McFarland-Russell Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: A-0019

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The McFarland-Russell family papers contain the personal histories of early Texans Thomas S. McFarland and Robert B. Russell and their descendants. The McFarland journal, an original copy, was written by Thomas McFarland from January 1st, 1837 to June 1840 about his daily activities while land surveying in early East Texas. It provides a glimpse into life for Texans following independence from Mexico. Robert B. Russell’s correspondence details his service as the Confederate postmaster of Orange, TX. The scrapbook of Thomas S. McFarland’s daughter, Kate McFarland Russell, contains newspaper clippings and genealogical information. Her daughter Mary Catherine Russell Fleig updated the family history and added the Fleig family’s genealogy to the last pages of her mother’s scrapbook. Other materials in the collections include family genealogical research of descendants from 1830 to 1965, photos, newspapers articles, and personal correspondence between family members.

Dates

Creation: 1832-1950

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Biographical or Historical Information

The McFarland family and the Russell family were early East Texas families that impacted early Texan history through the Texas Revolution to the Civil War.

Thomas Stuart McFarland was born on June 13th, 1810 in Lexington, Indiana. McFarland moved to Texas in 1830 with his father. McFarland and his father, William McFarland (1774-1840), participated in the Battle of Nacogdoches in 1832 and the Texas Revolution. Thomas served as an aide-de-camp to Commander James. W. Bullock during the Battle of Nacogdoches. In between the conflicts, Thomas and his father surveyed and platted the area of San Augustine, TX in 1833. During the Texas Revolution, Thomas served from October 3rd to November 14th, 1835 under Captain John English and remained in the Texan army until October 1836. The following year Thomas and his father William surveyed Belgrade, Pendleton and Mondelphia, TX from 1837-1838. McFarland married Elizabeth Wills Eubank on January 14, 1838 and was the father of 10 children. The couple later moved to Belgrade, TX in March 1838. Thomas McFarland was elected to the Texas Senate and served Jasper and Jefferson County from November 1st, 1841 to February 5th, 1842 in Austin and June 27th to July 23rd, 1842 in Houston. He later served 3 years as the second Chief Justice of San Augustine County following his father. The McFarland’s owned a plantation in 1850 called “Cotland” near San Augustine with Thomas owned slaves. Thomas McFarland later moved to Bleakwood, TX after filing for bankruptcy in 1868. He died in May 1880 from liver cancer and is buried in the McFarland-Wilson Cemetery in Bleakwood.

Robert. B. Russell was born on April 1st, 1817 in New Milford, Connecticut. He moved to San Augustine, TX in early 1835, joined the Texian army in February, and served in the San Augustine company known as the Sabine Red-landers. Russell fought under Sam Houston in the Battle of San Jacinto and retired from the army as a captain. He worked at the San Augustine newspaper, the San Augustine Red-Lander, following the war and later buying the newspaper and serving as editor and publisher in 1846. He moved to Sabine Pass, TX in 1850 and owned a lumber shipping business. Russell served as the Postmaster of Orange County for the Confederacy from 1861-1865. He sold his shipping business in 1870 and started a sawmill and shingle mill in Orange. Robert oversaw the shingle mill, working in tandem with his son, Robert Everett Russell (1847-1922) until December 4th, 1880, when he died inspecting a shipment. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Orange County, TX with a historical plaque commemorating his life.

The McFarland’s and Russell’s came together with the marriage of Robert E. Russell and Catherine “Kate” McFarland on October 19th, 1871 in Newton. Robert Everett Russell was born on October 10th, 1847 in San Augustine and died on May 24th, 1922. Catherine Christine McFarland was born on July 2nd, 1849 and died on October 17th, 1888. The couple were parents of 1 son and 4 daughters, one of whom is Mary Catherine Russell. Both Robert E. and Kate Russell are buried in Evergreen Cemetery with Robert’s father.

Mary Catherine Russell (1879-1966) married Arthur Clifford Fleig (1878-1963) in 1901 and had 1 son. Mary and Arthur Fleig lived in Orange County, Texas in 1920 in her father’s house and continued to inhabit the home following his death. Mary Catherine Fleig and Arthur Clifford Fleig are buried in Evergreen Cemetery with her parents.

Source Citations:

“And now you know: Robert Russell was a San Jacinto Veteran.” Orange Leader, September 14th, 2019. Online at: https://orangeleader.com/2019/09/14/and-now-you-know-robert-russell-was-a-san-jacinto-veteran/ (accessed on May 30th, 2025).

Arthur Clifford Fleig (1878-1963), Family Search [online database]. Online at: https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/about/MGZ7-JDR (accessed June 9th, 2025).

Brinley, Lorine. Orange County Texas Cemetery Inscriptions, vol.1. Houston: L. Brinley, 1985, pg.146.

Catherine C Russell (1849-1888), Find A Grave [online database]. Online at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76871278/catherine_c-russell (accessed May 23rd, 2025).

Hines, Pauline. Handbook of Texas Online, Thomas Stuart McFarland: Soldier, Surveyor, and Texas State Official, February 29th, 2020. Online at: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/mcfarland-thomas-stuart (accessed on May 23rd, 2025)

Kate Russell, 1880 Census, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/7884/ (accessed May 30th, 2025).

Mary Catherine Russell Fleig (1879-1966), Find A Grave [online database]. Online at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89171881/mary_catherine-fleig (accessed June 9th, 2025).

McFarland, Thomas S. A Journal of the Coincidences and Acts of Thomas S. McFarland. Burnet, Texas: Nortex Press, 1981.

Newton County deed from John L. Cochran to Thomas S. McFarland, 9/10/1861, Deed Book D, pages 99-100.

Robert Benedict Russell (1817-1880), Find A Grave [online database]. Online at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14122583/robert_benedict-russell (accessed May 30th, 2025).

Robert E Russell, 1900 Census, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/7602/ (accessed May 30th, 2025).

Robert Everett Russell (1847-1922), Family Search [online database]. Online at: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KJJX-PZZ/robert-everett-russell-1847-1922 (accessed May 23rd, 2025).

Robert Everett Russell (1847-1922), Find A Grave [online database]. Online at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62214983/robert-everett-russell (accessed May 23rd, 2025).

Robert Russell, 1860 Census, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/7667/ (accessed May 30th, 2025).

Robert Russell, 1870 Census, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/7163/ (accessed May 30th, 2025).

Robert Russell, 1880 Census, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/7884/ (accessed May 30th, 2025).

Robert Russell, 1900 Census, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/7602/ (accessed May 30th, 2025).

Robert Russell, 1910 Census, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/7884/ (accessed May 30th, 2025).

Thomas McFarland, 1850 Census, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/8054/ (accessed June 2nd, 2025).

Thomas S. McFarland, U.S. Census Mortality Schedules 1850-1885, HeritageQuest Online [subscription database]. Online at: https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/search/collections/8756/ (accessed on June 2nd, 2025).

Extent

2.50 Cubic Feet

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is described in 26 folders and one scrapbook and was originally housed in 8 clamshell boxes. These were consolidated into two banker's boxes. The original folder numbering for boxes 1-8 remains in place. Several folders are organized at the item level but the majority of the collection is arranged at the folder level.