Palm, Swante, 1815-1899

Emigrated from Sweden to Texas in 1844. Was associated in mercantile business with his nephew S. M. Swenson in LaGrange and Austin and served as postmaster in both places and as alderman and in several state goverment positions in Austin. The Swedish government appointed him vice-consul in 1866, and the king knighted him in 1884. He married Agnes Alm, also a Swedish immigrant, in 1854. Their only child died in infancy. Palm was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree by Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, in 1891. In 1897, he donated his extensive library to the University of Texas.

Swante (Svante, Sven, Swen) Magnus Swenson (Svenson) (1816-1896) was the first Swedish immigrant to Texas and the founder of the SMS Ranches of West Texas. In 1836, he immigrated to America, where he worked as a store clerk in New York and a railroad bookkeeper in Baltimore, Maryland, before settling in Texas in 1838. Swenson worked for John Adriance, who operated a large-scale carriage delivery service of general merchandise. At this time, Swenson met Dr. George Long, who, due to his poor health, requested that Swenson tend to him and his plantation. The doctor died in 1842, and Swenson took control over the estate, buying out a neighboring plantation a year later. In 1847 Swenson began encouraging Swedish immigrants to move to Texas, with the assistance of his uncle Swante Palm, creating what became known as the “Swedish pipeline”. Swenson moved to Austin by 1850 and founded the SMS Ranch on West Texas lands in 1851. He served as county commissioner for Travis County and the first treasurer of the State Agricultural Society (1853). He moved to New York City in 1865, where he started S. M. Swenson and Sons banking company.

Swante Palm (1815–1899), also known as Swen Jaensson, the son of Anders and Ingerd Jaensson, was born in the province of Småland, Sweden. In 1844, Palm followed his nephew Swen Magnus Swenson to Texas and worked as the bookkeeper for Swenson’s general store in Austin before serving as the diplomatic secretary to Thomas William Ward, the United States consul in Panama in 1853. A year later, he returned to Austin and married Agnes Christina Alm. After the Civil War, Palm served as a member of the Austin City Council, Travis County justice of the peace, and appointed vice consul for Norway and Sweden.

Sources: Swenson, Swante Magnus,” Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed on March 2, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/fsw14.html.

Rogers, Alfred E. “Jaensson, Swen [Swante Palm],” Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed on March 2, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/fja41.html.

Emigrated from Sweden to Texas in 1844.

Was associated in mercantile business with his nephew S. M. Swenson in LaGrange and Austin and served as postmaster in both places and as alderman and in several state goverment positions in Austin. The Swedish government appointed him vice-consul in 1866, and the king knighted him in 1884. He married Agnes Alm, also a Swedish immigrant, in 1854. Their only child died in infancy. Palm was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree by Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, in 1891. In 1897, he donated his large library to the University of Texas.