Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Swofford, Washington

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was no consensus‎. Stifle (talk) 09:25, 14 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Swofford, Washington

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Meany's (source 3)[1] definition of places is less stringent than Wikipedia's definition, which is legally recognized places. Meany wrote that Swofford (the man) set up a post office in the Swofford valley and later moved it to Mossy Rock. Places don't move, but post offices do (sometimes in shoe boxes). Washington State place names published in 1971 [2] Doesn't list swofford as a place. A rather unreliable source [3], but commonly referenced nonetheless lists this place, but all of the reliable sources used for their mention call it "Swofford Valley". Reading newspapers from the area reveals that the post office served the Swofford valley, and the people who lived in the valley used it's name to define where they lived. The Centralia Daily Chronicle in 1976 (July 1, 1976 Page 31[4]) explains that the valley had a rural farming community with a post office and a drug store. The reality is that these were probably not separate buildings, and it would not be all that unusual for this to actually be Swofford's residence as well. It is not a legally recognized place. Furthermore it's full name is "Swofford Valley". The confusion arises because post offices in the 1800's could only have one word names. If it is not deleted here I want want it moved to Swofford Valley, Washington. James.folsom (talk) 22:43, 30 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Washington-related deletion discussions. James.folsom (talk) 22:43, 30 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Geography-related deletion discussions. WCQuidditch ☎ ✎ 00:14, 31 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Delete I must have missed this one when I was trying to clear Washington of non-existent place articles. Nom sums it up pretty well, a onetime rural post office named for the person who said "hey, my neighbors and I need a post office" isn't a community, and saying it "is" a community is plainly false as there is clearly nothing there: [5]. WeirdNAnnoyed (talk) 02:58, 31 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Weak Keep A couple books from 1922 and 1923 describe it as a town, and Swofford cemetery is nearby, though it's described as now being in Mossyrock. I've also seen conflicting contemporary reports that say it's just a post office from a smallpox outbreak around the turn of the century, and that people were listed as being from Swofford in cattle and education reports in 1920 and 1923. There's some conjecture in the nom, and I think we can say there was a small community there at one point, even if it's clearly not referred to as Swofford any more. SportingFlyer T·C 19:25, 31 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The only place that was called swofford was the post office, in was in Swoffard Valley, but the postal service only used single words to name them at that time. The area was always known Swofford valley. Any newspapers that reported local news from "Swofford" did so because that was the post mark on the letter. The newspaper got that news by mail from who ever in the valley wrote in to report it. James.folsom (talk) 21:38, 2 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Forgot to mention could you please source the claims in your argument. James.folsom (talk) 21:53, 2 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Keep and strongly so. I asked on the Talk:Swofford, Washington page to pause any slotting of the article into AfD as I have sources (and still collecting more) to rewrite and expand the article to provide proof of a community. However, the AfD went ahead 4 hours later... I ask any admin or editor with AfD closure rights to please pause any action for a few days so that I (or others) can work on the page; see per WP:RUSHDELETE. In case there is any doubt, please see my efforts at Ceres, Washington, Cora, Washington, and Forest, Washington. Would a Template:Under construction be necessary/appropriate? Also, I have viewed similar sources that back up SportingFlyer's mentions. Thanks! Shortiefourten (talk) 19:00, 3 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Comment Finally finished updating and expanding other articles under AfD via the GNIS cleanup process so I'll be able to devote time tomorrow to add sourcing and expansion on the Swofford article. I again ask admins and those involved for a couple extra days before any potential actions to delete the Swofford page. Thanks! Shortiefourten (talk) 18:25, 5 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Comment No. 2 The article has been expanded, mentioning both Swofford and Swofford Valley synonymously as the community does and backed up by sourcing. Relied on local news articles, as one does for small, rural communities in the USA. Article is written and sourced well-enough now, IMO, to further warrant Keep status. A quick note - news articles ref'd on the page consistently refer to Swofford as a town or community. I decided to go ahead and do the work straight to the article rather than my previous AfD-saving attempts of listing sources first on the talk page. It's just doing double the work and is by no means trying to circumvent anything. Being WP:BOLD? I dunno, just don't have the time to do twice the effort. Feel free to add or subtract from what I wrote on the article page...or leave some notes on what could be improved. Thanks! Shortiefourten (talk) 19:59, 6 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, CycloneYoris ^talk! 07:00, 7 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.