Clay County, SD Biographies.....Russell, Miles 1824 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 30, 2007, 12:00 am Author: Geo. A. Ogle & Co. (1897) MILES RUSSELL. An honorable position among the farmers of Vermillion township, Clay county, is willingly accorded to this gentleman by his associates. He is a native of the Empire state, born December 5, 1824, in Randolph, Cattaraugus county, to Clement and Sabra (Harvey) Russell, natives of Maine and New York, respectively. This couple married and settled in the place where our subject was born, and in 1830 emigrated to Michigan, settling first in Lenawee county, later in St. Joseph county, and then in Branch county of the same state, where they continued to reside until 1837. The latter year Mr. Russell, with his family, started for Iowa and located in Jones county, and there both he and his wife passed to the world beyond, their deaths occurring at Fairview of that state. Of the seven children composing the family, five were sons and two were daughters, and Miles was the eldest. He was about thirteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to the Hawkeye state, and in Jones county he grew to manhood and continued to live for several years. April 13, 1848, Mr. Russell was married to Miss Jane C. Randall, who was born in Pitcher, Chenango Co., N. Y., May 6, 1828, and the young couple then took up their residence on the old homestead, where they continued to remain until 1851. That year he went to Anamosa, where he followed carpentering for four years, and then returned to the town of Fairview, where he rented land and farmed until 1858, going that year to Dixon county, Neb. In December, 1861, he left the Blackwater state for Dakota territory, settling in Vermillion, where he engaged in the mercantile business until 1875, since which date he has been conducting his farm of sixty acres in section 23 of Vermillion township. Mr. and Mrs. Russell are the parents of nine children, but only three of this family still survive, viz.: Minirva, the wife of T. R. Jewell; Julia, now Mrs. George D. Porter; and Charles C. Randolph died at the age of sixteen years, Ella when thirteen, and the other children when they were quite young. Mrs. Russell also passed to her reward beyond the grave after a married life of almost half a century, her death occurring in Vermillion township February 22, 1896. She was a woman of extremely kind nature, a loving mother, whose life had been wrapped up in her household, her children and husband, and her death was a sad blow, not only to the immediate members of the family, but to all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance. Mr. Russell has taken quite an interest in all public affairs, and during President Lincoln's administration was postmaster of Vermillion, his term of office extending over a period of four years. Additional Comments: Extracted from: MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF Turner, Lincoln, Union and Clay Counties, SOUTH DAKOTA. Containing Biographical Sketches of Hundreds of Prominent Old Settlers and Representative Citizens, with a Review of their Life Work; their Identity with the Growth and Development of these Counties; Reminiscences of Personal History and Pioneer Life; and other Interesting and Valuable Matter which should be Preserved in History. ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO. GEO. A. OGLE & CO. Publishers, Engravers and Book Manufacturers. 1897. Biography is the only true history.—EMERSON. A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote generations.—MACAULAY. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/sd/clay/bios/russell277gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb