on Big Peyton's Creek, about two miles north of Pleasant Shade, in about 1815. They lived on the
present site of house # 90 adjacent to the Parkhurst Cemetery. (See the cemetery listings.)
Shade in the 1800's and 1900's. At the time of his death, Robert, or Allen as he was called, lived on
the present site of house # 133 on Big Peyton's Creek Road next to the Russell Cemetery. Allen
was married to Elizabeth Jane Porter, the daughter of Calvert and Easter Settles Porter. Allen and
Elizabeth are buried in the Russell Cemetery and John Waggoner, Jr. recorded pictures including
inscriptions of both their tombstones.
got his horse, bridle and saddle. Saint Louis and James Allen were the sons of Calvert Porter (Cobb)
Russell. Their mother, Mary Ann Oldham Russell, died when James Allen was an infant and Allen and
Elizabeth had a large part in rearing them. According to family tradition, Allen and Elizabeth lost their
eldest son, Elijah, in the Civil War.
I have a story about a barn raising for Allen Russell that was handed down by relatives. Evidently, there
were a number of people in the community who had sympathy for the North and others for the South
relative to the Civil War. So the workers, depending on their feelings toward the war, divided themselves
into a North team and a South team. One team worked on one side of the barn while the other team worked
on the other side. The details of how all this was made to work is unknown but they finished the barn anyway.
Note: I photocopied this will from a will book at Carthage twenty-five years
ago and failed to record the will book reference in which it is filed.
Robert Allen Russell Will