Bob Russell (~1925 – 1996)
Bob Russell was born at Forty Mile and never went to school. He was a trapper and a miner, and a fine bushman with tremendous stamina. He lived in Dawson and then Stewart Crossing. Sam Holloway and Bob Russel went prospecting up the Stewart River 1985 and they also tried to find a lost gold mine up the McQuesten River. Another time they managed to overstake a claim of Art Fry's. Russell was not afraid of Fry, who was a skilled boxer. Long ago they had a fight that broke both their noses.1)
Some of Bob's antics were famous. He drove over himself with his own pick-up. He drove up a tree. He managed to drag himself out of the bush after breaking a hip and that was how he lost his toes.2) Herman Bratvold and Bob Russell ran fish wheels on the river in Dawson and often hunted together. Herman's son, Larry Bratvold, and Bob also ice-fished on Lake LeBarge and hunted together in the 1970s in Dawson. Bob would climb inside a freshly gutted caribou to get closer to the herd. He could crawl on his belly through the bush to shoot a bear. Bob had a pet raven who would hop along the back of his couch. One guest finally reached back and wrung the bird's neck.3)
Bob and Judy never had too much, but folks were always made to feel welcome. Bob loved to play Monopoly, as long as he didn't lose. Carol and Larry Bratvold borrowed Bob's truck to go hunting up the Dempster and the truck broke down about sixty miles out. His trucks were held together with baling wire and curses.4)