William Swan Garvin
William Swan Garvin (July 25, 1806 – February 20, 1883) was a western Pennsylvania newspaper proprietor who is most widely known for his term as a Jacksonian and Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Early years. Garvin was born in Mercer, Pennsylvania. At 13, he became an apprentice for Mercer County's "Western Press", a Democratic newspaper. Career. After journeying as a newspaper printer, in 1830 he returned to the "Western Press" as its proprietor, a position he held off and on for the rest of his life. Garvin was postmaster of Mercer from 1837 to  1841. Garvin was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress. He served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Expenditures on Public Buildings during that session. He also served as a flour inspector in Pittsburgh and was again appointed postmaster of Mercer in 1867 and served until 1869. Garvin died on February 20, 1883, and was buried in Mercer Citizens’ Cemetery.