San
Joaquin County
Biographies
RUSSELL T. WORDEN
A pioneer of Stockton who has been a
resident of the city for more than fifty years and has seen the place grow from
a small town intersected with sloughs and swamp roads, where teams and wagons
bogged down during the rainy season, into a large city teeming with
manufactories and large modern business blocks as well as beautiful parks and
paved streets, a delight alike to residents and tourists, Russell Worden was
born in Keithsburg, Mercer County, Illinois, May 4,
1846, a son of Joseph J. and Sophia (Brown) Worden, natives of New York and
Ohio, respectively. They were married in
the latter state and in 1832 went to Mercer County, Illinois, where Joseph
Worden purchased Government land and improved a farm. Being a wagon maker, he opened a wagon shop
in Keithsburg and was the pioneer wagon maker in that
region and followed that business until he retired. After his wife died he removed to St. Louis,
Missouri, where he spent his remaining days.
The worthy pioneer couple had five boys and two girls, of whom Russell
was the fourth. Two of his brothers
served in the Civil War, Charles C. in the 9th Illinois Volunteer
Infantry, and Henry B. in the 102nd Illinois Infantry.
Russell Worden was educated in the
local public schools and when sixteen years of age he and a comrade ran away
from home to enlist in the Civil War.
They arrived in Davenport, where a cavalry regiment was being recruited
but seeing the cavalry exercises on the steep hills around that old inland
town, he felt he could not do that sort of rough riding, so he returned
home. His father, on learning of his
experiences said: “My son,
if you are determined to go to war, enlist right at home so your own
state gets the credit for your enlistment.”
So in June, 1863, he joined Company A, 30th Illinois
Volunteer Infantry, and was in the Georgia campaign under General Sherman,
taking part in the battles of Resaca, Dallas, Dalton, Snake Creek, Peach Tree
Creek, Buzzard’s Roost, Kenesaw Mountain and Atlanta,
after which he went with Sherman’s army on his march to the sea and was a part
of the big army that surrounded and caused the surrender of General Lee. Mr. Worden took part in the Grand Review in
Washington. Returning to Springfield,
Illinois, he was mustered out in the fall of 1865.
After the war he was the manager of
a warehouse in his native place until 1872, when he determined to locate in
California and came to Stockton in the spring of that year. He became a clerk in the grocery store of Hart
& Thrift on Sutter and Weber Avenue, continuing with them steadily for
twenty years. Next he clerked for Southworth & Gratten,
grocers, about three years, when he again clerked for Mr. Thrift, who was then
in business alone, until he sold out.
Mr. Worden then again clerked for Southworth
& Gratten for about three years until he decided
to engage in the retail milk business in Stockton. He established a dairy and had a successful
milk route, running two delivery wagons, for eight years until he sold out in
1912, since which time he has been in the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad, and
he resides with his family at 825 East Second Street, Stockton. In San Francisco Mr. Worden was united in
marriage with Miss Leonora Johnson, who was born at Redwood City, and they have
been blessed with one child, Gwynne, who is a graduate of the Stockton Business
College. Mr. Worden is a charter member
of Rawlins Post No. 23, G. A. R., in which he served as senior
vice-commander. Mrs. Worden is an active
member of Rawlins Post No. 29, W. R. C., of which she is past president. In political views Mr. Worden is a Democrat.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1557-1558. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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