1. Rufus Easton was an American attorney, politician, and postmaster.
31 Facts About Rufus Easton
1. 2.
Rufus Easton served as a non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Missouri Territory prior to statehood.
3.
Rufus Easton was the founder of Alton, Illinois, and father of women's education pioneer Mary Easton Sibley.
4.
Rufus Easton purchased land just east of the Mississippi River in 1815 where he established a town.
5.
Rufus Easton named the town in honor of his firstborn son, Alton Rufus Easton.
6.
Unfortunately, Rufus Easton was not prosperous in Alton and speculation there left him in financial straits for the remainder of his life.
7.
Just a year after arriving in St Louis, Rufus Easton received two federal appointments from President Thomas Jefferson.
8.
When Burr visited St Louis in July, 1805 he met with Rufus Easton and revealed to him some details of his plot, asking him to join.
9.
Rufus Easton refused and broke off all further contact with Burr.
10.
Shortly thereafter Rufus Easton wrote to President Jefferson informing him of Burr's plot.
11.
Rufus Easton was acquitted and even traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with Jefferson.
12.
Once Rufus Easton was removed from the bench, attorney James Donaldson worked on behalf of Missouri slaveholders to get the decision overturned.
13.
Rufus Easton continued his law practice, land dealings, and postmaster duties for the next several years.
14.
Rufus Easton was responsible for the construction of the first post office building in St Louis, very near where the Gateway Arch stands today.
15.
Rufus Easton would continue to serve as postmaster until January, 1815.
16.
Rufus Easton ran for the delegate position but was defeated by Edward Hempstead.
17.
Rufus Easton turned his attention to banking the following year, becoming a commissioner of the Bank of St Louis.
18.
Later, in 1818 Rufus Easton took over as director of the bank.
19.
Rufus Easton stood for election as the territorial delegate to Congress again in September, 1814 and won.
20.
Rufus Easton secured funding to establish fourteen additional post offices in the Missouri Territory and earned a place in history as the first Congressional sponsor of federal disaster aid, that to help victims of the New Madrid earthquakes.
21.
In 1816 Rufus Easton lost to John Scott by a mere fifteen votes.
22.
Rufus Easton contested the election, claiming voter fraud and petitioned the US House of Representatives to overturn the results.
23.
Many of his land holdings were located around bluffs across the Mississippi River from St Louis and Rufus Easton felt this would be an ideal location for a competing town.
24.
Rufus Easton returned to politics in 1821 when he was appointed the second Attorney General for the new state of Missouri by governor Alexander McNair.
25.
Rufus Easton replaced his protege Edward Bates, who had studied law under and boarded with the Easton family.
26.
One of the major challenges Rufus Easton dealt with as Attorney General was helping guide the state through the gubernatorial succession process following the unexpected death of Missouri's second governor, Frederick Bates, in August, 1825.
27.
The Scypion freedom lawsuit appeared in the Missouri courts while Rufus Easton was Attorney General.
28.
Rufus Easton was responsible for pushing an amendment that would scuttle a bill that prevented free blacks and mulattoes from living in Missouri.
29.
When his term was up in 1826 Rufus Easton chose not to continue as Attorney General.
30.
Rufus Easton semi-retired to his St Charles, Missouri home, doing occasional legal work and managing his land holdings.
31.
Rufus Easton was buried on the grounds of Lindenwood College in St Charles.