William Fern Russell

1873-1950

Submitted by Mrs. Pryor Hunt, 1987

William Fern Russell came to Polk County when he was about 22 years old. He lived in Ducktown and Benton until his death in 1950. He was born March 9, 1873 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. His parents were John Virgil Russell (1841-1894), a Confederate veteran of Tiger, Ga., and Margaret Rowan Russell (1848-1903).

Russell's early years were typical of most southern youngsters of that post-Civil War era. Even though Tennessee had been the first state readmitted to the Union, Tennesseans experienced poverty and economic depression which the Federal government imposed on the rebel south for many years. However, Russell's family managed for him to graduate from the Boy's School in Rogersville, Tenn., and attend college near Clayton, Ga.

 From this college he moved to Polk County. One of his first jobs was timekeeper for the copper mine at Isabella, where he was paid $30 per month. Later, he taught school there. He and his younger brother, Deadrick Russell, edited the Ducktown Gazette during these early years in the county.

It was in Ducktown that Russell met and married Clara Elizabeth Center (1877-1950) on April 14, 1897.

With the first of their children, they moved to Benton in 1901 where he served as County Court Clerk and later as Justice of the Peace, Roads Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures. He also served on the Draft Board during World War I.

In 1904, Russell bought the Old Benton Hotel from Jacob McClary. It was located on the town square across from the Courthouse. It had originally been a log structure located in the town of Columbus, on the Hiwassee River near Benton, used as a hotel there. The town of Columbus did not thrive and the building was dismantled and moved to Benton. Each log had been marked to identify its position in the building, making its reconstruction in the new location very similar to its original design.

The Russell children found the large, old house and its location delightful. The Courthouse yard was often their playground and the sidewalks which circled it provided surface for their roller skates.

Russell was a tall man, with dark hair and blue eyes. He always wore a white shirt with a stiff collar, coat and tie. His calm, imperturbable quiet pervaded his actions and reactions. While he had a preference for living in Polk County, he was interested in all sections of the world. He considered newspapers his passport to his widespread interests and subscribed to and read the Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga daily newspapers. His hobby was farming. His daughters recall that he often remarked that it was not profitable but that it did provide employment for a few families.

He and Mrs. Russell were members of the Benton Baptist Church as well as their ten children at some point in their lives.

When John L. Lewis and his miner's union began their struggle to upgrade the miners' working conditions and benefits, Russell remembered the days when he had been a time keeper for the mines and had seen the poor working conditions and minimum pay the miners received. He became a staunch supporter of Lewis and applauded his successes for the miners.

Russell and his wife cared deeply about the people in Polk County and admired its rugged beauty. At an early age, their children learned respect and affection for the county from their parents.

Children of William Fern Russell and Clara Elizabeth Center (all born in Polk County): Lake Fern Russell (deceased); Grace Dexter Russell Lynn (deceased); Herbert Newland Russell (deceased); Mary Louise Russell Tarr (deceased); Ruth Partelia Russell McKenzie (Knoxville); Glasgow Rowan Russell (deceased); Clara Bernice Russell Groves (Charlotte, N.C.); Margaret Eleanor Russell Hunt (Tellico Plains); Alma Lee Russell Walker (Knoxville); Jan Center Russell Hoover (Birmingham).