Russell County Firsts

Russell County Firsts
& 1 Last

Transcribed and submitted by Steve Rose

1st Person Born
Helen Benway was the first known person to be born on the townsite of Russell after its founding by the Ripon Colony in April, 1871.
Helen Benway was born Sep 12, 1871 to Mr. and Mrs. John Benway who arrived at Fossil Station (now Russell) in June, 1871, and was presented by the townsite company with a deed to lot 6, block 87, where the Hotel Holland was located. The lot was known as the "Baby Lot" in honor of the first child born in the new community.
The family moved to Osborne shortly thereafter, where she grew up, and then taught school there for 12 years.

1st Land Deed
The first land deed recorded in Russell County was dates Sep 1, 1871, and transferred land belonging to the Kansas Pacific (later Union Pacific) Railroad Company to the Russell Townsite Company.
The deed granted, for $1, the east one-half of section 27, township 13, range 14 west of the sixth principal meridian from the railroad to the townsite company which later platted early-day Russell.

1st Marriage
The first marriage in Russell County was that of E.W. Durkee to Mrs. Burt, in 1871. Mr. Durkee was the first postmaster of Russell.

1st Church Services
The first church services held in the county were in a lumber yard in Russell, and were conducted by a Rev. Annis, a Congregational minister.

1st Store
The first store building was erected by H.W. Tusen in 1871. It was located where the old Burton Pharmacy building now stands at the corner of Seventh and Main Streets.

1st School
The first school taught in the county was a subscription school held in a home, with Mrs. Swan as the teacher.

1st Taxes Received
The first money received in taxes was paid in November, 1873.

1st Newspaper
The first newspaper printed in the county was the Kansas Plainsman in 1872, edited and printed by A. B. Cornell.

1st Hotel
The first hotel in the county was located where the Holland Building now stands. It was a rawhide affair, and was built and operated by Stillman Mann, who later build the Russell House, which later became the Hotel Driscoll. It sat where the south portion of the Sunflower Bank (Eighth & Main) is now located.

1st Lynching
The first lynching in Russell County occurred south of Gorham when 3 men were hanged and a fourth was shot when they were believed to be stealing horses from a stone corral at a waystation. They were hanged without trial from a large elm tree on land now owned and farmed by Johnne Schmitt. The fourth was shot. In 1920, after a flood on Big Creek, a human skull with a bullet hole in the forehead washed up on the banks. None of those involved were ever identified.

Last Buffalo
The last buffalo killed in the county was shot just north of the UP depot by Alex Rusch, in 1873.