Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach, FL

by | Oct 17, 2017 | ARC

Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach, FL was named for David Swinton, who served as chief clerk for Stacy and Walpole, booksellers and stationers of Kingston and acting as special correspondent to the Toronto Daily Mail, of the Government of Canada. He was one of the incorporators and for, a number of years, vice-president (acting president) of the People’s Building and Loan Association. His father was John Alexander Swinton and his mother was Hannah Adams.

Here is a timeline of his life:

  • 1859 born in Simcoe, Norfolk, Ontario
  • 1873 At the age of fourteen he entered the employ of A. J. Donly of Simcoe, who was bookseller, printer, and official assignee for the county, as a clerk and telegraph operator
  • 1881 Swinton moved to Detroit and engaged as a traveling salesman for Thorndyke Nourse, wholesale bookseller and stationer, covering
  • 1883 moved to East Saginaw in partnership with George A. Reynolds and established retail book and stationery house of Swinton & Co.
  • 1883 married Belle Wilson (died in 1903)
  • 1894 Swinton & William Linton traveled to Palm Beach where Linton purchased 160 acres of land and made a down payment on 640 more acres in this area and he named the it Town of Linton which later was named Delray Beach. Soon after his purchase, Mr. Linton began recruiting others from Michigan who began the task of settling and laying out the town.
  • 1897 Swinton was the founder of the Patricians of Washington, D. C., a fraternal beneficial order incorporated under act of Congress
  • 1910 living at 937 Jefferson Ave, Saginaw, MI; Swinton was widowed with children Marian, Helen, Tessie, and Florence. He owned a stationary store.
  • 1912 purchased the building at 123 South Franklin Street, remodeled it, and removed his commercial business and insurance offices
  • 1913 Swinton married Catherine Irene Frost
  • 1914 was secretary of the Franklin Theater Company
  • 1920 living in Saginaw, MI with second Katherine Irene Frost and daughter Florence. Swinton was listed as a book store merchant
  • 1900-1925 lived at 937 South Jefferson, Saginaw, MI
  • Circa 1925 David Swinton died in Michigan

Sources: www.ancestry.com, www.historicpalmbeach.com