Andrew Swenson, the president of the Ririe Garage Company, Ltd., of Ririe, Idaho, is in every sense of the word a self-made roan who has hewed out his own career with little or no assistance. Sweden is his native land and he was born February 4, 1861, a son of Peter T. and Charisty (Peterson) Swenson. The father was an agriculturist in the old county but came to America in 1872 in quest of a more promising field for his operations. Soon after the arrival of the Swenson family on American soil, they located near Murray, Utah, where the father resumed farming which he continued to follow throughout life. He died on the home place in Utah in June, 1914, and his wife, the mother of our subject, survived three years, her death occurring in May, 1917.
All the formal training Andrew Swenson ever had he received while he was living in Sweden, for as soon as his father had become permanently settled in Utah he left home as a lad of eleven years to shift for himself as a farm hand and sheep herdsman. Early in his career he evinced a diligent and energetic disposition, and while little more than a youth he began sheep raising on his own account, grazing his herd on government land in the' neighborhood of Murray, Utah. He was thus engaged until 1907, in which year he disposed of his sheep business to take up farming, considering it more profitable, and came to Jefferson county, Idaho, where he bought a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres. At that time he found his land to be little more than an expanse of sagebrush but the eight years of effort he applied to it wrought a wonderful change in his farm which was brought to a high state of improvement. Eighty acres of the tract is now cultivated as a dry farm and on the other half excellent results are obtained through irrigation. He continued farming until 1915, in which year he rented his ranch and removed to Ririe to engage in business. Here he built the Amusement Hall, which he has since continued to operate, and besides his own residence he erected several houses which he now rents. In 1917 Mr. Swenson and his associates decided that the town of Ririe and the neighboring country could well support a distributing agency for motor vehicles and their accessories, hence they organized and incorporated the Ririe Garage Company, Ltd., of which Mr. Swenson was the first president and he is still serving in that capacity. The firm is equipped to carry on a general repair and accessory business, in addition to which it has the agency for the Oldsmobile, Willys-Knight and Overland automobiles and the J. I. Case farm tractor. Since its establishment the concern has been a pronounced success, which has been in a large measure due to the managerial ability of its president, and the extensive patronage it is now enjoying promises for it a prosperous future. Besides his business interests in and near Ririe, Mr. Swenson is a stockholder in the Gem State Grist Mill at Ucon, Idaho.
In 1899 Mr. Swenson was united in marriage to Ellen Headberg and to this union no children have been born. Both are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in the affairs of this denomination they take an active interest. In politics Mr. Swenson is a stanch republican and although he has not had time to devote to the quest of public office, he was chosen a member of the village board of Ririe and for the past two years he has served as chairman of the same. His has been an honorable and upright career marked by success. Now he is enjoying the competence which he has gathered during the many years of his unceasing toil.
(Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 3 by James H. Hawley 1920)
All the formal training Andrew Swenson ever had he received while he was living in Sweden, for as soon as his father had become permanently settled in Utah he left home as a lad of eleven years to shift for himself as a farm hand and sheep herdsman. Early in his career he evinced a diligent and energetic disposition, and while little more than a youth he began sheep raising on his own account, grazing his herd on government land in the' neighborhood of Murray, Utah. He was thus engaged until 1907, in which year he disposed of his sheep business to take up farming, considering it more profitable, and came to Jefferson county, Idaho, where he bought a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres. At that time he found his land to be little more than an expanse of sagebrush but the eight years of effort he applied to it wrought a wonderful change in his farm which was brought to a high state of improvement. Eighty acres of the tract is now cultivated as a dry farm and on the other half excellent results are obtained through irrigation. He continued farming until 1915, in which year he rented his ranch and removed to Ririe to engage in business. Here he built the Amusement Hall, which he has since continued to operate, and besides his own residence he erected several houses which he now rents. In 1917 Mr. Swenson and his associates decided that the town of Ririe and the neighboring country could well support a distributing agency for motor vehicles and their accessories, hence they organized and incorporated the Ririe Garage Company, Ltd., of which Mr. Swenson was the first president and he is still serving in that capacity. The firm is equipped to carry on a general repair and accessory business, in addition to which it has the agency for the Oldsmobile, Willys-Knight and Overland automobiles and the J. I. Case farm tractor. Since its establishment the concern has been a pronounced success, which has been in a large measure due to the managerial ability of its president, and the extensive patronage it is now enjoying promises for it a prosperous future. Besides his business interests in and near Ririe, Mr. Swenson is a stockholder in the Gem State Grist Mill at Ucon, Idaho.
In 1899 Mr. Swenson was united in marriage to Ellen Headberg and to this union no children have been born. Both are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in the affairs of this denomination they take an active interest. In politics Mr. Swenson is a stanch republican and although he has not had time to devote to the quest of public office, he was chosen a member of the village board of Ririe and for the past two years he has served as chairman of the same. His has been an honorable and upright career marked by success. Now he is enjoying the competence which he has gathered during the many years of his unceasing toil.
(Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 3 by James H. Hawley 1920)
Andrew Swenson, the president of the Ririe Garage Company, Ltd., of Ririe, Idaho, is in every sense of the word a self-made roan who has hewed out his own career with little or no assistance. Sweden is his native land and he was born February 4, 1861, a son of Peter T. and Charisty (Peterson) Swenson. The father was an agriculturist in the old county but came to America in 1872 in quest of a more promising field for his operations. Soon after the arrival of the Swenson family on American soil, they located near Murray, Utah, where the father resumed farming which he continued to follow throughout life. He died on the home place in Utah in June, 1914, and his wife, the mother of our subject, survived three years, her death occurring in May, 1917.
All the formal training Andrew Swenson ever had he received while he was living in Sweden, for as soon as his father had become permanently settled in Utah he left home as a lad of eleven years to shift for himself as a farm hand and sheep herdsman. Early in his career he evinced a diligent and energetic disposition, and while little more than a youth he began sheep raising on his own account, grazing his herd on government land in the' neighborhood of Murray, Utah. He was thus engaged until 1907, in which year he disposed of his sheep business to take up farming, considering it more profitable, and came to Jefferson county, Idaho, where he bought a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres. At that time he found his land to be little more than an expanse of sagebrush but the eight years of effort he applied to it wrought a wonderful change in his farm which was brought to a high state of improvement. Eighty acres of the tract is now cultivated as a dry farm and on the other half excellent results are obtained through irrigation. He continued farming until 1915, in which year he rented his ranch and removed to Ririe to engage in business. Here he built the Amusement Hall, which he has since continued to operate, and besides his own residence he erected several houses which he now rents. In 1917 Mr. Swenson and his associates decided that the town of Ririe and the neighboring country could well support a distributing agency for motor vehicles and their accessories, hence they organized and incorporated the Ririe Garage Company, Ltd., of which Mr. Swenson was the first president and he is still serving in that capacity. The firm is equipped to carry on a general repair and accessory business, in addition to which it has the agency for the Oldsmobile, Willys-Knight and Overland automobiles and the J. I. Case farm tractor. Since its establishment the concern has been a pronounced success, which has been in a large measure due to the managerial ability of its president, and the extensive patronage it is now enjoying promises for it a prosperous future. Besides his business interests in and near Ririe, Mr. Swenson is a stockholder in the Gem State Grist Mill at Ucon, Idaho.
In 1899 Mr. Swenson was united in marriage to Ellen Headberg and to this union no children have been born. Both are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in the affairs of this denomination they take an active interest. In politics Mr. Swenson is a stanch republican and although he has not had time to devote to the quest of public office, he was chosen a member of the village board of Ririe and for the past two years he has served as chairman of the same. His has been an honorable and upright career marked by success. Now he is enjoying the competence which he has gathered during the many years of his unceasing toil.
(Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 3 by James H. Hawley 1920)
All the formal training Andrew Swenson ever had he received while he was living in Sweden, for as soon as his father had become permanently settled in Utah he left home as a lad of eleven years to shift for himself as a farm hand and sheep herdsman. Early in his career he evinced a diligent and energetic disposition, and while little more than a youth he began sheep raising on his own account, grazing his herd on government land in the' neighborhood of Murray, Utah. He was thus engaged until 1907, in which year he disposed of his sheep business to take up farming, considering it more profitable, and came to Jefferson county, Idaho, where he bought a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres. At that time he found his land to be little more than an expanse of sagebrush but the eight years of effort he applied to it wrought a wonderful change in his farm which was brought to a high state of improvement. Eighty acres of the tract is now cultivated as a dry farm and on the other half excellent results are obtained through irrigation. He continued farming until 1915, in which year he rented his ranch and removed to Ririe to engage in business. Here he built the Amusement Hall, which he has since continued to operate, and besides his own residence he erected several houses which he now rents. In 1917 Mr. Swenson and his associates decided that the town of Ririe and the neighboring country could well support a distributing agency for motor vehicles and their accessories, hence they organized and incorporated the Ririe Garage Company, Ltd., of which Mr. Swenson was the first president and he is still serving in that capacity. The firm is equipped to carry on a general repair and accessory business, in addition to which it has the agency for the Oldsmobile, Willys-Knight and Overland automobiles and the J. I. Case farm tractor. Since its establishment the concern has been a pronounced success, which has been in a large measure due to the managerial ability of its president, and the extensive patronage it is now enjoying promises for it a prosperous future. Besides his business interests in and near Ririe, Mr. Swenson is a stockholder in the Gem State Grist Mill at Ucon, Idaho.
In 1899 Mr. Swenson was united in marriage to Ellen Headberg and to this union no children have been born. Both are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in the affairs of this denomination they take an active interest. In politics Mr. Swenson is a stanch republican and although he has not had time to devote to the quest of public office, he was chosen a member of the village board of Ririe and for the past two years he has served as chairman of the same. His has been an honorable and upright career marked by success. Now he is enjoying the competence which he has gathered during the many years of his unceasing toil.
(Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 3 by James H. Hawley 1920)
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