Introduction ...
Below is our collection of tidbits, odds 'n ends for Swift.
This page contains eight sections:
- Outdoor Activities ...
- How Far From Swift ...
- Communities Also Named Swift ...
- Unique Names Near Swift ...
- Notable Births & Deaths ...
Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Swift, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Swift and the surrounding area.
Weather ...
Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
The National Weather Service forecast for Swift and surrounding area.
Astronomy ...
Whether using binoculars, a small telescope or the naked-eye, the Heavens-Above website can help amateurs find their way around the night-time sky. In addition to detailed sky charts, their website lists the visible planets, asteriods, comets, satellites and their track across the sky.
To give accurate results, Heavens-Above requires the latitude and longitude of your location. As a starting point, when we link to Heavens-Above, we pass the location for Swift. Once you're on the Heavens-Above website, you can improve accuracy by giving a more precise longitude and latitude for your actual position.
The Heavens-Above Website, centered on Swift.
Bird Watching ...
We enjoy finding new spots for bird watching and we use the eBird website to find local sighting reports and hotspots.
The eBird website is organized on a parish-by-parish basis. We have selected Webster Parish as the starting point when you click on the link below:
The Webster Parish sighting report from eBird.
Since Swift is near Bienville Parish and also Bossier Parish, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
Sighting report for Bienville Parish
Sighting report for Bossier Parish
Waymarking ...
Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary? Find a unique place and want to share it with others? Then it's time to visit Waymarking.com:
The Waymark.com website, centered on Swift.
How Far From Swift to ...
We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers, Almanacs & Directories that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Swift to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance<1> beginning in Swift and extending to:
- Minden [Map], which is the Seat of Webster Parish, lies 11 miles [17.7 km] to the North. If you could walk a straight line from Swift to Minden, with an average speed<2> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take five to six hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take nearly four hours.
- Baton Rouge [Map], which is the State Capital of Louisiana, lies 186 miles [299.3 km] to the Southeast (SE). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take a little over three hours, a buggy would take 8 days and walking would take 11 days.
- The White House (Washington, DC [Map]) is 1,010 miles [1,625.4 km] to the East Northeast (ENE). Driving would take over two days, a buggy would take 40 days and walking would take 58 days.
- The shortest distance<3> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock [Map]) is 6,866 miles [11,049.8 km] and it lies to the Northeast (NE).<4>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba [Map]) is 7,589 miles [12,213.3 km] and it lies to the Northeast (NE).<5>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican [Map]) is 5,465 miles [8,795.1 km] and it lies to the Northeast (NE).<6>
Communities Also Named Swift ...
We have found 14 communities that share the name Swift.
While the name Swift is unique within Louisiana, we know of another 14 communities with the same name in the United States and Canada.
Communities Outside of Louisiana
Jump ahead to ...
| Alabama | Kansas | Montana | Texas |
| British Columbia | Michigan | Nebraska | Washington |
| Florida | Minnesota | Ohio | |
| Illinois | Missouri | Tennessee | |
Alabama
Baldwin County
Our profile page for Swift, Baldwin County [Map]
Distance: About 361 miles [581 km] to the East Southeast.
British Columbia
Our profile page for Swift [Map]
Distance: About 1,945 miles [3,130.2 km] to the Northwest.
Florida
Polk County
Our profile page for Swift, Polk County
We found mention of this community, but have little information.<7>
Although located in Polk County, we don't know the location of this community within the parish.
Illinois
DuPage County
Our profile page for Swift, DuPage County [Map]
Distance: About 713 miles [1,147.5 km] to the North Northeast.
Kansas
Nemaha County
Our profile page for Swift, Nemaha County
This community is historic.<8>
Although located in Nemaha County, we don't know the location of this community within the parish.
Michigan
Mackinac County
Our profile page for Swift, Mackinac County
We found mention of this community, but have little information.
Although located in Mackinac County, we don't know the location of this community within the parish.
Minnesota
Roseau County
Our profile page for Swift, Roseau County [Map]
Distance: About 1,137 miles [1,829.8 km] to the North.
Missouri
Pemiscot County
Our profile page for Swift, Pemiscot County [Map]
Distance: About 334 miles [537.5 km] to the Northeast.
Montana
Cascade County
Our profile page for Swift, Cascade County
We found mention of this community, but have little information.
Although located in Cascade County, we don't know the location of this community within the parish.
Nebraska
Otoe County
Our profile page for Swift, Otoe County
We found mention of this community, but have little information.
Although located in Otoe County, we don't know the location of this community within the parish.
Ohio
Washington County
Our profile page for Swift, Washington County [Map]
Distance: About 808 miles [1,300.3 km] to the Northeast.
Tennessee
Hardin County
Our profile page for Swift, Hardin County [Map]
Distance: About 354 miles [569.7 km] to the Northeast.
Texas
Nacogdoches County
Our profile page for Swift, Nacogdoches County [Map]
Distance: About 91 miles [146.5 km] to the Southwest.
Washington
Whitman County
Our profile page for Swift, Whitman County [Map]
Distance: About 1,614 miles [2,597.5 km] to the Northwest.
Curious and Interesting Names Near Swift ...
As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always talk about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.
