Greatness that changed the world STORY BY BETSY ILER
Almost to the day 120 years ago, Benjamin “Mr. Ben” Russell changed the world – not just the small world of Tallapoosa County, but the whole world. He had vision, and he wasn’t afraid to pursue his dreams. Some folks in these parts shook their heads when Mr. Ben invested his savings and part of his wife’s inheritance in the purchase of six knitting machines and 10 sewing machines to start up a mill that produced women’s and children’s undergarments. It was the first of many new business endeavors Mr. Ben launched, at least two of which have achieved national or global recognition. His undertakings six generations ago continue to make Lake Martin a great place to live, work and play. Mr. Ben’s adventure in business was not an instant success. It very nearly failed in the first year when he discovered that he was losing 40 cents on every item of clothing that went out the door. That was a lot to lose on a garment that sold at $1. Taking the tiny mill’s employees into his confidence, Mr. Ben determined that the only thing to do was to produce a fine-quality product line at minimal cost. Embarking upon this new Benjamin “Mr. Ben” Russell commitment, his business established a firm foothold and began to expand. In the spirit of Henry Ford, who 10 years later would establish the automobile assembly line that made cars affordable for the average family, Mr. Ben was a forward thinker. He told his friend, A.P. Fuquay – who the following year was elected mayor – that he hoped to vertically integrate the mill, producing the yarn that would be woven into fabric and adding a bleachery and finishing operation. Before the decade was out, Mr. Ben had added a spinning mill, a machine shop and a new boiler plant to his small knitting business.
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He built a village for mill employees within the first 20 years of operation, including a church and school. A hospital followed in 1923, and by 1930, he employed more than 2,000 people. Mr. Ben added the bleachery and finishing facility in 1932. That’s when the Russell Manufacturing Company established a foothold in team apparel through a division that would become Russell Athletic. Along the way to the mill’s success, Mr. Ben dabbled in other lucrative business ventures. Shortly after opening the mill, he established the first telephone service in Alexander City, running a line from Dadeville through Alexander City to Sylacauga. He sold the phone service to Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph two years later. In 1910, he organized the Commercial Club of Alexander City, which restructured in 1920 as the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce. In 1911, he had the foresight to begin construction of a dam on the Tallapoosa River at Buzzard Roost Shoals. The project was halted when a larger project was proposed downstream at Cherokee Bluffs (today’s Martin Dam), and he sold the property to Interstate Light and Power – a precursor to Alabama Power – the following year. The transaction put him in a fine position to later purchase substantial land holdings along the shoreline of the new lake that the utility company began to operate 15 years later. While his mill grew to include 12 buildings, Mr. Ben opened a wholesale grocery in 1916, and he bought a woodworking company in 1918. He built a creamery, a laundry and a bakery in 1920 and even a hotel that same year. He was a great supporter of the Florida Short Route, a transportation plan that stretched from the Midwest
WE MAKE IT GREAT HERE! | FEBRUARY 2022
