Captain Jonathan Russell was a soldier in both the Mexican War and the Civil War. He helped to settle 800 acres of land near the present site of Golden in Wood County.
The land, known as Russell's Ranch, was crossed by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Line in 1884. The station, located on the Russell Tract, gave birth to the Golden community, which was named for a prominent railroad official.
Capt. Russell's first son, Jonathan Russell, Jr., served for a time as the county judge of Wood County. Another son, Walter Geer Russell, also served the judge of Wood County. Later he served as county judge in Smith County and after that, he was the district attorney for a tri-county area that included Wood County.
A daughter, Mary Darcus Russell, married Claude R. Scoggins of Golden. Scoggins was a salesman, a farmer and the operator of a livery stable. The stable later became the site of the Golden Methodist Church. Mrs. Scoggins also donated a house and lot that served as the First Methodist parsonage.
Mr. Scoggins was a relative of the noted Confederate General Robert E. Lee. A child, who died early, had been named for the Confederate leader. The Scoggins raised a family of three boys and two girls on the Russell place near Golden.
Their youngest son, Ray Gwynn, became a naval hero during World War II and received several medals. The oldest daughter, Maud Avis "Sister Boy" Duffey lived in the family house, a heritage place that traced back to her mother's parents, Captain and Mrs. Jonathan Russell.
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