John Harold McQuarie was born March 4, 1852, in the Dominion of Canada, the second son of George McQuarie and Sarah Brown, of the same country. John attended public school until fourteen years of age, after which he went to the Wyoming Plains, where he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as check clerk for two years. Leaving there, he went to Wilson County, Kansas, where he purchased land, and farmed for one year, after which he moved to Texas. Remaining but a short time in the Lone Star State, he went to the Creek Nation, and there managed a farm for D. M. Hodge, a prominent politician. His next move was to enter the employment of F. B. Severs, being employed on his ranch and in his business house for about five years, after which he opened a hotel at Muskogee. Here he remained until May 1888, when he came to Wagoner and went into business with Miller & Co. (a mercantile firm). Mr. Miller selling out soon after to Terry Parkinson, Mr. McQuarie sold his interest to James Parkinson. In 1891 he opened in the same business with Mr. Teague, and is now conducting it successfully. February 24, 1883, Mr. McQuarie married Miss Alice Atkins, cousin of General Pleasant Porter. By this marriage he has one boy, born December 1, 1884, named Ray. After the death of his first wife, he married Miss Mary Spriggs, daughter of John Spriggs, a Cherokee living some miles from Vinita, but unfortunately the lady died October 31, 1891, leaving him a widower for the second time. Mr. McQuarie’s business house carries a stock of $6,000, or thereabouts; he has also a small herd of cattle, a fenced pasture (one mile square), two houses in Wagoner, and a farm near Chouteau, Cherokee Nation. Mr. McQuarie is a pleasant, popular man, of good business ability. He is a member of the Masonic order and Knights of Pythias.
