Watson Carvosso Squire, attorney, Civil War veteran, industrialist, and elected official, was born May 18, 1838, in Cape Vincent, New York. He was the only son of Rev. Orra Squire, a Methodist Episcopal minister of English ancestry. His mother, Erretta Wheeler, was a descendant of pre-Revolutionary War English immigrants. Squire was educated in public schools, at Falley Seminary in Fulton, and at Fairfield Seminary in Herkimer County, New York. In 1859 he graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He read law in Herkimer, New York, and shortly afterward was made principal of the Moravia Institute of Moravia, New York.
When the Civil War broke out, Watson Squire enlisted in the New York State service for two years. He was elected 1st lieutenant and commissioned in Company F of the New York Volunteers 19th Infantry Regiment. Squire served on the upper Potomac at Harper's Ferry under General Banks and in Virginia. He was engaged in several skirmishes and expeditions. Squire was honorably discharged, and in October 1861 he returned north to Ohio. He read law and graduated from Cleveland Law School in June 1862. When the call came for more men, Squire raised the 7th Independent Company of Ohio Sharpshooters, and on November 11, 1862 he was commissioned as Captain. His company fought on the Tennessee River and later escorted General Sherman on his march to the sea. During these campaigns, Squire served as judge advocate of the general courts martial. Later he was made judge advocate of the district of Tennessee. He served on the staff of Major General Rousseau as judge advocate and also under Major General Thomas during the siege and battle of Nashville. He also participated in the battles of Chickamauga, Resaca and Missionary Ridge. He was promoted to the rank of brevet colonel. Squire was mustered out of the army July 28, 1865.
After the war, Squire joined the E. Remington & Sons, the arms manufacturer based in Ilion, New York. He married Ida Remington, the daughter of company president Philo Remington in 1868 and became in turn manager, treasurer, and secretary of the company. Squire promoted and sold primarily Remington arms, but he also marketed the company's sewing machines and typewriters. In the years following the Civil War, the development of the breech-loading rifle led to a great demand for Remington's product. Much of Remington's business was abroad, and Squire dealt with the representatives of France, Russia, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Egypt, Mexico, and other countries. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, Remington handled purchases for France. From 1877 to 1879, he traveled extensively in Europe and Mexico. He spent several months of 1877 in St. Petersburg, and in 1878 visited Madrid, Paris, Turin, and Stockholm.
Squire moved to Seattle in 1879 to attend to the development of lands
which he had purchased from Philo Remington. He constructed buildings and
houses in Seattle, and cleared farmland in the White River Valley. Squire's
ownership of the Seattle properties was later contested in an unsuccessful
lawsuit (
Squire was replaced as governor in 1887 by Eugene Semple, a Democratic appointee. In January 1889, Squire was made president of the Statehood Convention in Ellensburg, which met to urge admission of Washington as a state. Later that year, he was elected to the U.S. Senate by the state legislature. He was re-elected in 1891. In the Senate, Squire won appropriations for improvements of the rivers and harbors of the state and secured a naval station (later the Puget Sound Naval Shipyards) at Bremerton. His most successful efforts were on behalf of coast defenses.
After his defeat in the election of 1897, Squire practiced law and managed his properties. He founded and was president of Union Trust Co. (later the Squire Investment Co.), which was established to administer his properties. Watson Squire died in Seattle on June 7, 1926.
Images of European cities and St. Petersburg from Squire's time as a representative of the E. Remington and Sons Arms Co., portraits of various celebrities and associates, images of Watson Squire, and images of memorials from the national military park in Georgia.
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Part of the papers had been in the possession of Squire's eldest daughter, Aidine Squire White, in Toronto but were transferred to Seattle to Mrs. Shirley Squire, widow of Squire's son. After Mrs. Squire's death, the papers were passed on to her daughter, Mrs. R. Hugh Dickenson.
Gift of Mrs. R. Hugh Dickenson, April 5, 1989.
Accessioned as PH2004-049. Some photographs transferred from the portrait file, circa 2000.
Photograph of Selkirk Glacier was transferred to PHColl334 Alaska and Pacific Northwest early photographers collection.
The current photograph collection, Photo Acc. 2004-049, was received together, on April 5, 1989, with the materials that form Accession No. 4004-001 in the Manuscripts Collection. Please refer to the appropriate manuscripts finding aids to use those collections. The photographs were originally transferred to the Visual Materials Collection on February 11, 2004 and March 24, 2004.
Processed by Stefanie Terasaki, 2014; Processing completed, 2014.
Written on front: At the time of the Chinese troubles.
As a salesman for E. Remington and Sons Arms Manufacturing, Squire travelled extensively in Europe and Mexico from 1877-1879. He spent several months dealing with representatives from European countries and cities including business in St. Petersburg in 1877 and Madrid in 1878 as well as other various European cities during the 1870s.
Photograph in leather frame.
Napoleon was the first president of the French Republic from 1848-1851 and ruler of the Second French Empire from 1852-1870 and is known for his re-construction of Paris with the architect Baron Haussmann.
