Biographical Sketch of D. B. Swift, Holden, Johnson County, Missouri >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** D. B. Swift, the widely-known and popular proprietor of the Talmage Hotel at Holden, Missouri, is one of the county's most successful and influential citizens. Mr. Swift is a native of Ohio, but for more than fifty years has been a resident of Missouri so that he seems to be one of this state's native sons. He was born in February, 1858, in Cleveland, Ohio, a son of Dr. and Mrs. S. P. Swift. When he was a child, seven years of age, he came with his parents to Missouri and they settled in Shelbina, Shelby county, in December, 1865. Dr. S. P. Swift was a well trained and skilled physician and in Cleveland, the metropolis of northern Ohio, he was one of the leading practitioners, a prominent lecturer in the Cleveland Homeopathic College. To Dr. S. P. Swift and Mrs. Swift were born three children: D. B., the subject of this review; Flora, deceased; and Byron L., Shelbina, Missouri. Dr. Swift continued in the practice of his profession at Shelbina. He was a man of exceptional ability and intellectual powers and for 11 years, from 1898 until his death in 1909, was in charge of the Hospital for the Insane of northeastern Missouri. The mother died at Shelbina in 1886 and 23 years later the doctor joined her in death, April 27, 1909. At the early age of 16 years, D. B. Swift left school and began life for himself. His first vocation was that of teaching music and dancing. After his marriage in 1876, Mr. Swift located on the farm, one mile north of Shelbina, which is known as the "Oakland Stock Farm," and be- came interested in breeding and raising standard bred trotting horses, pure-bred White Durham cattle, and I. O. C. Chester White hogs. Within a very short time, Mr. Swift's interest in standard bred trotters de- veloped into an enthusiasm for breeding fine roadsters and speed horses and for 30 years he was closely and prominently allied with the world of horsemen, owners of high class racing animals. Among the best of the horses from the Swift stables were: "Spirah S," pacer, 2.12 1/4, by "Almont Wilkes" son, "Aspirant," 2.18, and "Dollie S.," 2.26, by "Bay Wilkes"; "Lou S.," trotter, 2.13 1/4, by "Rene Russell," 2.20 1/2, and "Dollie S.," daughter of "Bay Wilkes," 2.26; "Tommy S.," pacer, 2.06 1/4 by "Electrotype" and "Salina Medium," daughter of "Great Happy Medium," the best and most renowned dam of the Mediums and the son, "Tommy S." the colt holding the record for the greatest speed; and "Rena S.", 2.12 1/4, by "Rene Russell" and "Ona S.," dam of "Lord Brilliant," the highest priced horse ever bred in Missouri, valued at $70,000, an international show horse. these and several other splendid animals bred by Mr. Swift have gained local fame and some of them a national reputation, "Tommy S." was sold by Mr. Swift for $5,000 and he was a bargain at that. In 1913, D. B. Swift left Shelbina and moved to Garden City, Missouri. He there entered the hotel business and for two years and three months conducted the Commercial Hotel of that city. Mr. Swift then came to Holden and purchased the Talmage Hotel, of which he is still proprietor, at the time of this writing. In addition to the work of managing his hotel, he is the overseer of a large wheat farm in Oklahoma. His daughter, an only child, Mrs. D. E. Smock, is associated in the hotel business with her father. The Talmage Hotel is one of the best and most capably managed of the small hotels in Missouri. In 1876, D. B. Swift and Ella Swen were united in marriage at Shelbina, Missouri, and to this union was born one child, Mrs. D. E. Smock, of whom mention has been made. Mrs. Smock is the mother of one child, a daughter, Luella. Mr. Swift is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Politically, he is independent. Much like his father before him, Mr. Swift is dis- tinctively one of the leading men of his county, a man of versatile abilities, who has "made good" at everything he has undertaken, whether it be teaching, farming, stock raising, horse racing, or hotel keeping, a citizen of more than local repute. The Swift name has long been synonymous with all the constitutes rectitude and honor and today no man in this part of the state of Missouri can boast more or stronger ties of close personal friendship than D. B. Swift. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. 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