Feargus B. Squire

Who was Feargus B. Squire?

Feargus B. Squire, was an executive with the Standard Oil Company and former mayor of Wickliffe, Ohio.

Born near Exeter, England, Squire came to America at the age of ten. Beginning as an office boy for an oil company, he later built and operated his own refinery. By 1885, he had joined Standard Oil of Ohio as a co-manager with Frank Rockefeller, the brother of John D. Rockefeller. Among Squire's accomplishments was the construction of the first tank wagon for overland shipment of oil. Despite skepticism over the feasibility and reliability of the tank car, Squires confidence in his venture was proven by successful oil transport.

In the Cleveland metropolitan area, Squire is best known as the builder of Squire's Castle in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Located in the North Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks, it was built in the 1890s by Squire for use as the gatekeeper's house for his future country estate. He purchased the surrounding 525 acres of land but never completed the project. Squire sold the property in 1922 and the Cleveland Metroparks acquired it in 1925. Today Squire's Castle is open to the public free-of-admission. The Willoughby Hills Public Library annually holds a history seminar there. The surrounding park offers hiking trails, picnic areas, and a large grassy field.