History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

90 History of Swansea
post-master on the 20th day of February, 1830. The name of
this office was subsequently changed to North Swansea. Mr.
Barney was superseded as post-master by Mr. Alvan Cole on
the 28th day of June, 1836. Mr. Cole retained the office until
the 28th day of February, 1838, when Capt. James Cornell
was appointed post-master, and remained in office until the
24th day of June, 1841, when Mr. Mason Barney was reappointed
as post-master. Mr. Barney, Sr., was followed in
office by his son, Mr. Mason Barney, Jr., on the 15th day of
April, 1867, who continued post-master until he was succeeded
on the 12th day of February, 1872, by Mr. WiUiam P. Mason.
The post-office at Swansea Center was established on the
29th day of December, 1888, when Mr. Seth W. Eddy was
appointed post-master, and held that office many years.
The post-office at Hortonville was established and Mr.
L. L. Cummings was appointed to that office on the 19th day
of January, 1885, and served until the office was discontinued.
On the 24th day of October 1890, a post-office, "South
Swansea," was established on Gardner's Neck at the station
of the Old Colony Railroad Company. Mr. Frank J. Arnold
was appointed post-master, and began the business of the
office on the 20th day of November, 1890. The present postmaster
is Station Agent Moore.
The Population of Swansea
The population of Swansea from the time of the first
State census in 1765 has never varied greatly. The total at
that time was 1,840 which was exceeded in 1820, when it
reached 1,933. The lowest point was touched in 1870, when
it fell to 1,294. Since that date it has been slowly but steadily
rising. In 1890 the number was 1,456. 1915 it was 2,558.
The stationary character of Swansea's population is due
largely to the fact that its chief industry is agricultural. At
the last census, though it ranked as low as the two hundred and
eleventh town in the State in population, it stood thirty-sixth
in value of agricultural products.
The fixed tenure of many of its farms is worthy of note.
Some of them are still owned and occupied by the Hneal descendants
of the first proprietors, having descended from father
and son to the sixth and seventh generation. The Masons,
the Browns, the Woods, the Gardners and other families are
now living on their ancestral acres.
Though the industry of Swansea has been largely agricultural,
its citizens have had no unimportant agency in the