This post was contributed to the Crawford County Chapter of OGS by Kristina Stearley as part of the Florence Siefert Scrapbook in 2010.
The scrapbook is compiled from undated, unidentified newspaper clippings involving events in the lives of Crawford County citizens living in or having connections to New Washington, Tiro, Shelby, Sulphur Springs, Chatfield, Bucyrus, Ashland, Mansfield, and other areas. Only minimal spelling or punctuation corrections were made. Unreadable areas are shown by underlines, dots &/or question marks. This collection has been scanned, “optical character recognized” (OCR’d), proofed, then coded for HTML by volunteers of the Crawford County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Since the copies are not of the best quality errors may have been made. Please contact us if you find corrections needing to be made or can verify any missing dates which could be added.
AN OLD PIONEER GONE
Dr. John B. SQUIER DEAD
Dr. John B Squier died Tuesday morning, December 10, at his home in Sulphur Springs aged 72 years and 7 months. The funeral was held Thursday morning, December 18.
The death of this well-known citizen of Crawford county was anticipated for some days by those who made inquires almost dally regarding the state of his health. Dr. Squier was one of the pioneer settlers of Crawford having lived for nearly seventy years in Liberty township.
The foundation for Dr. Squier’s education was acquired in the pioneer schools of three score years ago. But he was a natural student and endowed with mental faculties of a high order. By close application and the reading of good literature he acquired a vast fund of general information on the subjects of theology and political economy. The reasoning of his fine mind developed one of the purest and noblest citizens that Crawford county ever possessed.
Dr. Squier was a firm believer in the principles of Christianity and a devout man. So far as his own personal habits were concerned he was a moral and exemplary citizen. And in his dealings with his fellowmen he was always just and honorable. In his views on political economy he was an independent thinker; he advocated principles and supported measures necessary to secure the result desired. He was never the blind follower of any party but possessed the necessary intelligence to reason back to first principles. And when a party did not suit him he had the moral courage to unite himself with one that did although his course was denounced by his former political associates.
FROM THE CRAWFORD CO. HISTORY
Dr. John B. Squier the well-known physician of Sulphur Springs, was born in Salem Township, Washington Co., New York May 16, 1818. His grandparents, Daniel and Elizabeth (Wood) Squier, were natives of New York, and reared their family of eleven children to manhood and womanhood in the same county. There were in the family seven sons and four daughters, viz., Elizabeth, Salmon, Alice, Daniel, Charles, Lucinda, Irene, Calvin, Nehemiah, Sheubel and Elijah. One of these, Lucinda, who was married to Isaac McClallen, and of whom nothing definite had been known to her kinfolks of Ohio for more than thirty years, was considered deceased, when, recently, to their surprise, the knowledge of her survival and residence In Western Pennsylvania came to hand, The Doctor (her nephew) paid her a visit and found her living happily with her son, James McClallan, remarkable vigorous and strong for one who had passed 92 summers, and is without a single nervous quiver.
Several members of the family moved from the old homestead in New York, Salmon, was the first. He settled in the Black River county, in the western part of that State. Calvin, his wife and one child; Nehemiah, wife and two children, viz, George M. and John B. started, with two two-horse teams and wagons, packing therein goods and utensils such as they deemed would be necessary, set out to push their way to this State. They arrived here safely on Nov. 5, 1822, making the journey in thirty days. They stopped with John 0. Blowers near the Sandusky River, on the farm now owned by Samuel Blowers. The wives of Calvin and Nehemiah were sister and sisters of John O. Blowers, who was pleased to have the Squiers locate by him. He gave them privilege of erectlng a cabin on his premises to protect them from the rapidly-approaching winter This was soon accomplished. There Calvin and Nehemiah with their families spent the winter of ’22-’23.
When the spring opened, Nehemiah built a more comfortable dwelling on l0 acres, which he purchased of Ralph Beacon, on the Bucyrus road; and, in a short space of time, Calvin and Nehemiah bought 80 acres across the Sandusky, to which the former removed in 1824, and there made his home until 1851, when he sold out and moved with his family, to De Kalb Co., Ind. Nehemiah purchased the mill property of J. 0. Blowers, and moved to it in 1833. He had by this time added 20 acres to his first purchase, Here Mr. Squier reared his family, and knew full well the hardships incident to “life in the woods” in those days.