Dixie Inn - 11 miles [17.7 km] to the Northwest of Swift [Map]
Jamestown - 7 miles [11.3 km] to the South [Map]
Koran - 12 miles [19.3 km] to the West [Map]
Martin Junction - 2 miles [3.2 km] to the Southwest [Map]
Nine Forks - 10 miles [16.1 km] to the North [Map]
Petes Ferry - 5 miles [8 km] to the West [Map]
Pleasant Hill - 10 miles [16.1 km] to the East [Map]
Plum Orchard Landing - 7 miles [11.3 km] to the West [Map]
Yellow Pine - 4 miles [6.4 km] to the Northwest [Map]
Notable Births & Deaths ...
This is a new section for us and we are still collecting data.
Below is our list of notable people who were born, died or were buried in the area surrounding Swift. Please note that while we are collecting data on an ongoing basis, it's a big task and it's unlikely that our list will ever be more than a sample.
Van Cliburn
Musician. He was born in Shreveport (Louisiana) on Thursday July 12, 1934 and died in Fort Worth (Texas) on Wednesday February 27, 2013 at an age of 78. He was buried at Greenwood Memorial Park (Tarrant County, Texas) [Map].
Shreveport [Map] is located 29 miles [46.7 km] to the west of Swift
Find-A-Grave Memorial: Van Cliburn<9>
Howard Elton 'Crockett' Hausey
Singer, songwriter. He was born in Yellow Pine (Louisiana) on Friday December 25, 1925 and died in Fort Worth (Texas) on Saturday December 31, 1994 at an age of 69. He was buried at Shannon Rose Hill Memorial Park (Tarrant County, Texas) [Map].
Yellow Pine [Map] is located 4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest of Swift
Find-A-Grave Memorial: Howard Elton 'Crockett' Hausey
Gary Lynn 'Big Hands' Johnson
Professional football. He was born in Shreveport (Louisiana) on Sunday August 31, 1952 and died in Shreveport (Louisiana) on Wednesday August 4, 2010 at an age of 58. He was buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park (Bossier Parish, Louisiana) [Map].
Shreveport [Map] is located 29 miles [46.7 km] to the west of Swift
Shreveport [Map] is located 29 miles [46.7 km] to the west of Swift
Find-A-Grave Memorial: Gary Lynn 'Big Hands' Johnson
Will J. 'Dub' Jones
Musician. He was born in Shreveport (Louisiana) on Monday May 14, 1928 and died in Long Beach (California) on Sunday January 16, 2000 at an age of 71. He was buried at Riverside National Cemetery (Riverside County, California) [Map].
Shreveport [Map] is located 29 miles [46.7 km] to the west of Swift
Find-A-Grave Memorial: Will J. 'Dub' Jones
Percy Mayfield
Songwriter. He was born in Minden (Louisiana) on Thursday August 12, 1920 and died in Los Angeles (California) on Saturday August 11, 1984 at an age of 64. He was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery (Los Angeles County, California) [Map].
Minden [Map] is located 11 miles [17.7 km] to the north of Swift
Find-A-Grave Memorial: Percy Mayfield
Louise Preslar Peete
Crime figure. She was born in Bienville (Louisiana) on Monday September 20, 1880 and died in San Quentin (California) on Friday April 11, 1947 at an age of 66. She was buried at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery (California).
Bienville [Map] is located 17 miles [27.4 km] to the east of Swift
Find-A-Grave Memorial: Louise Preslar Peete
John Thomas Scopes, Sr.
Substitute schoolteacher, defendant at the 'Monkey Trial' of 1925. He was born in Paducah (Kentucky) on Friday August 3, 1900 and died in Shreveport (Louisiana) on Wednesday October 21, 1970 at an age of 70. He was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery (McCracken County, Kentucky) [Map].
Shreveport [Map] is located 29 miles [46.7 km] to the west of Swift
Find-A-Grave Memorial: John Thomas Scopes, Sr.
Charlotte Shelby (Born as Lily Pearl Miles Reilly)
Actress. She was born in Shreveport (Louisiana) on Wednesday December 19, 1877 and died in Santa Monica (California) on Wednesday March 13, 1957 at an age of 79.
Shreveport [Map] is located 29 miles [46.7 km] to the west of Swift
Find-A-Grave Memorial: Charlotte Shelby
Frank Sutton (Frank Spencer Sutton)
Actor. He was born in Clarksville (Tennessee) on Tueday October 23, 1923 and died in Shreveport (Louisiana) on Friday June 28, 1974 at an age of 50. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery (Montgomery County, Tennessee) [Map].
Shreveport [Map] is located 29 miles [46.7 km] to the west of Swift
Other Roadside Stops ...
Search for a Louisiana Community
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Swift. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Louisiana: louisiana.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Swift) to Point B. Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Swift. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.4465, Longitude: -93.2538 [Map]. In this case, the coordinates for Swift have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <2> | While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day. |
| <3> | The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Swift to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East. |
| <4> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 317.583 degrees. |
| <5> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 313.682 degrees. |
| <6> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 313.152 degrees. |
| <7> | If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer as a placeholder. As we find more information about that community, it will be added to our Gazetteer. Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Mile's to see Pete ... Mile's is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name. Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time. Also keep in mind that Swift could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong parish. Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out. |
| <8> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Swift, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <9> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |