John Hooe Russel Papers, 1870-1942 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Neil Kasiak

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Collection Overview

Title: John Hooe Russel Papers, 1870-1942

Extent: 2.24 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 05/30/2002

Abstract

The John Hooe Russel Papers consist primarily of correspondence and financial materials from Russel's mercantile businesses and his administrative involvement in the Huntington National Bank of Huntington, West Virginia. There are also other documents and publications that represent late 19th Century ephemera. The Correspondence Series contains personal letters between the Col. and Mrs. Caperton and the Russels, both John Hooe and Minerva Phelps, Russel's second wife and mother to Albert Lacy Russel, as well as, other letters from Russel acquaintances and family members.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

John Hooe Russel was a successful 19th Century business man and banker who married into the Phelps family of Madison County, KY not once but twice. The John Hooe Russel Papers consist of the surviving financial materials from Russel's mercantile venture with I. Erkskine Miller of Stauton, VA, and his involvement with the Huntington National Bank. The papers also include a large volume of correspondence from his personal life and other business ventures. After a three year stint in business with Miller waned, Russel moved back to Huntsville where he continued to run a grocery. In 1873 he migrated to Huntington, WV to continue his trade by opening the first Huntington grocery store. In 1875 Russel, Col. Peter Buffington and a few other investors opened the Huntington National Bank, which acted as the town's sole bank for some time. Russel also became heavily involved in real estate in the Huntington region. He eventually became the acting President of the Huntington National Bank, a position that he held until his death on 6 Jan 1903.

The John Hooe Russel Papers contain a variety of materials from his professional and home life. They also contain private correspondence from his first marriage to Nettie Phelps of Madison County Kentucky, and his second marriage to Minerva Phelps of the same. Nettie and Minerva were cousins by birth; their respective fathers being brothers. After the premature death of Nettie in November 1896 and their only son a few months later, Russel continued to maintain a close relationship with his in-laws. The connection to his widow's family (Samuel Phelps) culminated in a second marriage to a Phelps descendant, Minerva (daughter of Thomas Phelps), on 8 May 1901. They remained in Huntington until Russel's death, which left behind a distraught widow and son, Albert Lacy Russel. The Correspondence Series also contains extensive materials from Russel family members and other friends and acquaintances. Even though the collection seems incomplete, it does provide excellent context for the professional lifestyle and interests of a prominent late 19th Century Southern capitalist, banker and business man.

His papers should be considered in conjunction with the Caperton/Burnam Family Papers and other collections that were compiled by other Kentucky and West Virginia elites. In particular, An Accumulation of Family Evidence, a three volume set written by Katherine Phelps Caperton (See Caperton/Burnam Family Papers), contains a great deal of information about Russel's life and ancestry.

Collection Historical Note

Brigadier-General John Hooe Russel was born 15 Jun 1842 and he died on 6 Jan 1903. Russel married Nettie Phelps, the daughter of Samuel Phelps, in 1893. Nettie Phelps Russel passed away from illness in 1896, leaving behind a frail John Hooe Russel Jr. who followed his mother's fate some six months later. After Nettie's death, Russel continued to maintain cordial correspondence with his former Phelps in-laws. His close connections with Richmond and the Phelps family led to a 1901 marriage to Minerva Phelps, daughter of Thomas Phelps. Their only son, Albert Lacy Russel, was born in Feb 1902.

John Hooe Russel led an interesting and relatively successful life in post-Civil War America. As the story goes, Russel buried a $3,000 horde of gold on his family plantation shortly before the Civil War was in full swing [see Men of West Virginia Vol. I, (Biographical Publishing Co. Chicago, IL 1903), p. 44-5]. He came back for the gold after the war only to find his family plantation devastated by the conflict and his sister being his only surviving family member. Russel invested his horde in a successful Texas based mercantile business with I. Erkskine Miller of Staunton, VA. After three years in business with Miller, Russel moved back to his hometown where he remained for a short while. Miller and Russel would later commit to moving out west, until they met up with General Echols of Louisville, KY, Miller's father-in-law. Under Gen. Echols' advise the business partners moved to Huntington, WV, where they would have a heavy hand in establishing the town during its formative years. A group of investors, which included Col. Peter Buffington, Russel and other prominent men, eventually opened the Huntsville National Bank in 1873. By 1875, Russel had become the acting Bank President, which not only marked a high point in Russel's professional career but the appointment also made him the youngest bank president (to date) in the United States.

There are two distinct stories that involve Russel that have left a lasting impression. The first event took place in 5 Sep 1875, when the "James Gang" robbed the Huntington National Bank for roughly $10,000. Russel, after returning from a lunch break, apparently raised a possee and joined in the pursuit of the robbers into Kentucky. His efforts would remain unrewarded for sometime, however, two robbers were later apprehended, and a bulk of the stolen money and a pair of Russel's dueling pistols were recovered. Russel's reputation for being both a successful banker and man of honor grew after the robbery ordeal.

Another chain of events in 1893, well known by those in the banking industry during the time, highlight the reputation that Russel maintained throughout his life. The situation surrounded his involvement with a Cincinnati bank that the Huntington National Bank maintained an extensive depository relationship with while in operation. Russel apparently had insider information about the impending closure of The Fidelity National Bank of Cincinnati, OH. Upon discovering the troubling news Russel immediately had a draft drawn for the money owed to the Huntington Bank and raced to Ohio to resolve the situation. Once he arrived it became clear that the pending closure was fact and Russel shrewdly negotiated for full payment of the substantial debts owed. The following day the bank closed, all other depositors lost their wealth, and E. L. Harper, the Fidelity Bank Manager was in prison on criminal speculation charges.

