Benjamin Russell – a young man, known in the twenties by all as “Mr. Ben”, was soon to become one of Alabama’s most famous industrialist.

 

His single-handed efforts, as well, soon led to the creation of the Alabama Chamber of Commerce and a continuing string of civic accomplishments continually pushed his name up the list of potential gubernatorial candidate.  Mr. Ben’s friends often said, thereafter, that his untimely death at sixty-five postponed this unlikely decision by such a private and humble person.

 

NOW, the primary focus of this aspect of the Russell Lands History is not the obvious but an entirely secondary thrust.

 

Only the strongest personality would have thrived during those times of the Great Depression.  Especially challenging must have been his inability to save the family farm and the lifestyle of his youth, along with the rampant fear of a malaria plague sweeping before the flooding of thousands of lowland acres.

 

On the contrary, many were beyond puzzled by his joy at having “the world’s largest man-made lake dropped in our laps” – Lake Martin.

 

Mr. Ben was known as a most pragmatic type person. Most of his contemporaries, however, would surely have been baffled by the lasting effects of his “love of the land”- a natural inheritance from his childhood years as the son of a hard-working, dedicated and progressive Southern farmer.

 

This pent-up desire burned deep within and led to such Herculean efforts as the hiring of a hundred or so farming families to move to Russell Farms in Tallapoosa County to clear the forest and began farming – all with his close supervision and continual financial aid.

 

In his continuing effort to promote the land as a viable support base for the farmer, Mr. Ben built, among other things: a cotton gin, dairy, creamery, sawmill and even a full-size logging railroad from the Dixie, Benson, Kowliga and now the Crossroads area, North to Alexander City, Alabama.

 

As if to finalize the demise of the family farm, his incredible success with Russell Mills, The First National Bank, a foundry, laundry and other ventures, such as a very successful forest product industry; the beleaguered farmer ultimately begin moving into town for a much more stable lifestyle.

 

In the early fifties it was a common belief that the Alabama Power Company had only a fifty year license for the Martin Dam project because of the probability that the incessant run-off from the hundreds of thousands of acres of rapidly eroding red clay hills would soon render the entire reservoir unusable for power generation.

 

A universal effort was slowly begun in an to attempt to slow this creeping but incessant disaster.  Mr. Ben’s efforts, here, were most likely born of that natural, “love of the land” – featuring, for him, the natural response – “Plant more trees.”

 

The prime mover with The Power Company was the Huge figure of Thomas Martin (1881-1964). Mr. Martin visited the construction-sight of Mr. Ben’s new dam and electrical power facility located on the Tallapoosa River-now under the head waters of Lake Martin.

 

Mr. Martin soon began to explain to Mr. Ben that The Power Company held the riparian (only) rights to the entire river valley. Long, long story short, the two became great friends and with combined efforts and a common eye toward the future, brought us to the present.

 

Today, any analysis of the recorded real-estate transactions of the time will also reveal Mr. Ben’s methodical system which reached far beyond his original dreams of keeping the family farm system alive. Here, it is quite clear that there was no reason other than his incredible knowledge that this, then the world’s largest freshwater impoundment, would have a potential impact to justify all efforts.

 

He continued to purchase all lake area acreage possible, until he was able to set the pace for development of the vast lake shore, Russell Forest that we find to be the ultimate enabler for our way of life today.

 

Remember, his land acquisition efforts were, then, regarded by most as a bit eccentric. “There is absolutely no logical justification for this massive effort–in Tallapoosa County Alabama-in the twenties-during the Great Depression?”

 

Moving on, “The Man” eventually accumulated some 30,000 acres and 350 miles of Shoreline. This included his newly planted pine acreage along with the original lake-oriented forest, most of which was indigenous Long Leaf Pine. Mr. Ben also instituted a sophisticated forest management and protection program.

 

Again, with no thought toward his Incredible financial and industrial accomplishments, Mr. Ben had actually set in place a great inheritance- the social and recreational treasure inherent the 2,800 rental and/or private lake homes as well as every Russell Lands asset now shared by all along the hundreds of miles beautiful shoreline along Lake Martin.

 

 

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A brief side note on a very few of the more well-known, yet non real estate related, accomplishments of Benjamin Russell.

 

1900 founded The Citizens Bank of Alexander City, later The First National Bank,       ultimately, Aliant Bank - In operation over one hundred years.

 

1902 Russell Mills/Russell Corporation-Fortune 500 Company, 17,000 employees, 1.25-Billion-dollar company, eight international offices, in business well over one hundred years.

 

​1902 entire town destroyed by fire.

 

​1902 Built telephone system from Sylacauga through Alexander City to Dadeville - Forming the Alabama Telephone Company.

Built/formed numerous local industries in support of overall effort.

 

​1937 Formed the Alabama State Chamber of Commerce - President until his passing.

 

 

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And, just a bit of family history for future record. . .

 

 

          Beginning in 1603 the Russell lineage traces through church records of London and Suffolk County; around 1750 James Russell (b. 1719) crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Charleston, South Carolina. The family slowly migrated through Georgia and into Alabama. James Russell, married Mary Commander July 7, 1749.  John Russell, their son, born June 10, 1760, married Clara Ann Stansell.  John Russell fought in the War of Independence.

 

          Circa 1841 John Russell’s son, Jesse Russell, moved from Chambers County to Tallapoosa County, Alabama.  In 1846 he purchased 318 acres in Tallapoosa County in the Pitchford Hollow area near Our Town, Alabama.  Jesse Russell, son of John and Clara, born January 31, 1796, married Sarah Catchings June 29, 1826.

 

          October 6, 1841 Jesse Russell’s son Benjamin Francis Commander Russell was born.

 

          In 1865 Benjamin Francis Commander Russell returned home a decorated Civil War veteran, having fought under General Longstreet.

 

          1867 Benjamin Francis Commander Russell married Sara Elizabeth Henderson – Children: Sarah, Thomas and Benjamin Russell – Mr. Ben (11/16/1876 – 12/16/1941).

 

 

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