Edward S. Sweet was born in Whiteside County, Illinois, on February 3, 1859, the son of
James A. and Judith (Green) Sweet. The father, of Dutch extraction, was born in Chautauqua County, New York, in 1816, and died in 1891. He settled in Illinois in 1836 and remained on the old pre-emption claim until the summons came for his departure to the other world. The estate is still held in the family. He was sheriff of his county and also held other offices. The mother of our subject was born in Massachusetts in 1826, and died in 1878. She was left an orphan when very young and was raised by Mr. and Mrs. Scott, the parents of the noted missionary of India fame. Mrs. Sweet came of Scotch-Irish extraction.
Our subject grew to manhood in Illinois and was educated in the common schools, then finished in college. He had a practical training in handling stock and farms in his youth, from a wise father, and for a number of years managed the family estates. In 1892 Mr. Sweet came to Camas prairie, began to buy land, did a general farming business and raised stock. In addition to this, he owned a saw mill and during the hard times that came after that he was enabled by good business tact and skill to keep the mill running, much to the advantage of the settlers, for it was the only mill in the vicinity that was operated. He was faced with many hard problems and much difficulty in these trying times, when so many good business men went to the wall, but Mr. Sweet was enabled by his practical ability and keen foresight and executive force to weather the storm, and now he is one of the heaviest taxpayers in the county. He has a thousand acres of land, leases as much more, has much town property, raises a large band of cattle on the range and is also heavily interested in the Bargain Store Company in Grangeville. Mr. Sweet is a progressive man and his business energy has done much for the county and towns.
While in Illinois, in 1880, Mr. Sweet married Miss Elizabeth J., daughter of David and Nancy (Lamb) Miller, natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Sweet, who was born in Illinois in 1859, was well educated, and followed teaching for a number of years. Her father died in 1901, but the mother is still living. She has four sisters and two brothers. Mr. Sweet has three sisters and two brothers, named as follows: Sarah, Maggie, Emma, Hiram and Ernest. To Mr. and Mrs. Sweet one daughter has been born who is now preparing for higher education in both literary lines and in music. Mr. Sweet is a member of the W. of W. and of the A.0.U.W. He was nominated by the Republicans for county commissioner in 1901, but as the entire ticket went down, he was sacrificed with it. At present Mr. Sweet is a member of the board of town trustees, and in this capacity, as in all of his labors, he brings an aggressive policy well tempered with a conservative spirit and due knowledge of existing conditions. He is one of the heavy operators in this part of the state and the success that is his to enjoy demonstrates better than aught else could do his wisdom and worth. In his standing Mr. Sweet is highly esteemed and his friends are numbered by legions. In 1903 Mr. Sweet was appointed by the governor as regent of the State University of Idaho.
AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO EMBRACING
NEZ PERCES, IDAHO, LATAH, KOOTENAI, AND SHOSHONE COUNTIES
STATE OF IDAHO WESTERN HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, 1903
Edward S. Sweet is justly entitled to the position of one of the real builders of this county and the town of Grangeville. While not here as soon as some of the early pioneers, he has manifested since coming an enterprise, tenacity and skill in business lines which have brought to him a gratifying competence and stimulated much action in others through-out the county.
