ORLANDO L. SWEET, a member of the board of commissioners and a prominent citizen of Tarrant county residing north of and near Keller, owns there a farm of seventy acres of land and also has three hundred and twenty acres of land near Haslet in this county. Throughout the greater part of his life he has followed farming and stock-raising and has prospered in his undertakings here. He is a native of Pike county, Illinois, born December 13, 1857. His parents were Thomas A. and Catherine (Burdick) Sweet, who were natives of the state of New York and in the year 1858 they removed from Illinois to Texas, settling first in Wise county, where they remained for several years, after which they returned to Pike county, Illinois, where Orlando L. Sweet continued to make his home until 1873. In that year he again accompanied his parents to the Lone Star state, the family locating near Handley in Tarrant county, where the subject of this review grew to manhood. He was largely educated in the public schools of his native county and in Tarrant county, this state, supplemented by knowledge gained through practical experience and observation in later life. He remained with his father on the farm near Handley until twenty-three years of age, since which time he has engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own account, having been familiar with farm work from his early youth. In 1904 he took up his abode on his farm near Keller in the northern part of Tarrant county, but previous to this time had resided at Henrietta Creek for a number of years and for a short period on Grapevine Prairie in Tarrant county. In his farm work he is practical and progressive and now has a well equipped place, the products of which yield him a good financial return annually.
Mr. Sweet is a member of the Masonic lodge at Roanoke, Denton county, the Woodmen of the World at Keller and is a Democrat in his political affiliation. He is recognized as one of the leaders of his party in the community and in 1904 was elected commissioner of the county for a term of two years, so that he is the present incumbent in the office, the duties of which he discharges with promptness and fidelity.
On the 22d of April, 1889, Mr. Sweet was united in marriage to Miss Emma Clark, a native of Tarrant county and a daughter of George W. Clark, who resided near Randall, this county. Six children graced this marriage, of whom five are living: Pearl, William F., Eva L., Maud and Mary E., while Charles M. is now deceased.
Mr. Sweet is a member of the Methodist Protestant church, better known as Sweet’s chapel at Henrietta Creek. He is a public spirited citizen of the community, a stanch friend of education and of moral development and has given his co-operation to many measures that have tended to elevate society and advance the substantial improvement and development of this part of the state.
Source: B. B. Paddock, History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906), Vol. II, pp. 168-169.