Photograph in leather frame.
Photograph in leather frame.
Photograph in leather frame.
Illustration is stuck to small painting of castle and mountains.
Paul Alexandrovich was the brother of Tsar Alexander III.
Sertgei Alexandrovich was the brother of Tsar Alexander III.
Squire was part of the 7th Independent Company of Ohio Sharpshooters and became Captain on November 11, 1862. He participated in the battles of Chickamauga, Resaca and Missionary Ridge and was promoted to brevet colonel.
Includes images of politicians, famous figures, and friends and acquaintances of Watson Squire and Ida Remington.
Written on front: Always your Annabel.
Written on verso: Kendall's wife.
Written on verso: Affectionately
Written on verso: The Captain of the Irish Team who appeared at Creedmore on 13th and 14th Sept. 1876, the days of the great International Match.
The Grand International Rifle Match was held at Creedmore, Long Island in 1875 between the American and Irish rifle teams. 8000 people showed up to view the world championship that was a long range match with distances of 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. America won the championship.
Written on verso: My Dear Mrs. Remington, I can asure you that I have made no visit in America, nor the aquaintance of any people in all America that I more respect and value than yourself and your good husband and your interesting belongings. Sincerely your obliged Arthur B. Leech. Captain Irish Rifle Team
Written on verso: Birdie Mann, Mrs. John Mantis.
Written on front: Faithfully yours "For God and the Right" Seattle, U.S.A.
Marcus Pollasky was born 1861 in Detroit, Michigan. He attended University of Michigan Law School and graduated in 1883 he was admitted to practice at the State Court level. In 1884 he was married to Nellie A. Waldb. He became the president of the San Joaquin Valley Railroad Company around 1891 that proposed the building of a railroad from Fresno to the Sierra Timber Belt. Pollasky also had a hand in telegraph building and real estate investing.
Written on verso: To my dear friend Col. W.C. Squire The Original, New York.
Written on verso: Very Sincerely yours Elizabeth Zrilitz. Took Greek Prize Scholarship Class of 1910 Wesleyan University.
Watson Squire had three sisters, Mary Amelia Squire, Frances Eliza Squire and Ellen Augusta Squire.
Printed on verso: Scene in Geronimo's camp, The Apache Outlaw and Murderer. Taken before the surrender to Gen. Crook, March 27, 1886 in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico, escaped March 30, 1886. No, 171- Geronimo and Natches mounted, Natches with hat on; son of Geronimo standing by his side. This group was taken by special request of Geronimo.
Bill Germayne was a hunter, cowboy and scout in the Western Territories. He acted as a guide for hunters and travelers in Yellowstone park.
David J. Brewer was a lawyer, jurist and Supreme Court Judge. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Benjamin Harrison on December 4, 1889. He held the position until his death in 1910.
Photograph copied by S.A. Curtis, Stratford, Connecticut
Photograph reads: A Chip of the old Block.
Written on verso: Craigie's [ill.] 35 Nassm Street, NY 1888. Mrs. C. Reveley Lowell Oneida Co.
Benjamin Harrison was born August 20, 1833 in North Bend, Ohio. In 1888 he successfully ran against Grover Cleveland in the presidential election becoming the 23rd president of the United States. His presidency included the adding of Montana, the Dakotas, Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming as states. In 1892 Grover Cleveland won the presidential election over Harrison. Harrison moved to San Francisco, California to teach at Stanford University.
Rutherford B. Hayes was born October 4, 1822 in Delaware, Ohio. He attended Harvard Law School in 1843 and would become a politician and the 19th president of the United States from 1877-1881.
Robert Patterson Kennedy was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio. He was in the Union Army as an officer from 1861-1865. In 1862 he married Maria Lewis Gardner. After the war he returned to Ohio to study law and was appointed by President Rutherford B. Hayes as collector of internal revenue for the fourth district of Ohio, from 1878 to 1883. Afterwards he became the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio from 1885–87 and went on to be elected as a U.S. Representative from 1887-1891.
Written on verso: Inclosed to W.C. Squire in letter from Wendell Phillips.
Wendell Phillips was born on November 29, 1811 in Boston, Massachusetts. He went to Harvard University and graduated with a law degree in 1833. He opened a law practice in the city but around 1836 he stopped practicing to focus on the abolitionist movement. He was a well known orator for the abolitionists and was a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society as well as a frequent speaker for women's rights. He assisted with the creation of the first woman suffrage petition in Massachusetts and was the treasurer of the National Woman’s Rights Central Committee.
William Vance Rinehart was born December 28, 1835 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. He crossed the plains and ended up in Oregon where he worked as a merchant and became an active Republican in the area. In 1870 he assisted in the race for state senator in the interest of Honorary George H. Williams for the United States senate, but was defeated by a close vote. He became postmaster at Canyon City from 1869 to 1874 and in 1882 moved to Seattle and was elected state senator in the first Washington State election. After his first term was completed he became the Commissioner of Public Works.
Written on verso: Courteously yours Wm Vance Rinehart.