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"The Range Boss", painted by Frank Tenney Johnson, hangs in an art gallery in New York City. The subject for this painting was Joe Ericson, foreman for many years of the S.M.S. ranch in Dickens and other counties.When Frank Johnson was making a tour through the Southwest he spent some time on the Swenson Ranches. There he met Joe Ericson and pronounced him an ideal type for painting and used him in a number of sketches. Art critics have commented very favorably on the true depiction of the West as portrayed in the Range Boss. In addition to its merits as a painting it is a striking picture of Joe Ericson as he appeared each day as he rode the range for the Swensons in the early days.
The death of Ericson marked the passing of a typical West Texas cowboy. Despite his years he was always able to do his share of the ranch work with any of the hands. While he never manifested any flare for riding bad horses he was an expert judge of horses but he also had a knack for handling and getting more cow work out of them than most anyone. Often he would take a horse that had been pronounced worthless by some puncher and develop him into a good showhorse. Years ago he went to Georgetown and selected a stallion to head the Swenson horse herd, and he vindicated his judgement by siring some of the best cowhorses known in the state.
Though quiet and unassuming Ericson had the faculty for making and retaining friendships. Due to his long years of service for the SMS ranch, he started many young boys in ranch work as "hood" or "horse wrangler" and many of them thought of him almost as a father. It was not unusual to hear some puncher refer to him affectionately as Marse Joe.
Despite warnings from the doctors not to exert himself and the instruction of A.S. Swenson, manager of the ranch, to take things easy, Joe could not prevailed upon to leave off riding, and once on a horse he could not resist the urge to take an active part. Probably the end came as he would have, an active service to the last.
Joe Erickson and his wife were the typical May-December romance, and it did not work. The young wife did not like being out on the ranch away from friends and entertainment. They were the parents of one child before they were divorced.
Source: "Dickens County, Its Land and People", Dickens County Historical Commission, ©1986
Joseph ("Judge") Ericson, long-time SMS cowboy, foreman, and range boss, was born 13 January 1859 in Kalleryd, Jonkoping, Sweden. With his two sisters and his parents, he emigrated to America May 16, 1870. The family ultimately settled in Austin, Texas. Twelve years later, Joe Ericson, now twenty three years old, accompanied A.E. Dyer to West Texas to begin his life-long association with Swenson ranching operations.In 1899 Joe Ericson married Dora Lane in Jones County, Texas, probably in Stamford. This couple had only one child, Lester Yelma Ericson, who was born 9 February 1900 at Ericsdahl, Jones County. As a young man, Lester Ericson also worked for the SMS as a cowboy, campman, and strawboss. While still a Swenson cowhand, on 16 June 1921 in Spur, Texas, Lester married Lena Agnes Ellis, daughter of Smith "Dock" Ellis, another long-time Swenson ranch employee. After Lester and Lena moved to Spur in 1927, Lester engaged in the shoe repair and grocery businesses; and the couple raised two children in Dickens County, Joe Ellis - who had been born in Throckmorton County 9 June 1925 and Lester Lane who was also born in Throckmorton County 27 July 1927.
Joe Ericson and Dora Lane Ericson divorced when their son was a young boy; and Dora left Dickens County to live first in El Paso, Texas, then in Morenci, Arizona, and finally in Pacific Beach, California. Joe Ericson died in August 1931 at age 72, and is buried in the Spur Cemetery. Joe Ericson´s first assignment after going to work for the SMS was to haul fence posts and string them along the ranch boundary lines using four teams of oxen. When Dyer began placing cattle on the fenced range, Ericson helped him locate the cattle and establish headquarters and camps. Several years later, after A. E. Dyer´s death, Ericson was promoted to range boss for the Swenson ranches. By 1930 these included the Flat Top in Jones County, the Throckmorton in the same county, the Tongue River in Cottle County, and the Spur in Dickens County. With few interruptions, he continued as Swenson Range Boss until his death in 1931.
The Spur Ranch was acquired by the Swenson interests in 1907. Soon thereafter Joe Ericson accompanied Charles A. Jones and other Swenson representatives to Dickens County and helped to choose a site for the City of Spur.
At the peak of ranching activities for the SMS, Ericson had charge of 20,000 to 25,000 head of cattle, more than 500 saddle horses, and up to 75 cowboys. At the time of his death the Swensons and others who knew him well characterized Joe Ericson as a "great cowboy and an outstanding man". Frank Hastings, a long-time associate in Swenson cattle operations, said of him that there was nothing about ranching he did not know. His work could be called "the poetry of the cow business".
