In 1828, JOHN RUSSELL came to this township and {Bluffdale Township} and settled on section 4.

John Russell, deceased, was born in Cavendish, Windsor county, Vt., July 31, 1793, his parents being John and Lucretia (Preston) Russell. His father was a Baptist preacher, and was a native of Wethersfield, Conn., as was also his wife. There the family had lived, in generations farther back, since 1622. John received such education as the common schools afforded, supplemented afterward by a collegiate course at the Middlebury College, which he entered March 25, 1814. He had ere that, commenced authorship as a means of obtaining pecuniary funds for educating himself, his first work being "The Authentic History of the Vermont State Prison," published at Windsor, in 1812. By the profits received from the sale of this work, he was enabled to finish his college course, graduating in the class of 1818. He immediately went from Middlebury, Conn., to Georgia, where he taught school three months, but not liking the country, he left there and overtook his father, then on his way to the state of Missouri, at Whitewater, Ind., where he was married to Laura Ann Spencer, Oct. 25, 1818. She was a daughter of Captain Gideon Spencer, of Vergennes, Vt., where Mr. R. taught school nearly a year. In 1819 he removed to Missouri where he taught five years in the Bonhommie Bottom, and while there he wrote for the St. Charles Missourian, a local paper, an anonymous article entitled "The Venomous Worm," which immediately began to attract attention, and soon became universally known and read. It went the rounds of the press both in America and in Europe, where it was translated and published in many languages. When Pierpont, the poet, compiled his "National Reader," this article was introduced into it, and afterward into the McGuffey readers. It has, since the time of its conception, exerted a powerful influence over public opinion and the minds of school children. After leaving Bonhommie, Mr. Russell taught a year at St. Louis, which was then a little French town. He then taught in Vandalia, Ill., and two years in Alton Seminary, now Shurtleff College. In 1828 he came to Greene county, and located on Sec. 4, T. 10, R. 13. He gave the name of Bluffdale to his premises, which has given its title to the township. He received license as a preacher, from the Baptist church at Bluffdale, Feb. 9, 1833, he, however, only preaching occasionally. He was principal of Spring Hill Academy, in the parish of East Feliciana, La., for eight years, during which time he was also superintendent of public schools in the parish. On his return home in the summer of 1843, he found the little church, to which he belonged, much demoralized. He preached to the flock a sermon entitle, "The Serpent Uncoiled, or a Full-length View of Universalism," which was printed, and acquired a great deal of popularity. He wrote for the press continually, during the last 25 years of his life. He was the first editor of the Backwoodsman, at Grafton, Illinois, having furnished the brains of that institution during the years 1838-30 In 1841-42, he edited the Advertiser, at Louisville Ky., and after that contributed for it continually. At the time of his death he had in progress several elaborate works, among them "The Black Hawk War," "Evidences of Christianity," and a "History of Illinois." He read with fluency Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, German and Italian, and had a knowledge of Dutch, Welch and Icelandic. In 1862 he received the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Chicago. He was the author of "The Mormoness," "Little Granite," "Alice Wade," "Lame Isaac," "Going to Mill," "Claudine La Valle, or the First Trial by Jury." All of these were stereotyped and some went through several editions. Mr. and Mrs. John Russell were the parents of four children, who grew up to manhood and womanhood. Dr. William A. J., a graduate of the Iowa State University at Keokuk, who married Caroline Pegram. He was captain of Co. G, 10th Mo. Vol., and was killed Nov. 25, 1863, in battle, in the second charge at Mission Ridge; Juliet A. E., wife of Bainbridge Gillingham, living in Walkerville Township; Spencer G., whose sketch follows this, and Francis I., married Sarah J. Burkholder, and lives in Hamilton, Ill. John Russell died Jan. 21, 1863, and is buried on the old homestead. His wife is still living, making her home with Spencer G., at the old family home, a most pleasant place.