Captain James Easson 1832-1920

Captain James Easson is Pete Sisak’s great-great grandfather.

This photo of Captain James Easson was uploaded to FindAGrave by Pete Sisak.

Captain and Master of the schooner Ruben Doud; came to Racine, May 9, 1843, with Mr. Neal Lamont, his guardian; was born at Perth, Scotland, Sept. 12, 1832 son of Thomas Easson; went on the lake while a boy, on board the Mary Leonard; earned a seaman’s wages at the age of 17 years; was mate of the schooner Whirlwind in 1852, and Master and Captain, in 1854, of the Schooner Traveler; married, June 26, 1852, Miss Harriet Ramsdell, born in Shoreham, Vt. They had five children – Irving L., born May 27, 1857; Walter and Wallace (twins), April 7, 1860; Silvia Jane, Sept. 27, 1862; Hattie, Aug. 13, 1866. Mrs. Harriet Easson died, Oct. 10, 1876. Married, June 17, 1877, Mrs. Sarah Durham, nee Cole; born in Uster Co., N. Y. She had two children by her first marriage – Francis L., born in New York, Feb. 6, 1858; Charles A., Sept. 27, 1862. They have one child, Edwin J., born Dec. 9, 1878. Mr. Easson is a member of the Masonic Order.

Racine’s First Public School. Racine’s first public school was in the old Fourth ward and here for two winters the little “Jimmie” plodded with books under his arm. He had been sent to school in Scotland, but most of his time he says, was spent in playing truant. He bought groceries and supplies in the Belle City’s first stores, the Rash Taylor, Wickum, Raymond and the Lee and Dixon groceries, the Diberard and the Johnson dry good stores, the Van Colt jewelry store and others. The first merchant to establish a delivery service in connection with his store was Rash Taylor, who had a small hand cart. When Capt. Easson was about 14, he opened his career on the Great Lakes as cabin boy and general “scout.” He had sailor’s blood in his veins and as soon as he was old enough to work it was the lakes he decided upon as his life’s occupation, but little then did he think that he would establish records or that he would ever be able to carry captain’s papers in a few years. His first trip as a sailor was made on the Mary Ann Leonard, which was owned by the Canfields, who operated saw mills here and in Michigan, and his first trip was to Manistique, Mich., where the machinery for a steam mill was taken. He was on the Leonard for two years and Larry and James Easson are now the only two alive who sailed out of here on the boat. He was made a captain in 1853 and his first command was the schooner Liberty and his last the schooner F. M. Knapp, from which he retired in the fall of 1894. Capt. Easson in his day also sailed several steamers. It was while sailing the schooner A. P. Nichols in 1869 that Capt. Easson established a record for sailing craft between Chicago and Buffalo, a record that to this day holds good. She was laden with grain and made the trip in just three days and 14 hours and sailed the entire distance without the aid of a tug, due to his knowledge of the locations of bars and other such things that delay vessels. His run was heralded across the country by the newspapers, his picture was published and the feat was considered a great thing, as it is still. Marine books and old vesselmen still tell of the trip. It was in November when the run was made and not once during the 86 hours, did the Racine veteran leave his post at the wheel, except to eat. It was necessary for tugs—the Bryant and Gardiner—to “deaden” the Nichols away at the Main street bridge in Buffalo. The vessel’s canvas had been frozen and it was necessary to get the axes into service after reaching the dock in order to lower it. Married in 1852. In 1852, the year before he was made a vessel master, he was married to Harriet Ramsdell, of Vermont, who died in 1876. The captain then remarried and his second wife is still living. The first city office the captain ever held was that of marshal, to which he was elected in 1884 and which he held for four years. In those days he was chief, sergeant and patrolman all in one. After being out of office for a short time he was reelected to the position and this time held it for five years. “The laziest job I ever had,” said the captain, “was that of life saving captain, the first man to hold the position here. I held it for three years and resigned to sail the schooner Knapp.” He was made keeper in 1876. The captain also held the position of weed commissioner for three years and health officer for four years, while acting as marshal. In May 1908 he was elected city poor master, which position he held until last May. In speaking of the office, Mr. Easson says that the “heart was too big for the city’s pocketbook” and for that reason he was not reappointed. Although 78 years old he is still hale and hearty, and this spring he constructed a new pier at his boat house on the river without any aid. At the boat-house the retired captain can now be found tinkering about his small river craft. He has three sons and two daughters, Wallace, Walter, who is superintendent of the Cooper station; J. L. Easson, president of the Standard Candy company of Milwaukee and Mrs. Edward Zahn and Mrs. Bernham.
Racine Journal (Racine, Wisconsin), published on September 10, 1910, under the title “Cap. Jas. Easson an early settler.”
Wallet of Captain James Easson
Captain James Easson’s grave in Mound Cemetery, Racine, Wisconsin. Photo by Pete Sisak.
Harriet Abigail Ramsdell Easson (1836-1876) and Captain James Easson’s graves side-by-side in Mound Cemetery, Racine, Wisconsin. Harriet was Captain Easson’s first wife. They married in 1852.