Thomas Squires

	Thomas Squires

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Doraville Whitney was the first Black settler in Isabella County in 1860. The first documentation of an African-American settler in Mecosta County Michigan was James Guy. His deed was signed by Abraham Lincoln. He obtained 160 acres in Wheatland Township on May 30, 1861. Lloyd & Margaret Guy were the first Black settlers in Montcalm County in 1861. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed each settler 160 acres in Michigan. By 1873 African-Americans owned 1,392 acres in the three counties of Isabella, Mecosta and Montcalm. In the 1860's most of the land in Remus was owned by the Old Settlers.

Thomas Squires

Pictures Courtesy of Betty Cummings-Shelby & Deonna Todd-Green

Elizabeth Cummings, Elsie Hardie,

Thomas Cummings, Velma Norman,

Irma Guy, Rebecca Tate, Leona (Angie) Bow,

Elvira Boyd

The Squires Reunion - Oldest

Descendents - July 21, 1962

Sitting: Rebecca Squires-Tate, Lovejoy Tate,

Back: Velma Tate-Norman, Smyth Guy

Irma Tate-Guy

Lena (Myers) Squires

1944 - Alexander Harper, Jr. Birthday Party

L-R: Elmer Squires, Alexander Harper, Cy Harris,

Amos Cross & John Caliman

Elmer Squires and Gertrude Green Norman

(Wife of Bill Norman) standing in front of a

1938 Ford

Susan (Cummings) Green (Back) Philip Green, Caroline (Green) Squires,

Eva (Gertie Green) Norman and Charlie Green

Thomas Squires was born in West Virginia. As a young man, he went to Ohio, where he lived and married Ellen Harris, the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Harris. While living in Hocking County, Ohio, their first daughter Rebecca was born. Traveling by covered wagon, they came to Michigan. They first lived in the Niles and Decatur, Michigan area before coming to Millbrook, Michigan. Thomas, Ellen and family lived in and around Millbrook for while before buying a piece of land west of Millbrook. The land was a dense forest. Tom cleared the land to make a home for his family. Thomas and Ellen had seven girls and one boy. Their names were: Rebecca, Ardell, Victoria, Sarah, Mary, Coptora, Maude, and Elmer.


	Thomas Squires

There are "Old Settlers" who came from Canada via "The Underground Railroad." It was the most dramatic nonviolent protest against slavery in the United States that began in the Colonial Era and reached its peak between 1830 and 1865. An estimated 30,000 to 100,000 slaves used the "railroad" to get to Canada; many others escaped to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe.