Contra
Costa County
Biographies
ISAAC RUSSELL
ISAAC
RUSSELL, who is a retired resident of Sycamore valley, Contra Costa county, was
born within one mile of Akron, N.Y., August 6, 1828, a son of Daniel and
Sarah (Chase) Russell, who were farmers in that locality throughout their
entire lives. Isaac Russell remained a
resident of that place until he crossed the plains to California in 1950, upon
his arrival in the state engaging in mining near Auburn, Placer county. He remained
so occupied for five years, when he came to Contra Costa county
and worked for his uncle, Samuel Russell, a resident of the San Ramon
valley. During the years that followed
Mr. Russell and his brother Henry fenced a league of land for their
relative, for this excellent five board fence receiving as remuneration the
privilege of using a part of the ranch for three years. He also helped his brother fence his ranch in
Norris canyon, and then built four miles of fence for Mr. Norris, using as
a maul to drive posts an oak knot which was raised by handpower
and did very rapid work. In 1860 he
married Isabella Orr, a native of Scotland, and a daughter of Thomas and
Catherine (Jackson) Orr, who came to California in 1850, and settled at Salmon
Falls, Eldorado county. There they conducted a hotel for ten years,
after which they became the owners of an eight hundred acre ranch, where
Mr. Orr carried on general farming and stock-raising for a number of
years, meeting with a success which enabled him to retire some years previous
to his death. He lived to the ripe old
age of eighty-six years, while his wife lived to be eighty-four. After some years Mr. Russell came to
Sycamore valley and bought of L. C. Wittemyer
one hundred and sixty acres of land, and adjoining this he took up the same
number of acres, upon which he carried on general farming for twenty-seven
years. He then sold out and went to San
Francisco, where he conducted a lodging house from 1887 to 1892, when he went
to live with his sons in Davisville, Yolo county. In 1899 he
returned to Contra Costa county and has since made
this his home, enjoying the fruits of his early industry. Born to Mr. and Mrs. Russell were the
following children: Mary Catherine, who
became the wife of T. P. S. Brown; George, Thomas A.,
William H., Luella O., deceased, and Nina Belle, deceased.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 747-748. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Donna Toole.
Contra Costa
County Biographies