Joel C. Squires
Joel Cook Squires (December 11, 1819 – after 1871) was a carpenter and miner who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate for two years from two different districts, and of the Wisconsin State Assembly for one term.
Background
Squires was born in Vienna Township, Ohio on December 11, 1819; and attended the public schools. He came to Wisconsin in 1838 and settled in the Platteville area in 1841.
Public service
Squires was Clerk of the Grant County Board of Supervisors for 1849, 1850 and 1851; was Clerk of the Circuit Court in 1851 and 1852. At that time a resident of Lancaster, Squires was elected 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".[1]
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.[2]
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.[3] He sought re-election in 1860, but was defeated by Republican Gysbert Van Steenwyk, Sr..
In the Assembly
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).[4] He ran for re-election in 1871, but lost to Harris by 295 votes to 567 for Harris.[5]
References
- ^ Manual for the Use of the Assembly, of the State of Wisconsin, for the Year 1853 Madison: Brown and Carpenter, Printers, 1853; pp. 82, 85
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ 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. 362
- ^ 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. 376