Russell, Martin bio

Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 261-262; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Martin Russell, General Insurance Agent, Canton. Nothing more fully illustrates the rapid strides the world has made in civilization during the last few centuries, than the manifold and varied occupations found to exist in large and small cities; and the immense amount of insurance carried both on individual life and property, is indeed surprising when we see the estimate in plain figures. With every succeeding year business is becoming more and more brisk, and bread-winners must work faithfully and well to attend properly to the duties found in each line of work. But tact and industry combined always bring about a happy result as is seen in the case of Martin Russell, whose sketch now claims attention.
Mr. Russell is an Englishman by birth, having first seen the light of day in that country, March 2, 1823, and had reached his second year when his parents, (John and Hannah (Ray) Russell, left their English home to seek a new one in the United States. The father was an agriculturist, and settled in the Sate of Vermont, at Barnard, and there continued to live through the greater part of his time up to his death. The mother died in that State about 1834, leaving three children, viz: Cynthia, wife of Ceber Smith, of Pittsford, Vt., ; John, resident of Barnard, Vt.; and the subject of our sketch.
According to the custom of those days, Mr. Russell’s father bound him out when he was four years old and he continued to serve until he had reached his seventeenth year. The remembrance of those years is not attended with any great amount of pleasure, although Mr. Russell recalls the lady of the house with gratitude, she having always been kind and considerate and doing all in her power to make life more endurable to him. He received no literary instruction, although his father had arranged for him to attend school two months each year. He had been ambitious to acquire an education and had obtained a certain amount of knowledge by studying at night after a hard day’s work, dreading the penalty of a whipping if the light of his tallow dip was discovered by the man to whom he was bound. After leaving this place he worked for a few months on a farm in the same neighborhood, then attended a select school three months, after which he came West to Mansfield, Ohio.
This was in 1844, and Mr. Russell taught for a short time but in the ensuing year came to Illinois, settling first at Shabbona and continuing to make that his home until 1850. While there he took up the insurance business and is now about the oldest man in his line of work in the entire State. He went to California by the overland route in 1850 and his experience throughout the trip was exceedingly interesting. He had the misfortune to lose the diary which he had been keeping, but an excellent memory enables him to recount the most interesting incidents as well as the most trying experiences in which he bore a part. He learned what hunger is, as the last mouthful of food was eaten when the party was yet five hundred miles from San Francisco. The grass on the plains had not started as early as usual that year and it was necessary to put the horses on short allowance and give to them some of the provision that had been made for the human beings.
After a short experience as a miner on the Yuba River Mr. Russell returned home, crossing Central America and continuing his journey to New York by water. The coach and four with which the journey across Central America was made was picturesque, if not modern. The vehicle consisted of two large wheels cut from the redwood tree, set on a sapling for an axle, while the bed of the coach was of rawhides and the top a canopy of leaves supported by saplings. This rude conveyance was drawn by Mexican oxen. Mr. Russell saw many wonderful sights, but was not averse to making his home in the Prairie State when his tour was completed. He settled in DeKalb County after having passed some time in the East, and continued his insurance business, investing some money in a valuable farm. This he sold in 1866 at which time he located in Galesburg, whence he removed to Canton in the summer of 1872. As general insurance agent, his duties have extended over the greater part of the United States and it is a distinct compliment to Illinois that after so much wandering he invariably returned here.
Mr. Russell represents some of the best companies in America, among them being the Ohio Farmers, Glens Falls, Jersey City, State Investment, of California, Denver of Colorado and the Etna Life Insurance, of Hartford, Conn. He is still as actively engage in business as ever, employing office help in the carrying on of his labors. His home is a happy one, presided over by a native of Watertown, N. Y., who bore the maiden name of Catherine Hall. She became his wife in 1845, the marriage rites being celebrated in DeKalb County, this State. Mr. and Mrs. Russell have four children, named respectively, Viola, Emma, Frank and Will.
Mr. Russell is a Royal Arch Mason, and has taken the council degrees. He does not belong to any church, but is a very moral man and lives religion in his daily habits as nearly as possible. Being a self-made man he is well prepared to understand the trials and hardships of which life is too often composed, and loses no opportunity to help those less fortunate than himself. Once at the bottom round of the ladder of fame and fortune, Mr. Russell has climbed round by round, until he stands to day upon the topmost one, and merits additional praise for having climbed without assistance of any kind.