William W MCSWAIN Edna Earl MCSWAIN Albert MCSWAIN John William MCSWAIN Thelma MUSTIN Belle MCSWAIN Bertha M MCSWAIN William W MCSWAIN Sarah Ann Isabella LOWE Mini tree diagram
George Burton MCSWAIN

George Burton MCSWAIN12,13,2,1,17,4,6,7,8,3,14,16,15,9,10,18,5

26th Aug 18842,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 - 23rd Mar 19486,7,10

Life History

26th Aug 1884

Born in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

between 1900 and 1918

Resident in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.11,12

21st Feb 1917

Married Thelma MUSTIN in Arkansas County, Arkansas.17

Sep 1918

Residence2 in Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee.4

1919

Residence3: (might have been only his wife, gone home to have the baby) in Stuttgart, Arkansas, Arkansas.1

1920

Residence4 in Plainview, Hall, Texas.13

1930

Residence5 in Stuttgart, Arkansas, Arkansas.12

1933

Resident Address is reported as 111 S Cypress;  in 1935 and 1939 it was 117 S Cypress;  this may be a typo in 1933. in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.14

1935

Resident Address reported as 117 S Cypress in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.15

before 1935

Divorced from Thelma MUSTIN.8

1939

Resident Reported as a driller for Layne Ohio living at 117 S Dakota Ave, the same address reported as residence in his 1942 WWII registration. in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.16

1940

Residence6: worked in Wayne County in oil field; also appears to be reported as a boarder in Columbus. in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.8,9

25th Apr 1942

Resident Registered for the draft in Columbus, reporting his address as 117 Dakota Ave, Columbus, which, interestingly, has the same house number as his earlier-reported address on Cypress Ave.  Employed by Layne Ohio Water Supply. in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.3

about 1948

Death of son John William MCSWAIN in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.1

23rd Mar 1948

Died in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.6,7,10

after 23rd Mar 1948

Buried in Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio.6,7

BET APR AND MAY 1918

Birth of son John William MCSWAIN in Stuttgart, Arkansas, Arkansas.13,19,1

Notes

  • In 1880, George's family are reported in the census for Prairie Township of Arkansas County, Arkansas.  Details about the location of their house and neighbours indicates they are near the settlement of Ethel.  George's father William died before 1900, and details about the family are sparse. I finally found the 1900 census record for Sarah and two of her children.  This gave us birth months for the Sarah and the other children.

    1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 20 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 15A, Hse #254, Fam #261
    McSwain, Sarah  Head W  F  Jan 1856  44  AR MS TN Farmer
    McSwain, Edna  Dau  W  F  Oct 1877  22  AR NC TN
    McSwain, George  Son W  M  Aug 1884  15 AR NC TN

    Note that the father of the children is now said to have been born in Tennessee, not North Carolina.  In 1930, George's parents are both reported as born in Missouri.  We know from other family and documentary sources that his father born in North Carolina and his mother in Arkansas, where his parents met.

    George got married to Thelma Musten on 21 February 1917 in Stuttgart, Arkansas.

    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    G B McSwain
    Age: 30, Est Birth Year 1887
    Residence Stuttgart, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Spouse's Name Thelma Musten
    Spouse's Age 20
    Spouse's Residence Stuttgart, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Marriage 21 Feb 1917 Arkansas County
    Marriage License Date: 21 Feb 1917

    But they moved soon to Memphis, where we find in 1918 he was working as a machinist for a railroad company.

    World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
    George Burton McSwain
    Birth 26 Aug 1884 [no location stated
    Residence 1029 Rayburn, Memphis, Tennessee
    Occupation Machinist Helper, IC Railroad
    Nearest Relative (Wife) Thelma McSwain, same address
    Tall Medium Build, Blue Eyes, Brown Hair
    Registration 12 Sept 1918 Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
    Signed George Burton McSwain

    Their grandson James B McSwain says that his father John William McSwain was born in Stuttgart.  It may be that George's wife went back to Stuttgart to have the baby at her parent's home, while George stayed in Memphis to work.  Maybe George did not stay in Memphis very long in his work with the railroad.

    "My father, John William McSwain, was born in Stuttgart, AR, in 1919; his father was George (Burton?) McSwain, also called "Slim." He had some brothers and sisters near DeWitt, AR. He was an oil/water well driller, and died in Columbus, Ohio, in 1947-48."
    --  James B McSwain, McSwain Family Genealogy Forum, 03 November 1999, http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcswain/messages/220.html

    Notice that James is uncertain about his grandfather's middle name.  But now the WWI draft registration card quoted above confirms that George's middle name was Burton.

    They went to Texas over the next year or so, where they are in Plainview, Hall County, for the January 1920 census.  But they are back in Arkansas County in 1930.

    1920 Federal Census, Hall County, Texas, 28 January, District 107, p 4B, Hse #63, Fam #64
    McSwain, George B  Head Rents M W 36  Mar AR NC NC  Runs Cotton Gin
    McSwain, Thelma  Wife F W 22  Mar  TN TN TN
    McSwain, John  Son M W 1yr 8 mos AR AR TN

    In 1930, George and Thelma are back in Stuttgart, Arkansas.  In this census, both of George's parents are reported as born in Missouri.  I cannot figure out why.