Nehemiah Squier was a man of sterling worth in the newly settled neighborhood. They reared five children–George M., who died here when about 17 years old; John B., of whom we make further mention; William H:, who died when about 17 years old; Nehemiah, who moved to Illinois, and is near Olney, Richland Co,; Daniel W., who resided in Indiana, and died there in 1862 from disease contracted in the army. The fond wife and mother was called away, in August 1842, from the scene where she so nobly bore her part, not only in assisting and encouraging her husband in domestic duties, but by leaving the impress of her character on the youths who were about to step into and form part of the coming society; and how seldom are self-sacrificing mothers duly accredited for their pains in that direction. Nehemiah married a second wife–widow of the late Horace Smalley–and by this union there was one daughter-Alice, now Mrs. A. J. Messenger.
April 24, 1865, Nehemiah died, and was interred in the cemetery near his original farm, as is also his brother Calvin, and a brother of their wives, William Blowers, who came to Ohio with them and lived here two years, and taught school in Bucyrus the first winter, and preached frequently through this section, as he was one of the first Methodist ministers here; but he then returned to care for his aged and infirm father in New York and never returned, except, on three occasions, to visit. On the last occasion he was taken sick, and, in twenty days’ illness, he died at the Doctor’s residence. How significent were his last words: “Lay me besides Nehemiah and Calvin, and I know that I’ll be with two honest men. Some time previous to the death of the latter, the Doctor had gone to visit his Uncle Calvin in Indiana, and found him in failing health, and brought him along to his home believing that a change of scene and air would have a good effect, to which Calvin readily assented, and gave evidence of his desire to be here when his final dissolution would come. He lingered six months, and died, and was interred here. After years of separation and hundreds of miles had intervened, how singular that circumstances should bring the three to the same place to die, who had been life-long, devoted friends, and, as by their desire, their ashes rest side by side.
John B. Squier was only four years old when his parents came here, and, when about 7 years old, he met with a painful accident by cutting his right knee with an ax. Inflammation set in and resulted in complete anchylosis of the knee joint, which influenced his parents to apprentice him to the tailor’s trade. He began, when 13 years old and worked six years. In the meantime, he had acquired more strength in the wounded leg, and the tailoring business was too sedentary for his active mind, so he concluded to learn the millwright’s trade. In connection with millwrighting; he taught school winters for ten years. Still striving for a wider and higher field of knowledge, he took up the study of medicine, with Dr. G. L. Zeigler the three last years of millwrighting, and being determined to master the subject, he would carry his book on medicine in his tool-chest, and study nights, wherever he was at work, thereby carrying together one of the most important sudies and a most particular mechanism.
After three years study, he attended one term in medical college at Cincinnati in the winter of 1847-48. He then practiced with his preceptor one and a half years, and then began practicing on his own account; and, in the winter of of 1852-53, he attended another term in medical college at Cincinnati, at which date he graduated; and, since that time, he has been applying the healing art in this vicinity with more than ordinary success. The evidence in his favor proves him to be a physician of much ability, a man of great breadth of knowledge, with years of varied experience, and possessed of the strongest vitality; courteous to the stranger, a true friend to his friends, kind and affectionate in his family.
He was married three times–first, to Elizabeth Decker, in October, 1839. She was a native of New Jersey, and came here with her parents when quite young. She died in July, 1848, leaving one child–Thomas Corwin. During the late rebellion, he enlisted, in March, 1864, to Co. C. 49th O. V. I., and served until the following June, when he was taken prisoner at Altoona Mountains, Georgia, and sent to Andersonville Prison where he died July 20, 1864. His second marriage was with Achsah M. Dilts, in January, 1849. She was a native of this State. She died in January, 1855, leaving one child–Ellen, now Mrs. A. E. Humiston. His third marriage was celebrated with Dorothy Hottel. She was born in Bristol, Trumbull Co., Ohio, Nov. 14, 1830. By this union there are six children–Edgar A., Emma (now Mrs. E. Van Vorhis), Annie, now Mrs. C. F. Sexauer: Oscar W. of Kenton; Flora, now Mrs. Torrence; and Effie, now Mrs. Thomas Black, of Kenton.
He owned the flour-mill, which he bought in January, 1867, in partnership with W. S. Beacon. They moved it from the river to Annapolis, and rebuilt it, and, in 1874, the Doctor bought Beacon’s interest, and for several years it was operated by his sons Edgar A. and Oscar W., he owns valuable town property besides. The Doctor’s religious views are decidedly of the Swedenborgian school, which doctrine he converses of understandingly, with unpretentious and unassuming zeal. Politically, he was a Republican while he believed that party’s banner was emblazoned with human rights and freedom. He witheld not his son, (who fell on the national battle-field) when the country was in its greatest need. But, believing that when a party forsakes its principles, patriots should forsake the party, therefore, he espoused the Liberal cause in 1872, and was a warm supporter of Horace Greely, and for twelve years supported the Democracy, and for the last six years has given his vote and influence in favor of Prohibition.