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Acquisition Source: Burnam, Caperton & Rollins

Processing Information: The John Hooe Russel Papers were found within the Caperton/Burnam Family Papers. They were consequently separated and arranged as an individual collection during reprocessing in 2014.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Calling Cards],
[Series 2: Correspondence],
[Series 3: Financials],
[Series 4: Legal],
[Series 5: Miscellaneous],
[Series 6: Ephemera/Memorabilia],
[Series 7: Photographs],
[Series 8: Oversized],
[All]

Series 2: Correspondence

The bulk of the John Hooe Russel Papers consists of Correspondence. The Series is arranged chronologically, with general correspondence that is dated before Russel married Minerva Cobb Phelps being at the front of the series. The general correspondence consists of the public and private correspondence that Russel received before the premature death of Nettie Phelps Russel, his first wife who was also a cousin of his second wife Minerva. The Series then transitions into the materials that were from his second marriage; beginning around the time of the death of Nettie Russel, his first wife. This latter correspondence should be investigated in conjunction with the Caperton/Burnam Family Papers, which is where the Hooe Russel Papers where originally housed. The materials from his second marriage represent a clear transition in Russel's life which is why the contents that relate to this period in his life were addressed as separate subseries within the correspondence; not to mention, the later correspondence contains fewer materials that are associated with Russel's successful shipping ventures. By the time Russel married Minerva he was very well established as both a banker and confidant of the various governing bodies of West Virginia.

Box 1

Barcode: 31234014046559

Folder 2: Correspondence, Apr 1872-Aug 1872
Folder 3: Correspondence, Sep 1872-Dec 1872
Folder 4: Correspondence, Feb 1873-Jun 1873
Folder 5: Correspondence, Jul 1873-Dec 1873
Folder 6: Correspondence, Jan 1874-Dec 1881
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1882

Box 2

Barcode: 31234014046542

Folder 1: Correspondence, Jan 1883-Jul 1883
Folder 2: Correspondence, Aug 1883-Dec 1883
Folder 3: Correspondence, Jan-Dec 1884
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1885, 1888, 1891, 1893-1900
Folder 5: Albert Lacy Birth: Contents include all the correspondence that relates to the birth of Russel's only son, Albert Lacy.
Folder 6: Albert Lacy Russel: Content include all correspondence that was addressed to Albert Lacy Russel, Russel's one and only child and son. OF special note in this small folder is a handwritten note by Katherine Caperton to her nephew that relates how she retained the letters between his mother and father for his personal collections so he could better understand their love story and his particular ancestry.
Folder 7: Invitations: Contains all the invitations that were processed in the collection. Items include wedding invitations, including the invite for Russel and Minerva Phelps' wedding on 8 May 1901.
Folder 8: John Hooe and Minerva Family, 1901-02: Contents include the correspondence between Mr. and Mrs. (Minerva) John Hooe Russel and Family. All items are from an identified family member.
Folder 9: John Hooe and Minerva Family, 1903: See previous folder description.

Box 3

Barcode: 31234014046534

Folder 1: John Hooe Business, 1901: Contents include all the identified business correspondence that Russel received in 1901.
Folder 2: John Hooe Business, 1902-03: Contents include all the identified business correspondence that Russel received in 1902-03.
Folder 3: John Hooe, n.d., n.d.: Includes all the undated correspondence to John Hooe Russel.
Folder 4: John Hooe, Personal, 1900-02: Contents include all the correspondence that was confidently identified as personal in nature; i.e. discusses personal congratulations and the like, rather than strictly business matters.
Folder 5: John Hooe to Minerva, 1901-02: Contains all the correspondence from John Hooe to Minerva Phelps. Captures their pre-wedding relationship concerns and personal matter of the heart.
Folder 6: Minerva to John Hooe, 1895, 1900-02: Contents include the letters that John Hooe received from Minerva while he courted her for marriage. Of special interest is a letter Minerva wrote in 1895, shortly after the death of Nettie Russel, Minerva's cousin.
Folder 7: Minerva, Personal, 1894-95, 1900-02: Contains all personal correspondence that was addressed to Minerva (Phelps) Russel, with the exception of those letters from family relatives. See following folders for family correspondence.
Folder 8: Minerva, Personal, 1903: See previous folder description.
Folder 9: Minerva to Phelps Family, 1900: Includes all correspondence from Minerva Phelps to Phelps family members, including her parents and sister, Katherine Caperton.
Folder 10: Miscellaneous: Contains all the correspondence that was difficult to arrange within the existing subseries. Recipients include Minerva (Phelps) Russel, Katherine and Jamie Caperton, and other acquaintances and Russel/Caperton family friends.
Folder 11: Nuf/Nuffie: Contains all correspondence that was written to Minerva with the recipient nickname of Nuf or Nuffie, a term of endearment for Ms. (Phelps) Russel. They are written by both close friends and family members such as her sister, Katherine Caperton. Interestingly, it seems that the nickname was used with a distinct method that relates the tone and content that is included in the letters.
Folder 12: Sister to Sister: Contains all the correspondence between the Phelps sisters; Minerva Phelps Russell and Katherine Phelps Caperton.
Folder 13: Telegrams: Contains telegrams to the Russels. They range from congratulations on Albert Lacy's birth to sympathy comments about Mr. Russel's death.
Folder 14: Widowed Minerva: Contains all the correspondence that relates to Mr. Russel's death in 1903.