Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1904-08-26

PASSED HER
DOTH MILESTONE

Mrs. Hannah O. Russell, widow of
Andrew f. Russell, granddaughter
of General William Montgomery, the
founder of Danville, on Tuesday pass
ed the 90th milestone OH life's jour
ney. Yesterday she was found seated
contentedly in pleasant apartment of
the old Montgomery mansion at the
corner of Mill and Bloom streets sur
rounded by the relics of her early life,
while the day which marked the bo-
ginning Of another year of earth shed
its sunlight and the fragrance of the
vintage season auspiciously about her.
Time has indeed dealt kindly with
the venerable woman. Hearing may
be slightly impaired, but memory and
every other faculty of the mind is keen
and in conversation 1t is difficult to
realize that one is facing person of
four score years and ten.
Mrs. Russell is one Of two grand
children of General William Mont
gomery vino still survive, the other
one being Mrs. Caroline Haseltine of
Youngstown, Ohio. OF the more re-
mote descendants of the founder of
Danville there are large number in
Guiding not few of the most promin-
ent people of our own town.
Mrs. Russell is the daughter of Alex
ander Montgomery,a brother of Daniel
Montgomery, for whom Danville was
named. A daughter of Daniel Mont
gomery, Mary, became the wife of DR..
Magill. Another daughter married
John O. Boyd. The children resulting
from these two marriages, grandchil-
dren of Daniel Montgomery for whom
Danville was named. are r. d. and
James Magill, Mrs. Hannah Shultz,
Mrs. Mary Kline, James Boyd of Har-
risburg Joseph Boyd Of Danville, and
Mrs. william Mcclure of Columbia.
The late d. M. Boyd of this city,
whose widow and daughter. Miss Elsie.
live in Danville, was also son of
John O. Boyd and grandson of Daniel
Montgomery.
Mrs. Russell is charming CONVEX
sationalist and after imparJing the
above facts as to genealogy INDUCED
insseveral pleasing bits of description
of life as it existed here when she was
young.
1t was Mrs. Russell's father, Alex
ander Montgomery, who in 1920 built
the brick residence below the site of
the old furnaces on Northumberland
street, which for many years past
has belonged to the proprietors of the
Iron Works and occupied by the fami
lies of their superintendents. Mrs.
Russell was born in log house short
distance below the site of the present
brick dwelling. Her father was own
er of all the land reaching to the riv
er and extending from Lovers Leap to
Church street. The entire tract was
under cultivation and cut up into fruit
full fields.
Even at a much later period the only
houses in Danville beside the Mont
gomery Mansion at Mill and Bloom
streets was small number of houses
clustering about the ridge of land in
the vicinity of what is now the Mont
our House. Mrs. Russell remembers
when an index board stood where the
weigh scales are at present located
"This way to Danville". The town
then was not in sight from that point.
Mill street was country road and
passed over deep hollow. which left
the head of man on horseback alone
in view from the Montgomery home as
he..rode southwark into Danville.
Mrs. Russell took occasion to correct
the prevailing error that BALD Top"
as it is known now was from time i'm
memorial destitute of trees. Time was
when it was clothed with timber the
same as other portions of Montour
Ridge. 1t was Mrs. Russell's father
who denuded the mountain at that
point of its timber.
He attempted to farm the mountain
top but was soon glad to abandon the
idea 1t was easy enough to raise
wheat or rye Oh Bald Top, but it baf-
fled the farmers skill to get the crop
down from tho mountain. One years
experience was all Mr.. Montgomery
wanted.
The fine old brick dwelling erected
by Alexander Montgomery is remark
ably we'll built and was a pretentious
dwelling in its day. 1t is to some ex-
cent fire proof and none but kiln dried
lumber was used in it's construction.
Mrs. Russell yesterday showed her
visitors roll of wall paper left over
when the parlor was papered 81 years
ago.
Mrs. Russell soon after her mar.
riage, with her husband removed to
Davenport, Iowa. The couple were
among the pioneers of the town. They
were the tenth family in the place.
During their residence in Davenport
they built dwelling with a cellar,
which was the first luxury of that
kind known in Davenport.
After four years they returned to
Danville. Mr.. Russell departed this
life some twenty years ago. Mrs. Rus:
sell happy in her old age continues to
reside with her children in the old
mansion built by her famous grand
father, which has been her home for
nearly fifty years.
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