10/08/2026
THE MAN BEHIND THE NAME: L. S. SWAFFORD
Who was L. S. Swafford?
If you are a member of Swafford Council No. 28, you probably know the name. But you may not know the man.
He was a pioneer of Iowa City, a carpenter, a public servant, and one of the most active Masons in the city's early history.
And his Masonic résumé is pretty impressive.
Born October 31, 1818, in Wayne County, Indiana, Swafford learned the carpenter’s trade as a young man. In 1840, he came to Iowa City, where he would spend the rest of his life.
His obituary described him as a “true pioneer” and noted that he had lived in Iowa City continuously since 1840. He worked as a carpenter for nearly sixty years and also served his community as a trustee, assessor, and in other positions of public trust.
He was remembered as a respected citizen, a loving husband and father, and a man esteemed by both old and young.
And then there was Masonry.
Swafford was a longtime leader of Iowa City Lodge No. 4. According to the historical record of Johnson County, he served as Worshipful Master seven different times:
1850
1858
1859
1860
1861
1873
1877
The 1861 Masonic Register independently confirms Swafford as Master of Iowa City Lodge No. 4. That same year, he was also serving as Grand Junior Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Iowa.
His Masonic involvement went well beyond the Lodge.
In the early years of Cryptic Masonry in Iowa, Iowa City was home to Excelsior Council No. 2. The 1861 Masonic Register lists Excelsior as the Iowa City Council and notes that there were only five subordinate Councils in the entire state at the time.
Swafford was already involved at the Grand Council level. The historical record of the Old Grand Council of Iowa lists him as Grand Sentinel in 1857 and Most Puissant Grand Master in 1861.
And his service in the York Rite continued.
The official historical record of the Grand Chapter of Iowa lists:
L. S. Swafford
Grand High Priest
1864-1865
He also served as Eminent Commander of Palestine Commandery No. 2 in 1871, 1872, and 1873, according to the historical record of Johnson County.
His obituary later summed up his Masonic career by describing him as “a Mason of high rank.” It noted that he had held all the offices in the local A. F. & A. M. and that he and Dr. T. S. Parvin were the two surviving members of the Grand Lodge of Iowa from its organization in 1844.
When you put all of that together, something pretty remarkable emerges.
Swafford wasn't simply a Mason who held one impressive title.
He repeatedly returned to leadership in Iowa City Lodge No. 4.
He was part of the earliest generation of Iowa Cryptic Masonry.
He served as Grand Sentinel and later Most Puissant Grand Master of the Old Grand Council.
He became Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Iowa.
And he served as Eminent Commander of Palestine Commandery No. 2.
All while living, working, raising a family, and serving his community right here in Iowa City.
So when you see the name Swafford Council No. 28, there is a lot of history behind those words.
The Council that bears his name received its charter on October 7, 1913, decades after Swafford's own Masonic career. The charter itself names the body “Swafford Council, No. 28.”
Today, that name is still familiar to Iowa Cryptic Masons.
But now we know a little more about the man behind it.
L. S. Swafford wasn't just a name on a Council.
He was a pioneer of Iowa City.
A carpenter.
A public servant.
A seven-time Master of Iowa City Lodge No. 4.
A leader of early Iowa Cryptic Masonry.
Grand High Priest of Iowa.
And a Mason whose Masonic career was deeply connected to the history of Iowa City itself.
That is a man worth remembering.
