Russell, Marcus

Biography

Marcus Russell was born in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 1856.

He first came to Alaska in 1883 and lived in Juneau as well as the interior mining districts of Forty-Mile, Circle, and Dawson. Russell worked as a miner and prospector and accumulated considerable wealth in the Yukon before the city of Dawson was formally organized.

He later returned to Pennsylvania, where he married in 1894. Afterward, he moved west to Colorado, where he invested his mining earnings in mining and oil stocks before eventually returning to Alaska for a second time.

After suffering financial losses, Russell invested what remained of his savings in property in Juneau, including holdings near Ninth Street and Calhoun Avenue close to the Governor’s Mansion, as well as several houses that he rented.

Russell was active in civic affairs in Juneau and served three terms on the Juneau City Council. He also participated in several community organizations.

Marcus Russell died in Bakersfield, California on October 20, 1926.

Sources

• Pioneers of Alaska Men's Igloo No. 6 Biographical Sketch
• Daily Alaska Empire, October 21, 1926