"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



Arthur L. Swartz, a well-known, and well-to-do farmer of Amo township, Cottonwood county, is a native of Iowa, born in Clinton county, that state, October 25, 1863, son of Henry and Eliza (Koch) Swartz, natives of the state of Pennsylvania, who came West about 1852 and settled in Clinton county, Iowa. Henry Swartz was a carpenter by trade, but the most of his life he spent farming. During the Civil War he served as a private in Company F, Tenth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, attached to the Fifteenth Army Corps, and during all the period of his service was neither wounded nor taken prisoner. In 1868 he and his family moved from Clinton county to Cedar county, Iowa, and established their home there. In that latter county Mrs. Swartz died in 1883. Henry Swartz spent his last days in Ida county, same state, where his death occurred in 1906. He and his wife were members of the German Reform church and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the sixth in order of birth and the first two of whom died in infancy, the others being Ella F., who died in 1915, George Peter, William J. and Burdette.

Reared on the paternal farm, Arthur L. Swartz early began farming for himself and after awhile located on a farm in Cherokee county. He married in 1890 and in 1895 disposed of his farming interests in Iowa and came to Minnesota, locating in Cottonwood county. He bought the farm of one hundred and fifty acres on which he now resides, in Amo township, and there he and his family have made their home ever since, being very pleasantly and comfortably situated. Mr. Swartz is an excellent farmer and his place is well improved and profitably cultivated, he long having been recognized as one of the substantial farmers in that section of the county. It was in 1890 that Arthur L. Swartz was united in marriage to Lizzie Springer, who was born in Pennsylvania, daughter of Harry Springer and wife, natives of that same state, who came West and settled in Ida county, Iowa, where they spent the rest of their lives. Harry Springer was a veteran of the Civil War and a substantial farmer in the community in which he lived in Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Swartz eight children have been born, Earl H., Mabel A., Ethel M., Bessie A., Lewis M., Willis C., Coral and Angie Iris Zaida.