Bio: Brackett, James M. (1881)

Contact: Crystal Wendt

----Surnames: Brackett, Solomon, Palmer, Hamilton, Tracy

----Source: History of Northern Wisconsin (Eau Claire County, Wis.) 1881, page 316

JAMES M. BRACKETT, Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin in 1842 with his parents, Joseph W. and Lydia M. Brackett, and located on what is now the town of Brookfield, Waukesha Co. They lived there nine years, then moved to Bloomington, Grant Co.; in 1861, they went to Alma, Buffalo Co. James M. remained in Alma until May, 1865, when he located in Chippewa Falls, coming from there to Eau Claire, Jan. 1, 1870. He has been in the newspaper business since 1861, with the exception of the time he was in the army. In the Spring of 1862 he was commissioned by Gov. Solomon to raise men for the organization of Co. A., 20th Wis. V. I. With the assistance of two others, he raised the company, and at the time of its organization was commissioned second lieutenant, and in the Fall of the same year as first lieutenant. On account of disability, caused by sickness, he was mustered out at St. Louis, after five months' service. He started the Buffalo County Journal, at Alma, in the Spring of 1861. It was the first newspaper published there. He sold the paper in 1862; bought it again in 1863; sold it finally in 1865; went to Chippewa Falls and bought the Chippewa Valley Union, afterward called the Chippewa Union and Times; conducted that until Jan. 1, 1870, when he sold it and bought the Eau Claire Free Press, in partnership with Rodman Palmer, who withdrew from the paper a few months before he died, in the Fall of 1872. Mr. Brackett is now President of the Eau Claire Free Press Company. He was Deputy Provost-Marshal in Buffalo County for two years, after leaving the army. Was Deputy U. S. Assessor of Chippewa and Dunn counties for four years; was Receiver in the U. S. Land Office, in Eau Claire, for four years, and has been Postmaster for the last three years. He was born in the town of Huntsburg, Geauga Co., Ohio, July 16, 1831, and lived there until he came to Wisconsin. His father was a native of New Hampshire, and was a member of the first State Legislature of Wisconsin, and died while visiting in Eau Claire, in 1873. His mother was a native of Massachusetts; she died in 1876. Mr. Brackett was married in Jo Daviess Co., Ill., March 19, 1854, to Lucina A. Hamilton, who was born in Allegany Co., N. Y. They have eight children living — Marion A. (now Mrs. Andrew L. Tracy), Seward W., Frank E., Charles W., Kate L., John W., Harvey J. and Joseph M. They had two children die in infancy.