WI BIO - Lafayette Co - RUSSELL, G. W.

History of La Fayette County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1881, 
pp 768-769

G. W. RUSSELL, M.D., deceased, Town of Gratiot, Lafayette County, Wisconsin, 
was born in 1754 in Wethersfield [Hartford County], Connecticut, and was 
married about 1774 to Polly WOODRUFF [a maiden name?]. George Washington 
RUSSELL, the youngest son, was born 21 September 1800 in Litchfield 
[Litchfield County], Connecticut, was taken in 1801 to Bradford County, 
Pennsylvania, in 1802 to New York, and in 1815 to Connecticut, where in 1816 
his mother died. After passing through various trials, he went to Hartford 
[Hartford County], Connecticut, and attended school, and in 1817 lived with 
his brother [William RUSSELL]. He [George] was clerk in his brother 
William's store until 1818, then traveled for the firm until 1820. In August 
1820 he [George] went to Windham [Bradford County], Pennsylvania, and engaged 
in clearing a farm, and then sold out in 1823.

In 1825 he [George Washington RUSSELL] went to Waterloo [Seneca County], New 
York, and married, on 27 June 1826, [Miss] Susan BEAR, the only living child 
of John BEAR, and remained at Waterloo, New York, until 1829, when he 
returned to Windham, Pennsylvania, where he studied medicine.

In 1833 George Washington RUSSELL was appointed Adjutant of the Second 
Volunteer Militia of Bradford County, Pennsylvania,
and served until the fall of 1834, when he was elected Major of the 
Battalion, and served until 1837. He sold his farm in Windham [Bradford 
County], Pennsylvania, and bought in Esterflats [Queen Esther's Flats, five 
miles of flats near Queen Esther's Town, burned in 1778, which was a Native 
American town at the junction of the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers, near 
what is now Athens, Bradford County, Pennsylvania], Ulster [originally called 
Sheshequin], Bradford County, Pennsylvania. In the latter part of 1850 he 
engaged as agent for the obtaining of land bounty of the soldiers of 1812 and 
1814. In 1855 he was Pension Agent.

After years of labor, he obtained 1,000 acres in Wisconsin, and 1,600 acres 
of land in Iowa. In 1856 he sold out in Ulster [Bradford County], 
Pennsylvania, and on 05 March 1857 he came to Lafayette County, Wisconsin. 
George Washington RUSSELL died 02 November 1870 in Wisconsin. Mrs. RUSSELL 
[Mrs. Susan (BEAR) RUSSELL] died 01 October 1879. They [George Washington 
and Susan (BEAR) RUSSELL] had eleven children.

Lewis C. RUSSELL, the youngest son, a farmer in Section 2, P. O. Gratiot 
[Lafayette County, Wisconsin], was born 13 March 1844 in Ulster, Bradford 
County, Pennsylvania, and came to Wisconsin in 1857. His father left him 
eighty acres of land, the old homestead, and he now owns 120 acres, as fine a 
place as there is on the prairie. On 16 December 1874 he [Lewis C. RUSSELL] 
married Maggie MURDOCK [a maiden name?], who was born 13 November 1852 in 
Ulster, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. They [Lewis C. and Maggie RUSSELL] 
have had two children: (1) Susan Jennett, born 25 January 1876 at Gratiot 
[Lafayette County], Wisconsin; and (2) Ralph Reed, born 05 May 1878. In 
politics Lewis C. RUSSELL is a Democrat, and in religion, a believer. He has 
been school Director, and also one of the Side Board. He attended commercial 
college in Chicago [Cook County, Illinois] in 1865, and graduated the same 
year.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly