Born at Sag Harbor, on Long Island, January 26, 1854, and is a son of John and Ann (Boyle) Russell. When he was but three years old his parents removed to Muscatine, Iowa, where he attended the city schools until 1865, when the family removed to a farm in the township of Wilton, Muscatine County. The youth and early manhood of our subject were passed on the farm, he being employed at farm labor during the summer season, and attending the country schools in the winter time. Not satisfied with this limited education, he pursued his studies out of school during his leisure time, and in 1872 entered upon a course of study at Wilton Collegiate Institute. After two years spent at Wilton in close and successful study, he engaged in teaching school, in which occupation he was employed during three school terms. Having by his own unaided efforts and industrious study acquired a fair collegiate education, he chose the law as a profession, and became a student of the law department of the State University at Iowa City, from which he was graduated with honors in the class of '78. He entered upon the practice of his profession at Muscatine, by forming a law partnership with Judge J. Scott Richman and W. D. Burke, under the firm name of Richman, Burke &. Russell. Mr. Russell rapidly rose in his profession until he acquired a prominent place at the bar. He was four times elected City Attorney, and discharged the duties of the office with ability and fidelity. By instinct and education he was a thorough Democrat, and being gifted with oratorical powers of a high order, be soon became prominent in campaign work. The elections in Muscatine County had invariably returned Republican Representatives to the Legislature for many successive years, but some sanguine democrats were hopeful of reversing that order of things and of sending a Democrat to the General Assembly. By common consent Russell was chosen to lead the forlorn hope. He accepted the nomination, and came out of the fight the victor. He entered the Legislature in January, 1884. Mr. Russell resigned the office of City Attorney to accept the appointment of Postmaster at Muscatine. At the same time he retired from the law firm of Richman, Burke & Russell. On January 12, 1876, at Muscatine, Mr. Russell was united in marriage with Miss Nellie Kane, a native of Philadelphia, Pa. He also served as of the Muscatine County Democratic Committee, and was a member of the Democratic Congressional Committee of his district.
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