Living in Dryden

Political advertisement, 1933

I'd asked Mike Lane a while back about E. R. Sweetland, apparently Dryden's only Democratic Town Supervisor in the first half of the 20th century. (If I remember right, according to the portrait in Town Hall, he served from 1938 to 1943.)

Mike found an ad in The Communicator, predecessor to the Dryden Rural News, A. K. Fletcher's paper. The date's a little cut off, but I think this is from November 1st, 1933, on page seven:

POLITICAL ADVERTISING

Sweetland, Assembly Candidate, Prominent in Civic Enterprises

Edwin R. Sweetland, Democratic candidate for Assembly, was born on a farm near Dryden Lake; he attended district school and Dryden High School; entered Union College where he remained one year and then transferred to Cornell University, from which institution he graduated in 1899, with the degree B.S. in Agriculture. In 1900 he began coaching football and crew at Syracuse University, from which university he received the degree Ph.M. for work in Political Economy and Sociology.

He was employed as athletic director and member of the faculty at Tulane University, Colgate, Ohio State, Kentucky State, and University of West Virginia. While at Kentucky State University, he studied law and received the degree LL.B. and the following year the degree LL.M., was admitted to the Bar and taught in Kentucky State Law School for four years, and was associate professor of law, also taught in the Law School of the University of West Virginia.

At Cornell, he was elected to the Honorary Society Spinx's head, being one of twenty selected because of proficiency in scholarship and student activity, a member of Phi Gamma Delta, and Acacta Fraternities, Masonic and Grange ordered and the Farm Bureau; actively interested in farm affairs.

He resides on the Sweetland Homestead Farm, which has known five generations of his family. Had charge of the playground work and was superintendent of the Boys' Club at Syracuse, Scout Master of the Boy Scouts at Lexington, Ky. He was a member of the Cornell Football, Crew, and received awards in wrestling. For years he has exhibited live stock at the New York State Fair and other fairs; has been president of the Tompkins County Sheep Growers Association. His son at the age of 12 was the first New York State 4-H Club member to win First Premium at the Chicago International Live Stock Show.

Mr. Sweetland has demonstrated that he understands the needs of the rural people, and, if elected, will devote time and energy to their interests. He has the education, character and ability that the situation demands. Business improvement will not come until the farmers are more prosperous. To improve conditions will be his chief concern and he will work fearlessly for economy and better Government.

It's hard to imagine a political flier with that much text today, never mind a 2-inch by 10-inch space. I'm guessing Sweetland lost this race, given the Republican nature of this area at the time, but the comparison between the space he gives his credentials and the space he gives his platform is pretty amazing. I did find an obituary for Sweetland, which focuses on his coaching with a bit about his politics.

Update: I took a picture of Sweetland's photo at the Town Hall.

E. R. Sweetland's photo, Dryden Town Hall.