Placer
County
Biographies
GEORGE SQUIER
George Squier, now deceased, was one
of the highly esteemed citizens of Dutch Flat who came to California in
1852. He was born in Hamilton, Ohio, on
the 24th of January, 1826, and represented a family that was founded
in America by English immigrants. In
1836 his father, Samuel Squier, removed to Michigan and became one of the
pioneers of that state, and from his tenth year until his removal to California
George Squier resided in the Wolverine state.
In 1850 he was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Parker Allen, a native
of Ellery, Chautauqua County, New York.
Together they crossed the plains to California in 1852. On the 20th of April of that year
they left the Missouri River, arriving at Placerville on the 30th of
July. They reached their destination in
safety, but Mrs. Squier suffered greatly from mountain fever during the latter
part of their perilous journey.
The subject of this review engaged
in mining at Placerville for about two years, securing some gold there, after
which he went to Chilly Bar, on the American River, where he purchased a claim
and followed mining. Subsequently he
engaged in the same pursuit at Kelsey, El Dorado County, and mined on the
American River at Euchre Bar. At
Pokerville, in that county, he mined for a few months, having a river claim
there, but that property did not prove profitable and he removed to Sacramento. In September, 1858, he arrived at Dutch Flat
and continued mining for a number of years.
During the latter part of his life he held the office of watchman at
Dutch Flat. His death occurred on the 19th
of March, 1898, at the age of seventy-two years and the community in which he
resided mourned the loss of one of its valued citizens, for he was a man of the
highest integrity of character and true to every trust reposed in him. In politics he cast his first vote to
Buchanan, after which he affiliated with the Republican Party, and socially he
was a charter member of the Order of Red Men, filling all the offices in the
local lodge. In 1869 he purchased the
home in which his widow and their daughter now reside. It is a pleasant and comfortable residence
located on the little flat where the first pioneers of the town took up their
abode, and from the number of people of that nationality who lived on the flat
the place naturally took its name. This
name became dear to the hearts of the older settlers, who had always opposed its
change. Mrs. Squier is a most estimable
and agreeable lady, a worthy representative of the pioneer women of
California. Their daughter, Abbie,
belongs to the society of the Native Daughters of the Golden West and is the
first past president of the parlor at Dutch Flat. She is a successful schoolteacher and for
eight years has had charge of the primary department at this place. She and her mother are valued members of the
Baptist Church, and to the daughter we are indebted for the history of the
father. Throughout the pioneer days and
through the later period of the development and progress in California Mr.
Squier always took a deep interest in the upbuilding and improvement of this
state, and as one of the representative citizens of his adopted county, he is
well worthy of honorable mention in this volume.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Page 133. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.