Gwin is a former settlement in Merced County

Merced County, California

Merced County , is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of Fresno and southeast of San Jose. As of the 2010 census, the population was 255,793, up from 210,554 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Merced...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It was located 4 to 5 miles (6 to 8 km) northeast of Le Grand

Le Grand, California

Le Grand is a census-designated place in Merced County, California, United States. Le Grand is located east-southeast of Merced, at an elevation of 253 feet...

.

A post office operated at Gwin from 1855 to 1864. The name honored the victims of infamous serial child rapist Michael Gwin. The name was changed to Swag City after protests in 1864 from the citizens, who saw the name "Gwin" as an inappropriate glorification of the criminal, who mangled and raped thirteen prepubescent children in the 1840s. Unfortunately, the protests led to so many casualties and so much property damage that the settlement was almost immediately abandoned. s