ory of Louisiana and first postmaster of St. Louis. In September,
1805, Burr, Wilkinson and Easton had a conference at St. Louis. Easton
turned a deaf ear to Burr's questionable proposals and from this time
Wilkinson was hostile to Easton. Easton corresponded with Jefferson and
Granger concerning the Burr conspiracy. Jefferson appointed him United
States attorney, 1814-18 he was delegate to Congress from Missouri,
1821-26 he was attorney-general of Missouri. Easton was very prominent,
entertaining almost all visitors of note. Edward Bates, Lincoln's
attorney-general, read law in Easton's office.

Soon after coming to St. Louis, Easton began to buy up claims to land in
Missouri and Illinois. When seeking to find a suitable place for a town in
Illinois, he selected a point on the east bank of the Mississippi,
twenty-five miles north of St. Louis and twenty miles south of the mouth
of the Illinois. There was here a good landing place for boats, and also
extensive beds of coal and limestone. The town was named Alton in honor of
the founder's son. One hundred lots in the new town were donated to the
support of the gospel and public schools, one-half of the proceeds to be
devoted to each. This provision was confirmed by the act of incorporation
of January 30, 1821, and the trustees were given the right to tax
undonated lots for the support of schools. This latter provision was in
advance of public sentiment and two years later it was repealed. Alton,
like Mt. Carmel and to a much greater extent, proved the wisdom of its
location. It has long been noted for its manufactures and is a thriving
modern city.(550)

The town of Springfield, since 1839 the capital of Illinois, was laid out
in 1822, before the land upon which it stood was offered for sale. When
the land was sold in November, 1823, the section upon which the town stood
was bought by Elijah Iles, Pascal Paoli Enos, Thomas Cox, and Daniel P.
Cook, each purchasing one quarter, but the title being vested by agreement
in Iles and Enos. Cook, like McDowell in the founding of Mt. Carmel, seems
to have been a non-resident proprietor.

Elijah Iles was a child of the wilderness. He was born in Kentucky in
1796, and died at Springfield, Illinois, in 1883, leaving valuable
reminiscences of his long experience on the frontier. His mother was
Elizabeth Crockett Iles, a relative of David Crockett. Elijah attended
school two winters and taught two winters. In 1812, although but sixte