Papers of Jim Svedman

Martin or Marten Svedman (1850-1923) was the first of the Svedman family to farm in Colorado. Emigrating from Sweden in 1871, he came to Colorado in 1880 and in 1883 homesteaded 160 acres near what would become Windsor, Colorado. In 1898 this holding was expanded as Svedman bought additional acreage, his total eventually reaching 640 acres. The farm included acreage devoted to crops and to livestock. Martin Svedman married Ida Cristina Andersdotter in 1887 and had seven children, five of whom survived. The youngest, and only son, was Clarence Martin, born in 1906.

Clarence graduated from high school in 1923, the same year his father died. He went on to Colorado Agricultural College the following year, but did not stay to graduate. As the only son, Clarence took over the management of the farm, then still deeded to his mother Ida Svedman. Clarence purchased an additional 160 acres, bringing the total he managed to 800 acres. He married Margaret Alberta Yancey in 1924, and they had four children, the oldest of whom was Clarence James (known as James or Jim), born in 1926. Their other children were Ida Jean (1929), Donald Lee (1933) and Margaret Esther (1944).

Drought and adverse economic conditions during the 1930s had a drastic impact on the Svedman family. Clarence gave up his 160 acres to the mortgager and moved to a rented house in Timnath in 1933, but continued to farm the remaining 640 acres of his mother's land. As the drought eased in 1938, Ida Svedman deeded her holdings to Clarence, who obtained a loan from the Federal Land Bank and moved his family back to the original homestead.

In 1945, Clarence purchased a farmhouse located on 80 acres of land just north of Highway 392. The farmhouse provided the family with the modern conveniences of indoor plumbing and electricity. A few years later, Clarence bought the 320 acres of land directly east of the farmhouse, which would later become the Ptarmigan subdivision.

Clarence Svedman was a member of the Colorado State Soil Conservation Board, with his involvement in that organization spanning many years. He served as director from 1956 until his retirement in 1972.

Clarence James (Jim) Svedman was involved in agriculture early in his life, and beginning in 1938 he participated in 4-H Club projects, particularly in cattle raising. He attended Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College, graduated in 1951 with a degree in animal husbandry and briefly pursued graduate studies. By 1952 he was farming 1,480 acres which included his father's land and some leased from other landowners. Father and son jointly worked the land in a business a partnership that became known as the Svedman Farm.

Jim's careful management of cattle operations and his work in agriculture, led to recognition of his work in 1960 as the Junior Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Young Farmer. In 1962 he was featured in the United States Department of Agriculture's Yearbook for his agricultural innovations. During the 1960s, Jim purchased 320 acres of land adjoining his father's holdings.

Jim Svedman was involved in many local organizations, including the Colorado Cattlemen's Association, the Colorado Cattle Feeders Association, and the Larimer County Farm Bureau. He was county committee chairman of the Larimer County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service in 1977. In 1972 Jim ran in the primary election as a Republican candidate for the 29th District of the Colorado State Senate.

The location of an Eastman Kodak processing plant in nearby Windsor during the early 1960s caused a rapid increase in surrounding land values. In 1969, Clarence and Jim Svedman sold a combined total of 1,360 acres to Interladco, a development firm based in Detroit, but with the agreement that they would continue to farm the land until it was developed. When Interladco defaulted on this contract, the land was returned to the Svedmans.

Clarence Svedman died in 1974, and Jim continued his farming operations on his own land as well as on land leased from the other Svedman heirs. During the late 1970s and early 1980s the family sold most of the land to developers. One parcel of land became the Ptarmigan Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened to the public in 1988. The last parcel of land was sold for development in 1991. Following his retirement, Jim Svedman continued to assist others in their farming operations and was an active volunteer in Fort Collins.

Jim Svedman married Shirley Jeanne "Nean" Robertson in 1951, and they had three daughters: Cindy Jean, Deborah, and Carol Ann. The Svedmans divorced in 1989. Jim Svedman died in Fort Collins on May 27, 2003.