McKay Russey, of Rifle, Garfield county, is a native of Wayne county, Indiana, born in 1845, and the son of William and Elizabeth (Davenport) Russey. His father was a North Carolinian by nativity, and was prominent in the oil business in the early days of its history. Later in life he kept a hotel at Hartford City, Indiana, and died in 1893, aged seventy-six, leaving six children, of whom McKay was the fourth. He remained at home until he reached the age of sixteen, attending school in the neighborhood when he could, and looking forward eagerly to making his own way in the world. In 1863 he enlisted in the Union army, in Company I, One Hundred and Thirtieth Indiana Infantry, for a term of three years or during the war, and was discharged in December, 1865. He was in a number of important battles, especially the one at Nashville and those of the Atlanta campaign. After the close of the war and his discharge he went to Texas and engaged in the stock industry for about two years. He then took up his residence at Parsons, Kansas, and there opened a livery business which he carried on seven years. From there he came to Colorado and located at Glenwood Springs where he again engaged in the livery business until 1887, when he moved to Rifle, and at first turned his attention to raising stock, afterward starting a livery business here also. He is now solicitor for the Colorado Stage & T ransportation Company, with headquarters at Rifle. Mr. Russey’s varied and active career has given him good business experience and capacity which make him a valuable adjunct to any enterprise requiring energy, knowledge of men and breadth of view, and his services to the company for which he is now working are highly valued. He is also much respected as a good citizen and leading man, and one who has the essential good of the community very much at heart.
Source: Bowen, A. W. Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1905.