From the
Racine Walking Tour Guide published 1994. DANIEL SLAUSON (1798 - 1865) Daniel Slauson and his wife, Elizabeth Selleck (1800-1863), settled in Racine in 1838. On land purchased from the government he cut timber, and with his partner, Isaac Taylor, he opened the city’s first lumberyard. Daniel also became a grain broker. Although no harbor facilities had yet been developed here, Daniel inventively used scows to move the grain from the shore to a vessel out on the lake and made the first shipment of wheat from a Wisconsin port. It left Racine in 1842. He combined his lumber and grain business when, in partnership with his son, James (1825-1909), he built the first wooden ship on Lake Michigan with a capacity of 50,000 bushels of grain. Eventually, a million bushels of wheat per year were processed through Racine. Daniel became on the largest landholders in the county and built a large house that still stands at the corner of Washington and Taylor Avenues. He was also called "the father of the Methodist Church in Racine" because he conducted services for the early settlers when circuit ministers were not available. Fittingly, his mansion is now part of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. The Slauson family was one of the most important in the early history of Racine. Slauson Avenue was named for them, and the area of West Racine which was once a part of Daniel’s farm was nicknamed Slausondale. Daniel and Elizabeth are buried in Mound Cemetery along with George and Emily (his son and daughter-in-law). Although the Guide states James was probably buried in Ohio, his g-g-g-grandaughter* confirms this is not true. James was also buried in Mound Cemetery with his wife Sarah Dikeman, daughter Minnie Slauson Duncombe Northrop Wolf and several of Minnie's descendants. Submitted by Deborah Crowell * A special thanks to Diane Moen, the great-great-great-grandaughter of James and Sarah (Dikeman) Slauson for setting the record straight. |