Nathaniel Squires

SQUIRES, GUTHRIE

Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 7/7/2014 at 14:44:14

DIED
"At his residence in this city, this morning at 5 o'clock and 15 minutes, Nathaniel Squires, aged 70. "Funeral from the residence in East Davenport on Thursday morning, Jan. 24th, at 11 o'clock. The friends of the family are invited. Burial at Oakdale."

NATHANIEL SQUIRES DEAD

Another Old Settler Gone.

Nathaniel Squires, for more than forty years an active and highly esteemed citizen of Davenport, died at his residence in this city at a little after five o'clock this morning, of paralysis, after an illness of six days.

Mr. Squires was born in Dansville, N.Y., August 12, 1807, and was a few months past the allotted three score years and ten at the time of decease. In the days of his youth he received the ordinary common school education of those times, after which he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner; married his first wife in Dansville in 1835; and being of a strong energetic character, determined upon the then far west as his permanent home. In 1837, at the age of 30, he left his native place, and, with his small family, came to Davenport - coming in the same year with Harvey Leonard, J.M.D. Burrows, Capt. John Coleman, Judge Dillion, Samuel Lyter, and many other well known early settlers, now living and dead.

He found his services much in demand forthwith commenced putting up houses and improving in good earnest, the place of his adoption. Immediately he built for his own family a residence -a fine for the times - on the lots now occupied by Davenport's block, southeast corner Main and Second streets - which house was subsequently removed to Third street, and was torn down last summer to make way for Der Demokrat building. In a few years, getting uneasy over the tardy growth of the city, he sold this property to Mr. Davenport for a trifle, and left the place for a while only, but to return again; and for the past twenty-five years or so, has lived where he died at the 'Squires Place' in East Davenport, where several of his family were born and reared. His children by his first wife, now living, were two daughters -now Mrs. W.H. Guthrie of Helena, Montana, and Mrs. A.J. Smith, of this city, and three sons - Charles E., George C. And Wm. H., all now of Omaha. His first wife, dying in 1856, he was married in 1859,a second wife, who is left to mourn his loss, and by whom there are two children, masters Henry and Fred.

Nathaniel Squires has been a prominent, industrious, and thrifty citizen of Davenport, all these many years. Many of the buildings that make up the edifices of this city, were the work of his skillful hands. Being of that busy class of men who never seek public preferment, he was not prominent in politics, yet sometimes served in a public capacity - was Alderman in 1849, 50, 51 and 52, under the mayoralties of Jonathan Parker, Dr. James Hall, Charles Weston, and John Jordan; and held other places of trust that fall to the lot of men of worth and intelligence. His principal labor life, however, consisted in making a good home for his family, attending in an upright way to his own business; letting that of others alone; and in works of general enterprise and benevolence, for he was a public spirited man, honest, blunt, and straight-forward in all his ways and doings; a good husband, an indulgent parent, worthy neighbor and true friend.

Among the old settlers of Scott County, Mr. Squires has long been known as one of the most respected of their number, his life a busy one, his word a bond, requiring no witness.
His life of care and labor was not unrewarded; for he reared and educated a large family of excellent sons and daughters, and gathered about him the comforts of home and an abundance of property to serve him during life, and a fair competence for those left behind that may need it.

He died of a paralytic stroke - the last of several, which have before this time, reminded him of the breaking down of a most hardy physique - an iron constitution. Even up to his last days he was busy about his premises, always improving a little here and there never idle or wasteful; died with his hands hardened with every day labor. He will be missed - very much missed by family, neighbors and friends. The kindest sympathy of all who knew him go out to those who are left to mourn. He died in most perfect ease and composure, after a few days of illness died in the presence of his entire family - wife, daughters and sons - all of who were not already near at hand, having been sent for and arrived in time to pay the last sad offices at the deathbed of an aged, honored and dearly beloved father.

Mrs. Guthrie has been with him for the past six months, being here on the account of the health of her husband. The three sons, who reside at Omaha, arrived last evening. The funeral ceremonies will take place at the families residence, in East Davenport, on Thursday morning, next at 11 o'clock, to which all friends of the family are invited. The interment takes place at Oakdale.

Source: Unknown. 22 January 1878.

A PIONEER BUILDER
RESTS FROM HIS LABORS
Death of Nathaniel Squires

A sketch of his History His Connection with the Growth and Prosperity of Davenport - His Characteristics - His Family - His Estate - His Funeral.