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 14 April, District 8, p 9A, Stuttgart, 520 N Grand Ave, Hse #183, Fam #215
    McSwain, George B  M W 45  Married 13yrs AR MO MO  Well Driller
    McSwain, Thelma  F W 33  Married 13yrs  TN TN TN
    McSwain, John W  M W 12 AR AR TN

    George moved up to Ohio to work in the oil fields.  In 1933, George was listed in the Columbus, Ohio, City Directory, reported as an oil well driller.  He constitutes on of two McSwain households in Columbus.  The other is There is one other a Captain McSwain and his wife Belle, living in another part of Columbus.  It is not known if this Captain McSwain is related to the same lineage as Geor4ege.  he has been identified with any known member of the North Carolina-Arkansas lineage we present in this genealogy.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Columbus, Ohio, City Directory, 1933, p 724
    McSwain Captain (Belle) lab h 611 E Engler
    McSwain Geo B driller  r 117 S Cypress Ave

    In 1935, Mrs Bell McSwain is reported alone, without a mention of her deceased husband. The directories normally list this by (wid <hsband name)>.  Bell is at a different address now.  George is living a couple of houses down the street now, if the directory has his street number right.  This entry may have a typo for the same address 117 S Cypress Ave.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Columbus, Ohio, City Directory, 1935, p 770
    McSwain Belle Mrs h 492 E Noble
    McSwain Geo B well driller  r 111 S Cypress Ave

    In 1939, George is at a similar hosue number on a different street.  In this directory, George is the only McSwain listed.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Columbus, Ohio, City Directory, 1935, p 787
    McSwain Geo B driller Layne Ohio Co r 117 S Dakota Ave

    The 1940 census also confirms signs that George and Thelma have divorced, or at least are in a permanent separation.  George is reported as Single, living in Columbus, Ohio.  Thelma was enumerated in the 1940 census in her grandmother's household in Memphis,Tennessee, her home area, aloing with her widowed mother.

    Oddly, Thelma McSwain is reported there as Married, not Divorced.  I have not found the divorce record.  I do not have any further information on Thelma Mustin McSwain after the 1940 census, until her death information in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1984.  It is possible that George and Thelma never formally got divorced.

    In 1940, two census records match George.  One reprorts him boarding with a family named Stutzman in the town of Rittman, in Wayne County, in the northern part of the state.  This record reports he lived Columbus in 1935.

    1940 Federal Census, Wayne County, Ohio, 8 April, Rittman Village, District 85-29, page 5B, 170 N Main St, Hse #108, Rents $19
    McSwain, George Lodger M W 56 Divorced Grade 8 b Arkansas  Columbus OH in 1935 Oil Driller [b abt 1884]

    A second census record matches him, but this one is in Columbus.  The record also reports he was resident in Columbus in 1935.  This could be the same George B McSwian.  I have seen the current situation of many people working in well drilling who maintain two different residences, one near the site (Wayne County in this case) and another more permanent for their offtime (Columbus in this case).  Note that the street address reported in this census record is the same one he reported in his WWII draft registration in 1942, and that was reported in the 1939 directory.

    1940 Federal Census, Franklin County, Ohio, 9 April, Columbus Ward 9, District 93-148, page 7B, 117 S Dakota Ave, Hse #199
    McSwain, George Lodger M W 56 Single Grade 8 b Arkansas  same place  in 1935 Oil Driller, Welder [b abt 1884]

    The next record I find for George is his WWII draft registration card, in 1942, when he registered for the draft in registered in Columbus, Ohio.

    U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
    George Burton McSwain
    Birth 26 Aug 1884 Ethel, Arkansas
    Residence 117 Dakota Ave, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio
    Employer Layne Ohio Water Supply, Columbus
    Contact person Mrs. H A Kendrick, 1870 Gains St, Little Rock AR
    (back)
    6'1 3/4" 199 lbs, Blue Eyes, Brown Hair, Light Complexion
    Registered 25 April 1942 Columbus, Ohio
    Signed Geo McSwain

    In 1945, another McSwain household appears in the city directory.  Richard with his wife Jessie are not identified as related to Georege's McSwain line.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Columbus, Ohio, City Directory, 1945, p 899
    McSwain Geo B driller Layne Ohio Co r 51 1/2 E 5th Ave
    McSwain Richd (Jessie) constrwkr r 3233 Galloway Ave

    There are records for a George McSwain that match George Burton, and his death record reports that his father's name was William W, another important match.  But the birth date reported in the Ohio records is 26 October 1884, rather than 26 August 1884.  And his WWII registration indicated he was there on a temporary assignment, since the contact address he gave was in Little Rock.

    Discrepancies like this are pretty common in that era.  And otherwise, other records strengthen his identification with Ohio, including the residences and death of his son John W McSwain in Columbus.  John's son reports his father died there.  No death or burial record has been found for John.

    U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
    George B McSwain
    Birth Date Aug 1884
    Death 23 Mar 1948 24 Mar 1948
    SSN 291097397
    05 Aug 1977 Name listed as GEORGE B MCSWAIN

    George's memorial on Find a Grave was updated 12 June 2015 with information I provided.

    ------------------------
    George Burton "Slim" McSwain
    Birth Oct 26, 1884 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Death Mar 23, 1948 Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio
    Spouse Thelma Mustin Kenny (1897 - 1984)
    Burial Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, Section 106, Lot 39
    Jan 2016: A Find A Grave volunteer visited the grave and reports no marker was found
    [A photo of the location on the memorial also shows the plot with no marker, and designates the location with George's info]
    Created by Dave Davisson Jun 15, 2011
    --  Find A Grave Memorial #71393318, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=MCS&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=37&GScntry=4&GSsr=241&GRid=71393318&&ftm=1
    ---------------------

    McSwain, George Burton  Birth 10/26/1884  Death 03/23/1948 Father McSwain, William W
    --  Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio, Burial Register, http://greenlawn.delaohio.com/greenlawn/greenlawndata/m.txt?ftm=1

Sources

Page created using GEDmill 1.11.0