Pioneers of The Past

McDonough County Genealogical Society

When Caswell Russell and his brother-in-law, William Pennington, came to McDonough County, there were probably fewer than 20 families living here. Only two settlements, Job and Carter, had been established. There were no public roads, and Macomb would not be laid out for another three years.

Caswell Russell was born in Hardin County, Tennessee, in 1801. He was orphaned by the age of 12. By the time he was 25, he was living in the newly established McDonough County.

In June 1829, Caswell married Lydia Osborne.

Lydia’s sister, Rebecca, had married William Pennington in Indiana in 1820.