San Francisco County
HON. ADOLPHUS G. RUSS
HON. ADOLPHUS G. RUSS. – The city of San Francisco has not had a very long history, and yet in the years since she has been a city of stirring, interesting and valuable incidents and events, a larger share of material and intellectual prosperity has fallen to her share than to any other city on the continent. In the midst of all this, and making and taking a leading part in it all, the Russ family, of which the gentleman, whose name heads this sketch is the head, is the oldest and best known representative of the rugged and sturdy pioneers who have helped to build up the city and make it what it is.
He was born January 19, 1826, in Germany, and is the eldest son of Christian Russ, an old pioneer, who died in San Francisco in 1857. In 1835 when his son was eight years old, Christian Russ came to America with his family, settling in New York, where Adolphus was brought up and educated. He was a jeweler by trade and opened a shop in the city, but owing to a serious loss of robbery and other causes he decided to seek a new location and a new clime. Being acquainted with Col. J. D. Stevenson he enlisted, in company with his sons Adolphus, Charles, and Augustus, in the regiment gotten up by the Colonel to come to California. The full account of this regiment, etc., will be found in another place. Suffice it to say here that they left New York September 26, 1846, and arrived in San Francisco March 26, 1847, A. G. being in the famous old ship Loo Choo. They arrived just before sundown and as the vessel rounded Clark’s Point the wonderful natural advantages of the spot were apparent to Mr. Russ, and looking over the magnificent harbor he predicted then in future greatness of the city that was to grow upon the shores. As soon as the ship was anchored Mr. Christian Russ and his son begged permission to laud, but this was refused then; and as the company was ordered to Sonoma they had to take their own leave and stay long enough to buy three lots, but being afterward permitted to remain in the commissary department under Captain Folsom. On reaching the shore they met Carlos Glein, a German blacksmith, and were permitted by him to sleep in his shop, there being at the time no other place where they could do so. In the morning they went to the Alcalde’s office and bought and paid for three lots of fifty varas each in the sand hills, paying a price of between $16 and $17. At that time there were not over twenty-five or thirty houses in the town, none of them south of Pine street. Upon this site now stands the famous Russ House (a hotel), in the center of the best of the city, thus rewarding Mr. Russ’ good judgment by a fortune.
Being unable to get a house to live in, Mr. Russ bought the old bunks from the ship, and with the help of sailors put up a shanty on the corner of Pine and Montgomery streets, having at that time to climb a sand hill fifty feet high to get to that point. In 1848 he bought lumber and put up a decent house, which was lined with adobes, doing most of the work himself. In the fall of that year Mr. Russ went to the mines at Hangtown, and for two weeks prospected in that vicinity. He then went to the middle fork of the American river, but, although doing well, ran short of food and had to return to San Francisco. In the spring of 1849 the father and three of the sons, A. G. among them went again to the mines, taking with them a whale-boat loaded with food. Going up to the Yuba river as far as Nye’s ranch, six weeks being consumed on the voyage, they unloaded her and sank her out of sight, and going up the river some twenty-five miles went to work prospecting, using rockers and making about one ounce a day. This did not satisfy them, and before very long they all came back again, sleeping one night at Nye’s ranch under a kettle, and paying $75 for breakfast for two at one of Sutter’s ranches, the breakfast consisting of cold buck and potatoes and two bottles of champagne and of English ale. After that the family lived in San Francisco, where Christian Russ, the father, had opened a jewelry store, and had been the first to work California gold into jewelry.
In 1868 Mr. Russ was elected to the State Legislature, under Governor Haight, and served one term. For ten years he was director of the German Benevolent Society, being President of the society twice. The Board of Directors presented him with a fine portrait, which hangs on his wall, of Nicholas Rausch, the founder of the society, in recognition of the earnest and philanthropic efforts for it and other generous measures. It is but just to say that to Mr. Russ we are indebted for many interesting and valuable facts in reference to early days. Mr. Russ is a Democrat in politics, and a public-spirited man and generous-hearted citizen, one who stands high in the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. He was married in 1851 to Miss Frances Simon, and they have had ten children, of whom five are deceased. Mr. Russ is an honored member of the Pioneer Society. Mr. Russ was one of the first organizers of the San Francisco fire department in 1850, and belonged to the Empire Company, of which David C. Broderick was foreman. In 1864-’65 he was Captain of the State Militia.
Transcribed
by Joyce and David Rugeroni.
Source: “The Bay of
San Francisco,” Vol. 2, Pages 355-356, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Joyce & David
Rugeroni.