W. L. Russell
W. L. Russell, president of The Bank of Lima, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is one of the leading men of this section of the State, identified with a number of its most important interests to such an extent that he has made a name for himself in business, social and political life. Mr. Russell was born in Zanesville, Ohio, and is a son of Anson Henry Russell, a well-known oil producer who now lives retired at Cleveland.
Mr. Russell received his educational training in the public schools at Hanoverton, Ohio, Logansport, Indiana, and Saginaw, Michigan. His father was interested in oil production and the son entered into business as an operator and producer, first in the oil fields of Venango County, Pennsylvania. Since then he has investigated intelligently the oil fields of almost all sections of the United States and has been a producer in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. At the present time (1905) he is personally interested in the operation of 475 wells. In addition he has company interests in a number of successful concerns which cover a wide territory. He is president of the National Consolidated Oil Company, Union Oil, Gas & Refining Company, Mount Joy Oil Company, Bolton Oil Company, and Troga Oil Company; and is a director and a member of the executive committee of the United States Petroleum Company. The last mentioned is the largest independent oil-producing company in the field and was organized by Mr. Russell. He floated it in France, its flotation being the largest deal ever made in the oil fields, the sum involved being nearly $1,000,000. For some time Mr. Russell continued as president of the company, but subsequently resigned in order to give necessary attention to his many other enterprises.
In 1902 he came to establish his home at Lima. He is a man who impresses one most favorably, a man with clear insight into world affairs, with a level head, an open, engaging mannor and, in business, a perfect master of diplomacy. His mingling with men of affairs in this and other countries has broadened both mind and his sympathies, making him a citizen of whom Lima has reason to be proud.
Always alert in matters of business, when the great Klondike region began to attract visitors, he went with great exodus from the East to that far-distant spot in the great frozen West. He was successful in attaining the results which took him there and returned home in safety after an absence of 18 months, although he was on almost the exact spot where occurred the great snow-slide in which 86 men and three women lost their lives. Mr. Russell assisted in taking out the bodies of six of the unfortunates.
Three years prior to his visit to the Klondyke region, Mr. Russell made a business visit to Venezuela, South America, and while there he secured from President Crispo concessions for a long-distance telephone service. He also was the moving spirit in the building of 1,500 miles of trunk lines through the Andes Mountains and he established 17 local exchanges. It was during his strenuous work in those malarial regions that he was attacked with yellow fever. Although 20 of his employees died of the disease at this time, he survived, being cured by a treatment of his own, with no medical assistance.
He was directly instrumental in saving the life of President Crispo at the beginning of a revolution; for this act he was decorated with the third degree of the Buste Bolivar, which he has in his possession. He is the only private citizen that ever received this decoration.
With the exception of his visits to South America and the Klondike region, and their consequent business results, Mr. Russell has given his time mainly to the oil-producing business and in Ohio his name is almost as familiar a one as those of the leaders of the largest oil corporation in the world.
Politically Mr. Russell is a stanch Republican and he has always been more or less prominent in partly councils. He was a delegate from the Fourth Congressional District of Ohio to the Republican National Convention, which nominated Theodore Roosevelt for the presidency, a fact which has given him much satisfaction. He belongs to the Masons, the Elks and the Red Men.