John Russell Estabrook

CHILDREN OF JOHN AND ANNA (Russell) ESTABROOK. (212) 442. John Russell, born July 23, 1801 ; married Oct. 4, 1824, Mary Hicks Sawyer, in Newton, Mass,, who died in Burlington, N. J., Oct 1, 1878. In 1820, for family reasons, he had his name changed by the Mass. Legislature, to John Brooks Russell. He learned the art of printing at the University Press, Cambridge, and established a printing office in Boston in 1826, when he purchased the N. E. Farmer with which paper he connected the largest seed store in New Eng land. He was the first to print directions on the outside of seed packages. In 1832, he sold out both his " Farmer" and seed business for $10,500, and started the publishing firm of Russell & Odiorne, where he published among other works, the "Life and Writings of Washington," edited by Jared Sparks, in twelve octavo volumes. But the financial troubles of those days were not propitious for such enter prises, so in 1838 he moved to Cincinnati, O. , where he be came part proprietor of the Daily Atlas, and was connected with the Gazette for sixteen years. In May, 1861, he was offered a position in the Pension Bureau at Washington, and remained there until 1869, when at his own request he was transferred to the Department of Agriculture, where he was the librarian until 1877, when the growing infirmities of age admonished him to retire. He has since resided chiefly with his daughter, Mrs. Secrest, at 25 Shelby st., Indianapolis, Ind. A western daily of date of Feb. 19, 1856, speaking of him said : " Mr. R.'s reverses of fortune would have caused many persons to put on the habiliments of heavy laden care, or drown their sorrows in dissipation. Not so with him. There always appeared a bountiful supply of sunshine about the heart that never failed to show itself in a genial glow, through his ever beaming and benignant countenance. And of all the vices that oftimes beset the path of both the fortunate and unfortunate, Mr. Russell has happily steered clear. ' ' For children see 856-863.