Among the early settlers of Marceline and vicinity were Mr. and Mrs. Albert P. Swan. He came from Michigan and Mrs. Swan from the state of New York. They were married in Michigan in 1865 and resided there until 1869, and their first Estella was born there.
After having aided his father in clearing one of the two farms he redeemed from the wilderness, Mr. Swan decided to come to Missouri where prairie land was available. He obtained work from William Combs, a farmer and the grandfather of Wayne Williams and Thelma Green, in the northwest part of what is now Marceline. Awhile later he sent for his wife and family and they all continued to live in the Combs home while Mr. Swan, who had purchased a homesite on what is now Highway 36, one-half mile from the Marceline Junction, and built their home. They found the pioneer life quite rugged and had to haul all their water from Yellow Creek in barrels.
The family became members of the Methodist Church in 1869, and also helped the Locust Ridge Church organize. Among some of the early members of the church were Erastus Taylor, Winnifred McAllister, and D.D. Burch.
Mr. Swan raised a large variety of vine fruits, garden vegetables and trees which he supplied neighboring towns. When the railroad came to Marceline he helped build the fence around it.
Mr. and Mrs. Swan were the parents of seven children. Estella (now deceased,) was the wife of E.L. Anderson and mother of Morton Anderson of rural Bucklin and Selma Buckley of rural Marceline. Kate (Mrs. G.A. Beech), deceased, Cora (Mrs. J. Frank Porter), Alice (Mrs. George McGregor), Ruth (Mrs. Oliver Hardin), Arthur and Ernest Swan.