Person:William Russell (198)

"Early St. Louis settler. A native of Virginia, Russell left his home in Hawkins County, Tennessee, and went north to Cincinnati. He then traveled down the Ohio River and reached Kaskaskia in November 1803 and soon came up to Cahokia. He arrived in St. Louis on February 8, 1804 and decided to settle there. One of the few Americans in the area, he had only about five hundred dollars with which to make his fortune, but was unsure what he wanted to do. With many farms near St. Louis, he tried farming, but failed at that. Next he turned to merchandising. He loaded several flatboats with corn and set out for New Orleans. One of the boats sank and he lost money on the trip. He then turned to the profession that was to make his fortune-land speculation. Spain had been exceedingly generous in granting land to its citizens in Louisiana. Those holding such grants were anxious to have them confirmed by the new government of the United States. In stepped William Russell. He was employed by the United States as a Deputy Surveyor. His new job took him throughout the wilds of Missouri and Arkansas. His services were sought by large numbers, and it is probably that none other presented as many private claims before the Boards of Commissioners as he did. As a result of all the land deals in which he was involved he became one of the largest land owners in Missouri and Arkansas. He laid out Little Rock, Helena and several other towns in Arkansas. At that time the plotted town of Little Rock had a challenger, Cadron, in its struggle to become the state Capital. Russell got the lone settler made postmaster. When the vote was taken in the legislature, the senate was for Little Rock and the lower house for Cadron. Then the legislature recessed and during this time the speaker of the house and certain other well-known politicians bought for nominal sums land on the Little Rock townsite. When the legislature reconvened, the members of the house saw the light, did an about-face and voted to locate the capitol at Little Rock." [Source: Findagrave profile for William Russell, Bellefontaine Cemetery.]