After the Civil War

After the Civil War. . , Matthew Russell died while on a trip to Virginia for salt during the Civil War. Matthew left home and property to Robert Russell, his nephew. After the war, Robert continued to operate the store., Avery Russell, the son of Robert Russell, acquired the home after the death of his father. By 1900, he was head of the household, and the home became known locally at the Avery Russell House. During the late nineteenth century, Campbell’s Station was economically overshadowed by the railroad town of Concord and remained a predominantly rural and agricultural community through World War II., By 1920, brothers Avery and Charles Russell owned and operated the Russell Brothers Dairy. After the brothers dissolved their joint dairy business in the early 1930s, each started his own dairy. Charles owned and operated Russell’s Seven Oaks Dairy on Concord Road, while Avery operated Russell’s Dairy on Kingston Pike. He constructed the block building that once sat behind the Avery Russell House for the diary plant., As the focus on transportation shifted from rivers ad railways back to roadways in the 1950s, the residential and commercial development of the Campbell’s Station area along Kingston Pike experienced renewed interest. After completion of Interstate 40 in the 1960s, the area was strongly affected by the westward suburban expansion of the Knoxville area. By January 1980, the area had seen sufficient population growth to incorporate as the town of Farragut., Deed records indicate that Russell Dairy, Inc. transferred the Avery Russell House property to Avery’s son and daughter-in-law, Albert H. and Anna Mae Russell, in 1965, so presumably the dairy business had ceased operation by that time., The Avery Russell House, after housing six generations of the Russell family for over one hundred fifty years, was purchased by the Town of Farragut I 2012., [Captions:] , Russell Family in 1898 – A photograph taken in 1898 shows members of the Russell family in front of the house with its original Ionic columns and a second story balcony still intact on the façade., Below – A second photo from the turn of the century shows the Russell family in front of the house with Kingston Pike at its original elevation. Above – Charles and Avery Russell with a Russell Brothers Dairy truck. After Russell Dairy was no longer in business, the dairy building served as Farragut Tow Hall and offices from 1984 to 1991. The building was removed after the Town of Farragut purchased the property for construction of the plaza surrounding this historic inn.