Earickson was born on December 7, 1782, on
Kent Island, Maryland, moving to near
Glasgow, Missouri – prior to its incorporation – in 1818. He moved onto a farm in
Howard County in 1828, on a larger property; his house was presumably the first brick house in the county. When Glasgow was platted, parts of the town was planned atop land sold to them by Earickson. A
Democrat, Earickson was elected to the
Missouri Senate in August 1828. He was appointed State Treasurer of Missouri on January 1, 1829, after which he moved into a log house in
Jefferson City. He earned $730 per year as treasurer. The treasury room of the
Missouri State Capitol at the time was a small room with iron windows, and the state funds were stored in a barrel constructed of iron; the fund was counted in Mexican silver dollars at the time. After his tenure ended in December 1833, he returned to his Howard County farm. He later served as a judge, and in the 1830s, he presided over the case of
George M. Hinkle and other Mormon leaders. By his decision, Mormons were exiled from Howard County. Earickson had a wife, Rebecca Malone, with whom he had three children. He died on June 11, 1844, aged 61, His granddaughter, Jane Perry, was the wife of Governor
David R. Francis. ==References==