WELCOME TO RUSSELL.....!

Early farmers quarried rock from numerous rocky outcrops of Greenhorn limestone formations in Russell County.  They used the stone as fence posts and in constructing their houses and buildings.  The stone, when freshly quarried, is soft enough to be sawed, drilled, or shaped with hand tools.  After prolonged exposure to the elements, it hardens and becomes weather resistant.  The miles of stone fenceposts in this area have become a trademark of the Smoky Hills region of northcentral Kansas.

A True American "Melting Pot".....
Early settlers of the county included many Easterners, as well as immigrants from Bohemia, Volga Russia, Germany, England, Ireland and Wales.  These settlers were later joined by many from Oklahoma and Texas who came to work in the oil boom of the 1920's and 1930's - many of whom stayed to call Russell County home.  Russell honors its true American "melting pot" of cultural backgrounds.

Famous Natives.....
Russell is the home of two United States Senators - Robert Dole and Arlen Specter. 

Sights of Russell.....
Fossil Station Museum was formerly the county jail.  The building was constructed in 1907 from Greenhorn limestone or "post rock".  The museum contains a visual history of Russell County, and a fine colelction of unuasual fossils found in the area.  It also contains a genealogical library. 

Gernon House is the oldest "post rock" stone in Russell.  The house was built in 1872 by Nicholas Gernon, a blacksmith and one of the original settlers.  This lovely home has been fully restored  to the period of the 1890's. 

Heym - Oliver House is a renovated "post rock" limestone family home, showing a different style of sawn limestone.  Located on"historic" Kansas Street in Russell.

Oil Patch Museum is a place to learn about oil and the drilling of "Black Gold".  The museum building tells the story of the Lucky Seven and drilling of the Carrie Oswald #1, the first discovery well drilled in Russell County in 1923.  On the grounds are an actual oil tank storage and exhibits of geology, drilling and production, transportation, and many industry tools and machines.  Geologists reinvestigated other areas in Kansas and in 1923 Carrie Oswald #1, the discovery oil well near Russell, opened up western Kansas Production.

Directions to Carrie Oswald Well #1.....
One mile east of Gorham, take the black top, 177th Road, go north 9 miles to Beatty Road, then turn west about 1.2 miles.  It is on the north side of the road.

Now Let The Fun Begin.....!
Russell County is located in Central Kansas in a setting of rolling hills with the Saline and Smoky Hill rivers running through it.  The community has a rich heritage of oil production and agriculture as its economic base. 

This family-based town takes pride in its small town quality of life! 

While in Russell we offer golf, craft shows, Freedom Fireworks, Annual Rubber Duck Races, and Christmas Fest (Weihnachfest), and Lake Wilson, just to name a few.  Lake Wilson offers great hunting, trophy fishing, and water sports of your choice.  Russell County has some of the best hunting that Kansas has to offer!