Rufus Easton
| Rufus Easton | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri Territory | |
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In office 17 September 1814 – 6 August 1816 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Hempstead |
| Succeeded by | John Scott |
| 2nd Attorney General of Missouri | |
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In office 1821–1826 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Bates |
| Succeeded by | Robert William Wells |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 4, 1774 Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States |
| Died | July 5, 1834 (aged 60) St. Charles, Missouri |
| Resting place | Lindenwood University Cemetery, St. Charles, Missouri |
| Spouse(s) | Alby (Smith) Easton |
Rufus Easton (May 4, 1774 – July 5, 1834) was an American attorney, politician, and postmaster. He served as a non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Missouri Territory prior to statehood. After statehood he became Missouri's second Attorney General. Rufus Easton was the founder of Alton, Illinois, and father of women's education pioneer Mary Easton Sibley.
Rufus Easton was born on May 4, 1774 in Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut to parents Joseph and Mehitable (Baker) Easton. After studying Law under Ephraim Kirby in his native Litchfield County, Easton moved to Rome, New York and established a law practice. Easton and wife Alby, who he had married in 1799, left New York in 1803 settling briefly in Vincennes, Indiana Territory. In Vincennes he became friends with Edward Hempstead and John Scott, joining them in William Henry Harrison's expedition set up a territorial government in St. Louis, District of Louisiana in 1804.
Easton purchased land just east of the Mississippi River in 1815 where he established a town. He named the town in honor of his firstborn son, Alton Rufus Easton. Alton is at the juncture of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and is near where Lewis and Clark set off for their Voyage of Discovery. Aside from the town name, the Easton family is memorialized in Rufus Easton Street and streets named after Easton children, including Alby, Henry, George, and Langdon.
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