Placer
County
Biographies
DANIEL A. RUSSELL
Daniel A. Russell, a prominent
citizen and businessman of Colfax, Placer County, California, is a native of
the Golden state, and dates his birth at Georgetown, December 21, 1857. The Russell family, of which Daniel A. is a
representative, is of Scotch origin. His
father, Daniel Russell, and mother, nee Elizabeth Duncan, were born, reared and
married in Scotland, and in 1843, with their first child, William, sought a home
in America. This son, William Russell,
is now a resident of Santa Clara, California.
For several years after their arrival in this country the family made
their home in Kansas City, where two daughters were born: Elizabeth, now Mrs. Wardwell; and Nellie, the
wife of Fayette Moore. In 1853 the
parents with their three little children crossed the plains with ox teams to
California, landing after a long and tedious journey at Georgetown, El Dorado
County, where the father engaged in merchandising and where they made their
home until 1857. That year they removed
to Salmon Falls and he turned his attention to stockraising and later to
teaming, freighting between Sacramento and Virginia City, at that time a
profitable business. His son William was
then old enough to drive a team, and was of valued assistance to the father in
freighting, which they conducted together successfully until the advent of the
railroad. The elder Russell was a man of
sterling integrity and was well known and much respected by the early pioneers
of the locality in which he lived and through which he traveled. He was a worthy member of the Masonic
order. Both he and his good wife have
long since passed away, his death having occurred in 1871; hers in 1867, and
side by side they rest at Salmon Falls in El Dorado County. Three children were added to their family
circle after their removal to California, namely: Katie, now Mrs. William Pearson; John H., a resident
of Santa Cruz; and Daniel A.
Daniel A. Russell, the direct
subject of this sketch, was educated at Salmon Falls and Rattlesnake Bar, and
at the early age of sixteen showed his independence by starting out to take
care of himself. His first venture was
stockraising and buying and selling cattle, in which he was successful from the
start. He did a large business,
supplying the butchers of the adjoining counties, and later also carried on a
butcher business of his own in Auburn, New Castle, Forest Hill, Iowa Hill and
Colfax; was also for five years in the saloon business at Iowa Hill. In December, 1898, he concentrated all his
interests at Colfax, where he has the exclusive control of the meat market
business of the town. He owns valuable
real estate here, including the opera house, the building in which his market
is located, and his residence, one of the most attractive homes in Colfax.
Mr. Russell was happily married, in
January, 1882, to Miss Lizzie Lautgroff, of Green Valley, El Dorado County,
California, a daughter of Antone Lautgroff, and their home is made cheery by the
presence of three children, viz: Melvin, Edna and
Donna.
Mr. Russell is a member of the I. O.
O. F. and F. & A. M.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 140-141. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.