McDonald County Historical Society

by Alberta Anders

We are counting on you. Our regular Society meeting will be this Sunday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m. at the McDonald County Court House in Pineville ( the new court house on "W", not the old one on the square) We are looking forward to a very special presentation presented by Noreen Neff who will talk about the strawberry industry in this area. You are invited to bring a strawberry dish to share.

We are still planning the tour of McDonald County for Saturday May 23, if you are interested in participating in this venture, contact Frankie Meyer 781-0671, frankiemeyer@yahoo. com or Jennifer Mikeska at jennifermikeska@courts.mo.gov or Colleen Epperson at the McDonald County Chamber of Commerce 417-223-8888. info@mcdonaldcountychamber.org.

Our bridge and water calendars were a huge success, all sold out and beginning to work on 2010, the subject of which will be the schools in the County, you won't want to miss out on your copy. Our mailing address is P.
O. Box 572, Pineville, Missouri 64856 (we are located at 302 Harmon, just off the s/e corner of the square, next door to the U. S. Post Office and our web page is www.mcdonaldcohistory.org.)

Still available for a donation of $25 is "Illustrated History of McDonald County, Missouri from the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time edited and compiled by J. A. Sturges, Attorney at Law, Pineville Mo. 1897" - Other historical books are available.

From the McDonald county Sesquicentennial Family Histories - 1849-1999, - (available at the museum)..." as reported by Marilyn Sarratt...."The progenitor of the McDonald County Russell family was Brice Russell. He was born in Scotland and educated as a minister in the High Church of England Presbyterian. He and three brothers fled their homeland during the days of persecution. They came to America to start new lives. After landing in Virginia, Brice never saw his brothers again. Brice did not preach in America. The Bible his father gave him was published in 1648. That Bible was passed down in the family and was in the possession of a great-grandson, Rev. G. B. Russell of West Point, Mississippi in 1905..."Near the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Brice settled in the Watauga Valley (Eastern
Tennessee) He married Jane Thompson. They had nine children: George, Brice, Jr., Jane, Rachel, Isabella, Mary, James, Andrew and Joseph..Family history relates that Brice's wife, Jane, was scalped to her ears and left for dead by marauding Indians. They killed son George and two daughters.
Rachel and Isabella were taken and made captive slaves. Jane was found by some Negro children who alerted local whites who then took charge of her care. She lived for many years thereafter. The girls ages, 10 and 12 were taken to Michigan by the Indians and kept as slaves until they were grown.
When they were adults, they and a fellow captive, Raif Nailor, a Frenchman, decided to make their escape. They were successful. Later Isabella married Raif....Many Russell descendants still make McDonald county their home and are proud of their heritage."

Are you a descendant of the Russell Family? Many names in the rest of this story, too many to enumerate, however, the McDonald County Historical Museum is open on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - come by and find your family.