ROBERT B. RUSSELL: A BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO VETERAN
By W. T. Block
Robert B. Russell was born in Utica, N. Y. on April 17, 1817, and at age 18, he accompanied his brother-in-law, Alanson Wyllys Canfield, to San Augustine, TX. In March, 1836, Russell enlisted in Capt. Ben. F. Bryant's militia company, which joined Gen. Houston's army at Groce's Plantation on Brazos River on Apr. 1, 1836. Russell fought at the Battle of San Jacinto, and in July, 1836, he and Canfield served another 90-day enlistment in a Sabine County company.
On June 1, 1841, Russell married Lavinia Brownrigg (1821-1899) at San Augustine, by whom he had six children. In 1840 Canfield bought the San Augustine Redlander, and built it into one of the three most influential newspapers in Texas. Russell served several years as typesetter until 1846; and when Canfield enlisted during the Mexican War, he sold the Redlander to Russell, who continued Canfield's astute style of editorship. In Oct. 1850 Russell sold the Redlander and moved to Sabine Pass, where he opened a store.
In 1854, Russell moved to Orange, where he bought out a hotel. On March 4, 1860, he was appointed United States postmaster at Orange, and he continued as Confederate postmaster, until he was evicted from office by the military government.
In 1866 Russell bought the R. A Jordan sawmill and converted it into Russell and Sons cypress shingle mill. By 1877 he had already manufactured 50 million shingles. In 1870 he installed a shingle machine which cut 75,000 daily. In 1875 he increased his shingle production to 125,000 daily. His mill employed 50 mill hands, and he shipped his production to Galveston on his 2 company-owned schooners.
R. B. Russell was killed at his shingle mill on Nov. 29, 1880 when he was crushed between 2 moving box cars. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, and a Texas State historical marker is mounted on his grave.
Bibliography: Dixon and Kemp, The Heroes of San Jacinto (Houston: 1932); microfilmed copies of the Redlander, 1846-1850; Manuscript Census Returns, 1860, Orange County, Texas; List of Orange County Postmasters, 1854-1930; W. T. Block, East Texas Mill Towns and Ghost Towns (Lufkin: 1994), Vol. 1, pp. 266-268; Beaumont Enterprise, Dec. 4, 1880; Galveston Daily News, Dec. 9, 1880; Manuscript Census Returns, 1860, Orange County, Texas, Sch. V, Products of Industry, Microfilm Reel #48, Texas State Archives.
W.T. Block. Used with permission.
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