Written by: Joe E. EricsonSource: Dickens County History...its Land and People © Dickens Historical Commission; Printer: Craftsman Inc. Lubbock, Texas 1986
Submitted by Gerald Farley Joe Ericson was a Swenson Product and wore the SMS trademark proudly. He went to work for the Swensons in 1882 and died in their service in 1931, worked for them the entire time, less 6 months spent in lonesomeness on the pavements of Stamford, Texas. He was wagon boss or division range boss the greater part of the 49 years of service for the Swenson ranch.Recollections, John Duff Green; edited by Joan Green Lawrence
ERICKSON Sven Josef (Joseph)
Born: Jan 14, 1859, Kelleryd, Jonkoping, Swenden
Died: Aug 7, 1931, Dickens Co., TX
Father: Josef ERICKSON 1827-1872
Mother: Josephine JOHANNESDOTTER 1837-1912
Married: Dora LANE Feb 15, 1899, Anson, Jones Co., TX
Born: Mar 5, 1876, Llano, Llano Co., TX
Died: Oct 25, 1959, San Diego, CA
Father: Samuel George LANE 1851-1921
Mother: Eliza Margaret BEDWELL 1851-1937
Children: Lester Yelma ERICKSON
Joe Ericson, 73, one of the most widely known cattle men of Texas, died of heart failure Saturday morning while supervising a round-up at Clairmont Mills in Kent County. He was seated in his car at the round-up ground at the time of the attack and was dead before his companions realized what had happened."Uncle Joe" as he was familiarly known to the cowboys, was born in Sweden, January 7, 1859, but immigrated to this country with his parents at the age of 10, the family settling near Austin. He began working for the Swenson Ranch interests in 1882 and three years later was made general ranch superintendent, the method of handling the work at that time being for one big outfit to travel from ranch to ranch. In 1911 the ranches were separated, it being impossible for a single crew to handle all the work properly, and Mr. Ericson came here to take charge of the Spur Ranch. He was stilled looked upon as general superintendent, however, and his advice and services were often sought at the other ranches of the company.
In 1899 he was married to Miss Dora Lane, in Throckmorton county, and to this union was born one son, Lester Ericson, who is a resident of this city.
Funeral services were conducted by Rev. H.L. Burnham at Spur Cemetery Saturday afternoon at four, the tires being recited in the presence of one of the largest gatherings the little cemetery has ever held. Many friends were here from all sections of the state to pay the last tribute of respect to this pioneer cattleman who has gone to follow the trails in the land of greener pastures.
Pallbearers were: A. Swenson, W.G. Swenson, Stamford; August Holenburg, Tongue River; Jim Gilmore, Al Bingham, John Selmon, Flat Top; Fran Rhodes and Dock Ellis of Throckmorton.
Honorary pallbearers were J.L. Taylor, Bill Rucker, Bob Dixon, Grady Swanner, Newt Bingham, Jack Cravy, Allie Scifreys, Jeff Parker, Ross Cannon, Lee Dixon, Lee Kelly, Buster Foster, Charlie Foster, Veto Austin, Bob Rucker, Thedor Segistrom, Rang Mason, Pat Criswell, Roy Phillips, Tom Gilmore, Buck Shipman, Monk Rucker, Lelan Scifreys, Olda Harrington, Henry Slack, Harry Ellis, Dud Ellis, Bill Davis, H.G. Arnold, Loyd Young, Luke Lyckman, S.W. Lyckman, Asa Arnold, Dock Gustafson, Streed Gustafson, W.W. Ellis, Ned Bowers, Mack Maples, Dock Clarey and E.W. Hatcher.
©The Texas Spur,
From the records of Lillian Grace Nay, Spur Museum, transcribed by Becky Hodges, August 2004
Joe Ericson
Spur, August 7, 1931
Stricken with a heart attack while he worked at a round up 15 miles southeast of Spur, Joe Ericson, 72, foreman of the S.M.S. Ranch since 1911 and an employee of the S.M. Swenson interests for 50 years, died this morning in his saddle.
Ericson, one of the most picturesque characters of the cattle ranges of West Texas was born in Sweden and came to Texas at about 10 years of age. His first residence was Austin, Texas.
He came to Stamford, Jones county, in 1882 with S.M. Swenson, Sr. and A.J. Swenson when they brought their first load of posts for fencing the first Swenson ranch in Texas. In 1895 he was made ranch superintendent for the Swenson concern and was placed in charge of the Spur ranch when it was acquired by the company in 1911, holding the place until his death.
Ericson was striken while riding over the ranch at Clairemont Mill, Kent county and death occurred immediately.
Funeral rites were at Spur with the Rev. W.B. Vaughn of Spur and Dr. H.B. Haterius of Ericksdahl officiating.
Survivors: Lester Ericson, a Spur merchant; 2 grandchildren; sister: Mrs. M.N. Gammel of Abilene.
Source: Obituaries of the Stamford American � 2003, Dorman Holub.
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