Thoroughly trained for professional activity. Dr. Thomas Justin Swisher, a graduate of Rush Medical College of Chicago, has been actively engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Rawlins since 1904 and in the intervening period, covering fourteen years, has developed a practice of large extent and importance.
   He was born in Mercer county, Illinois, May 16, 1872, a son of Abram B. Swisher, who was born in Pennsylvania and represented one of the old families of that state, of Swiss descent. The founder of the American branch of the family came to the United States prior to the Revolutionary war, in which six brothers of the name participated, rendering valuable aid in the struggle for independence. In later generations members of the family have largely devoted their attention to professional pursuits, becoming active and prominent in the field of medicine and of law.
    Abram E. Swisher was reared and educated in the Keystone state and about 1850 removed to the west, settling in Mercer county, Illinois. He was married in the latter part of the '50s and afterward returned to Pennsylvania, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits, carrying on business at Jerseytown, Columbia county. Following the close of the Civil war he disposal of his business in that state and again took up his abode in Mercer county, Illinois, where he turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits, continuing an active representative of farming interests up to the time of his death, which occurred August 29, 1885, when he had reached the age of fifty-six years. On his first removal to Illinois and prior to his marriage he taught school, taking up the profession when but eighteen years of age. His was an active and useful life, winning for him the honor and respect of ail with whom he was associated. His political endorsement was given to the democratic party and he took an active interest in local political affairs and in civic matters, doing all in his power to further the development and upbuilding of city and county and uphold civic standards. He served for thirteen years as county supervisor, his long retention in that office being proof of the capability with which he discharged his duties. His wife bore the maiden name of Sarah Bruff and was born in Illinois, representing one of the old pioneer families of that state whose ancestry could be traced back to the colonial period of Virginia. Mrs. Swisher was born in 1840 and is still living on the old homestead in Illinois. The Bruffs were of English and Scotch descent. By her marriage Mrs. Swisher became the mother of two sons and four daughters, but one of the sons died at the age of six years. The others are: William Mardock. who is a resident of Mercer county, Illinois; Elsie, the wife of Henry Noble, also living in Mercer county; Nellie, the wife of Max Colberg, a resident of Mercer county; and Jessie, the wife of Guy C. Mordock, of the same county.
    Doctor Swisher was reared and educated in his native county, pursuing his education through the graded and high school and in Valparaiso University of Indiana. With a good literary training as a foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of professional knowledge, he entered Rush Medical College of Chicago, from which he was graduated with the M. D. degree in 1903. In the meantime, however, he had taken up the profession of teaching, which he followed prior and subsequent to the pursuit of his literary education, devoting five years altogether to that branch of professional activity. He regarded it, however, merely as an initial step to other professional lines, and with the desire to become a member of the medical profession, entered the Rush Medical College of Chicago, where he pursued the complete course and thus became well qualified for the practice of medicine and surgery. Following his graduation be accepted the position of assistant surgeon for the Deering harvester works of Chicago, spending nearly a year in that connection, after which he determined to try his fortune in the west and removed to Rawlins, where he arrived on the 5^th of March, 1904. Since then he has been in active and continuous practice in this city and his pronounced ability has won for him very gratifying success. He keeps in touch with the trend of modern professional thought, research and investigation and is conversant with all those principles which have to do with successful medical practice. He is registered as a physician in Illinois, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah and he belongs to the Wyoming State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He has served as county physician of Carbon county, as city physician of Rawlins, attending physician to the state penitentiary and for the past five years has been health officer of Carbon county, while he enjoys a large private practice.
    On the 10^th of July, 1911, Dr. Swisher was married in Tacoma, Washington, to Miss Louise Marcella Castaing, a native of New York citv and a daughter of Louis and Carrie (Stine) Castaing, the former a native of France.
    Dr. Swisher is a democrat in his political views and has been an active worker in party ranks, doing all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. He was elected a member of the state legislature in 1909 serving for one term, and he has cooperated in many plans and movements to advance the welfare and promote the progress of his state along political and other lines. Fraternally he is connected with the Royal Highlanders and the Modern Woodmen of America. At the present time he is serving upon the local draft board of Carbon county. A thoroughly trained and capable physician, he is well qualified to act in this capacity and to care for the onerous duties of a large practice, having demonstrated his ability to cope with the intricate and involved problems that are continually confronting the physician.