Company History

In 1895, T. E. Swann, the Company Founder, opened Swann's Furniture, in Tyler, Texas.  The original store was located on the West side of Broadway, north of it's intersection with Ferguson Street.  Shortly thereafter, the store was relocated into a building on Ferguson Street, just West of it's intersection with Broadway;  and facing on the Old City Square (see Picture below).
 

As the picture shows, at that time the Company was known as "Swann Furniture & Carpet Co."  In 1921, T.E. Swann's interest in the Tyler store was purchased by his cousin,  Elam F. Swann, Sr.  Operations continued from the Ferguson St. location, until 1925; when Swann's moved to a  new store, located at 215 West Erwin, at the corner of S. Bois d'Arc Street (see photo below).

 

Elam F. Swann, Sr. continued to run the family business until  after World War II.   At that time, his sons, Elam F. "Franklin" Swann, Jr.  and Thomas R. "Tommy" Swann gradually  assumed management responsibilities for the store.  Elam F. Swann, III, today's Company  President, began working at the store in 1975 as a salesman.

 

Fourteen years later, he guided the Store's relocation to it's current site on  Southeast Loop 323.   "We had to leave the downtown location because we were out of room to expand our warehousing operations", Swann said.  "Warehousing, from separate locations, proved to be inefficient.   The new Store, on the Southeast Loop, allowed us to centralize operations in one location; and,  also provide more Customer parking, as well as a much larger Showroom."