchard comprises mainly apple and peach trees, and both yield abundantly. In 1903 he sold upwards of five thousand dollars worth of products from his farm, among the yield being three thousand boxes of apples, one car load of which brought an average of one dollar and seventy cents a box. The prospects for the current year (1905) are much better and his revenue is likely to be largely increased over that of last year. On September 19, 1889, Mr. Sweitzer was married to Miss Elizabeth Morganstern, who was born at Marietta, Ohio, on December 23, 1859, and is the daughter of Jacob and Kate (Wagner) Morganstern, natives of Germany who settled in Ohio in youth. They were married in that state and it is still their home. Mr. Sweitzer has three sisters and two brothers, all of whom are living, and he is the only member of the family residing in Colorado. In the Sweitzer household six children have been born, and all are living and at home. They are Leonard E., Lewis M., Minnie E., Bernice E., Paul F. and Minnie M. The oldest is fourteen and the youngest five and one half years of age. Mr. Sweitzer is a Republican in politics, a Woodman of the World in fraternal life and a Presbyterian in church membership. His wife also belongs to the Presbyterian church. They stand well in their community and are among the prosperous and substantial citizens of the county in which they live. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.