F. B. Swingle, who since 1912 has been associate editor of the Wisconsin Agriculturist, although he began writing for publication long prior to that date, was born in Rock County, Wisconsin, March 8, 1876, a son of Warren W. and Frankie (Bell) Swingle. The parents were also natives of Rock County and the mother was a daughter of Adam Bell, one of the early pioneer settlers of the state, who on removing westward from New York in 1838, passed through Racine and established his home in Rock County, having made the trip to Racine by water, and farther west with an ox team. The paternal grandfather, Justice Cobb Swingle, was a native of Pennsylvania and he arrived in the Badger state in 1835. He married Maria Clark, a native of Vermont, and they shared in the entire hardships and privations incident to life on the frontier and contributed to the pioneer development of the state which has constituted the preliminary step toward present day progress and prosperity. After attaining his majority Warren W. Swingle took up the occupation of farming in Rock County, making his home near Clinton, and became recognized as one of the representative agriculturists of the community.
F. B. Swingle supplemented his public school training by study in the State Normal School at Whitewater and afterward took up the profession of teaching, which he followed successfully for ten years in Kenosha and Racine counties. On the expiration of that period he was appointed to a position in the Racine post office, where he remained until 1912, when he was made a member of the editorial staff of the Wisconsin Agriculturist. He had long been deeply interested in the development of the state in connection with its farming and educational interests and in early manhood had taken up literary work, contributing various articles to farm journals. He is now concentrating his entire attention upon his duties as associate editor and has contributed to the success won by the Agriculturist, which has today scarcely a peer in farm journals in the country.
On the 14th of November, 1899, Mr. Swingle was united in marriage to Miss Anna Bose Wensing, of Kenosha County, Wisconsin, by whom he has two children, Esther and Everett. The family attends the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which the parents are members, and Mr. Swingle gives his political allegiance to the Republican Party. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons and his interest in local affairs and municipal progress is shown by his hearty co-operation with the work of the Commercial Club, in which he holds membership. He is alert and enterprising and stands as a high type of American manhood and citizenship.