Born in 1844 in Antibes, France, James Raizon immigrated to the United States as a young man and became a pharmacist. In 1891 he received a medical degree from Rush Medical College. In the 1890s Raizon, his wife, and children settled in Trinidad, Colorado, where he established the town's first hospital (Trinidad Sanitarium) and drug store. He practiced medicine in Trinidad until his death in 1914.