Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan Ephraim Squier Papers |
Ephraim Squier was born in Bethlehem, New York, the son of a Methodist minister. He began his career as a journalist in Hartford, Conn., and Chillicothe, Ohio. He was made clerk of the Ohio House of Representatives in 1847. During this time he became interested in the remains of the Mound Builders and collaborated with Edwin Davis in a Smithsonian Institution publication, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley (1847). Squier continued to write on archaelogical and ethnological subjects, establishing himself as an authority on Central America. Because of his expertise, Squier was made charge d'affaires for Central America in 1849 and, four years later, secretary of the Honduras Interoceanic Railway Company. He returned to journalism as an editor for the Frank Leslie firm and remained associated with them for the rest of his active years. Squier served in two other diplomatic posts, as United States commissioner to Peru, 1863-1865, and consul general of Honduras, 1868.
Papers of Ephraim Squier, journalist, diplomat, archaelogist.
This is a collection of miscellaneous letters, largely correspondence sent to Squier. Most of it relates to his three diplomatic assignments. Also included is the manuscript of Squier's Ancient Monuments, 334 pp.; four small pencil sketches by Squier; and four family letters from his father and uncle, 1845-1846.
Purchased, 1948
| Homepage | Manuscripts | Collections | Staff | Hours and policies |
|---|