Joel Cook Squires (December 11, 1819 – March 3, 1889) was an American carpenter, miner, Wisconsin pioneer, and Democratic politician. He was elected as the 3rd Bank Comptroller of Wisconsin, and also served in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly, representing Grant County.

Joel C. Squires
3rd Bank Comptroller of Wisconsin
In office
January 4, 1858 – January 2, 1860
GovernorAlexander Randall
Preceded byWilliam M. Dennis
Succeeded byGysbert Van Steenwyk Sr.
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
In office
January 3, 1853 – May 1, 1853
Preceded byJohn Sharpstein
Succeeded byJames Wilson Seaton
Constituency16th district
In office
January 5, 1852 – January 3, 1853
Preceded byJohn H. Rountree
Succeeded byDuncan Reed
Constituency6th district
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Grant 1st district
In office
January 3, 1870 – January 2, 1871
Preceded byJoseph Harris
Succeeded byJoseph Harris
Personal details
Born(1819-12-11)December 11, 1819
Vienna Township, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 1889(1889-03-03) (aged 69)
Platteville, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeGreenwood Cemetery, Platteville, Wisconsin
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Caroline M. Banfill
(m. 1850⁠–⁠1918)
Children
  • Laura E. (Hendershot)
  • (b. 1850; died 1920)
  • George Utley Squires
  • (b. 1852; died 1855)
  • Elizabeth E. (Washburn)
  • (b. 1856; died 1939)
  • Deforest Squires
  • (b. 1859; died 1861)
  • Emily Theresa Squires
  • (b. 1869; died 1871)

Background

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Squires was born in Vienna Township, Ohio, on December 11, 1819, and attended the public schools.[1] He came to Wisconsin in 1838 and settled in the Platteville area in 1841.[1] He died at his home in Platteville on March 3, 1889.[2]

Public service

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Squires was Clerk of the Grant County Board of Supervisors for 1849, 1850 and 1851; he was Clerk of the Circuit Court in 1851 and 1852.[1] At that time a resident of Lancaster, Squires was elected to the State Senate from the Sixth District for the 1852 session. Squires, a Democrat, succeeded Whig John H. Rountree. At the time of election, he was 31 years of age and had been in Wisconsin for twelve years; he listed his occupation as "carpenter".[3]

After the Senate was re-apportioned and the Sixth District was shifted from the region around Platteville and the surrounding region to the Milwaukee area, Squires was succeeded by fellow Democrat Duncan Reed in the Sixth District, but was elected to the succeeding one-year term in the new Sixteenth District. On May 1, 1853, he resigned from the Senate; fellow Democrat James Wilson Seaton of Potosi was elected to fill his seat.[4]

He served as Register of the United States Land Office at Mineral Point, from 1853 to 1857, until he was elected the State of Wisconsin's Bank Comptroller (at that time an elected position), serving through the end of 1859.[5] He sought re-election in 1860, but was defeated by Republican Gysbert Van Steenwyk Sr.

In the Assembly

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In 1870, now living in Platteville and working as a miner, he was elected for a single year term from the first Grant County Assembly district (the Towns of Hazel Green, Smeltzer and Platteville), succeeding Republican Joseph Harris. He received 465 votes to 437 for Republican William E. Carter (Harris was not a candidate).[6] He ran for re-election in 1871, but lost to Harris by 295 votes to 567 for Harris.[7]

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Bank Comptroller (1857, 1859)

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Wisconsin Bank Comptroller Election, 1857[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 3, 1857
Democratic Joel C. Squires 44,859 50.47%
Republican J. P. McGregor 44,024 49.53%
Plurality 835 0.94%
Total votes 88,883 100.0%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Bank Comptroller Election, 1859[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 1859
Republican Gysbert Van Steenwyk Sr. 59,697 53.03% +3.50%
Democratic Joel C. Squires (incumbent) 52,880 46.97% −3.50%
Plurality 6,817 6.06% +5.12%
Total votes 112,577 100.0% +26.66%
Republican gain from Democratic

Wisconsin Assembly (1869, 1870)

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Wisconsin Assembly, Grant 1st District Election, 1869[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 1869
Democratic Joel C. Squires 465 51.55%
Republican William E. Carter 437 48.45%
Plurality 28 3.10%
Total votes 902 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican
Wisconsin Assembly, Grant 1st District Election, 1870[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 1870
Republican Joseph Harris 567 65.78% +17.33%
Democratic Joel C. Squires (incumbent) 295 34.22% −17.33%
Plurality 272 31.55% +28.45%
Total votes 862 100.0% -4.43%
Republican gain from Democratic

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Democratic State Legislature: Grant County". The Daily Milwaukee News. February 20, 1870. p. 2. Retrieved June 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ "Joel C. Squires". The Weekly Wisconsin. March 9, 1889. p. 7. Retrieved June 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ "Members and Officers of the Senate" (PDF). Manual for the use of the Assembly of the State of Wisconsin for the year 1853 (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1853. p. 85. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  4. ^ The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin; Comprising Jefferson's Manual, Rules, Forms and Laws for the Regulation of Business; also, lists and tables for reference Tenth Annual Edition. Madison: Atwood and Culver, State Printers, Journal Block, 1871; p. 191
  5. ^ The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin; Comprising Jefferson's Manual, Rules, Forms and Laws, for the Regulation of Business; also, lists and tables for reference Ninth Annual Edition. Madison: Atwood and Rublee, State Printers, Journal Block, 1870; p. 250
  6. ^ a b "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1870. p. 362. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1871. p. 376. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  8. ^ "Official State Canvass". Janesville Gazette. December 17, 1857. Retrieved November 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "The Result of the State Canvass". Wisconsin State Journal. December 3, 1859. p. 1. Retrieved November 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by
Joseph Harris
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Grant 1st district
January 3, 1870 – January 2, 1871
Succeeded by
Joseph Harris
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 6th district
January 5, 1852 – January 3, 1853
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 16th district
January 3, 1853 – May 1, 1853
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Bank Comptroller of Wisconsin
January 4, 1858 – January 2, 1860
Succeeded by