At his home in East Davenport at five o'clock yesterday morning, after a life of great activity, and of integrity rarely surpassed, Nathaniel Squires died. He met death with his senses full toned, and calmly as though he was intending to take a little rest instead of passing through the awful change. His family were about his bedside, he knew them all - he looked hail and farewell to them all, and then passed away.
The native place of Mr. Squires was Dansville, N.Y., where he was born the 12th day of August, 1807. His school days ended when he was sixteen years of age, and he served an apprenticeship to a carpenter and joiner for four years, becoming a first class mechanic before he was of age. In 1837, having married two years previously, he determined to move west - and he stopped not till he had reached the Mississippi, then the west line of a far distant frontier, crossed it and landed in Davenport. The county contained less than four hundred people then, and there were scarcely three hundred people in Davenport - but the men who were here were as noble a band of pioneers as ever opened farms or founded a city. Mr. Squires went to work at his trade at once, and the demand for his services was more than he could respond to. He became a master builder and contractor and for twenty years was a leading contractor in the city - a marvel of energy, very competent, with honesty unquestioned. As early as '38 he built his first home in the city on a roomy lot on the southeast corner of Second and Main streets, now occupied by Davenport's block. Mr. Davenport purchased the lot of him. In 1853 or '54, he built the stone cottage on Front street, in East Davenport, so long known as 'Squires Place,' which has been his home ever since. As contractor he built many of the best buildings erected in the town during the years he was in business - the Methodist church, (now shops below, the library above) corner of Fifth and Brady streets, the Baptist church, St. Luke's (now First Presbyterian) church, the Cook mansion (now occupied by Dr. Hazen) corner of Brady and Sixth streets and other large buildings and residences.
'Nat.' Squires was noted for his push, promptness and ability as a builder, and much of the time, he was sought after by persons who had large jobs which they wanted pushed. He prospered and achieved a competency long before he gave up his occupation. He could have held lucrative positions "for the people," but he was no politician, no office-seeker, and about the only positions he ever held were those which required much work for little pay - as the office of the Alderman, which he filled for four years, or from the spring of 1849 to spring of 1853; That was before Aldermen were elected by Wards, and when there were but six members of the City Council, beside by the Mayor.
When work on the Union Pacific Railroad commenced, Mr. Squires went to Omaha and worked as superintendent of buildings, and other branches of the great enterprise, receiving from $399 to $499 per month. All know with what zeal that railroad was pushed, year after year, till it was completed. Mr. Squires was 60 years old then, and he worked with all of the energy of a man of forty - and before he got through he broke down, his strong constitution weakened; and he realized for the first time, the fact that he was growing old.
After his return to Davenport, where his family had remained during his absence, he did not follow contracting extensively. He took the contracts for building two sections of the Davenport & St. Paul railroad, and fulfilled then well - and sought no more large jobs.

Of the people who have come to Davenport in the last ten years, comparatively few knew of Mr. Squires, or had even heard of him, so unobtrusive was he, so quiet in his ways. Yet twenty years ago, and for nearly twenty years before that, he was one of the most prominent citizens of Davenport. Talk with citizens who have known him all these years, and they will tell you they 'never heard anything against Nathaniel Squires, he was honest, he never failed to keep his promise, he was a good man.' The writer of this sketch heard remarks like that from many citizens yesterday. He leaves an estate valued at about $15,000 - in '56, worth three times that amount.
Mr. Squires' first wife died in the fall of 1856. Her children, Mrs. W.H. Guthrie, of Helena, Montana, Mrs. A.J. Smith of this city, Charles E., George C. And William H. Squires, all of Omaha, with his younger children, Henry and Frederick, and their mother, were with him in his last hours. The mother and daughters were his faithful nurses through his illness. His death resulted from a paralytic stroke received a week hence. He was one of the kindest fathers, one of the best husbands, and his memory will be a treasure with his wife and children all their days, while his fellow citizens who knew him will sincerely regret his departure.

The funeral ceremonies will take place at the family residence, in East Davenport, to-morrow morning at 11 o'clock, to which all friends of the family are invited. The interment takes place at Oakdale.

Source: Unknown. 23 January 1878.

The Last Tokens.

The funeral services of the late Nathaniel Squires, at the family residence, yesterday forenoon, were attended by a large number of people - far more than the house could contain. There was a larger number of old settlers present than have appeared at any previous obsequies of members of their society in several years. The day was delightful. The services were conducted by Rev. J.G. Merrill, whose address treated of the noble character of the deceased, his life of unceasing work. His honesty, his temperance, and the value of the memory of such a father to his children. The pall bearers were Messrs. D.C. Eldridge, Wm. Van Tuyl, J.M.D. Burrows, John Homby, J.G. Speaker, J.M. Eldridge, Thomas Robeson, P. Kensal Redding - all members of the Pioneer's Society. The cortege was of great length. The interment was at Oakdale. So ends the career of one of the best of the men who founded our city.

Source: Unknown. 25 January 1878.