Who was Robert Riley Russell?
by Ronald G. Taylor, Alma Town Historian 1/09
Robert Riley Russell was a civil war veteran who entered the service about age 38.
Russell lived in the house that was one-time occupied by my grandparents, Gilbert & Lina Taylor and owned by Ed & Onalee VanDruff which is located on the White Hill Road #1, Town of
Alma, about a mile from Allentown Main Street.
A stained glass window was dedicated to Robert Russell in the Allentown Methodist Church.
A Rochester area archivist has in his possession over 100 of the original letters written by Mr. Russell to his wife during the Civil War. It is hoped that the letters will sometime fall into the files of the Town of Alma.
In the Allentown Cemetery is a monument
and markers showing the burial spot for Robert Riley Russell and his wife, Ada E. Phillips. Ada died in 1881, but, Robert lived until 1899.
Robert Russell was Assessor & Town Highway Superintendent. (per Bob Gullo). The 1869 Business Directory of Alma (from 1869 Atlas) verifies
that R.R.Russell was Com. of Highways.
Below are some photos of later occupants of the home, supplied by Keith Foster whose ancestors lived there.
