Representative Russell Judson Waters

Russell Judson Waters (June 6, 1843 – September 25, 1911) was an American teacher, lawyer, businessman, author, and one-term U.S. Representative from California at the turn of the twentieth century. He was born in Halifax, Vermont, on June 6, 1843, and in 1846 moved with his parents to Franklin County, Massachusetts. Growing up in rural New England, he attended the local district schools and acquired a practical as well as academic education that would shape his early professional life.

As a young man, Waters learned the machinist’s trade in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, gaining technical skills that complemented his academic pursuits. He taught school at Charlemont Center, Massachusetts, and continued his education at Franklin Institute in Shelburne Falls, an institution later known as Arms Academy. After his graduation from Franklin Institute, he remained there as a professor of Latin and mathematics, reflecting both his scholarly aptitude and his early commitment to education.

In 1867 Waters moved west to Chicago, Illinois, where he undertook the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1868 and engaged in the practice of law in Chicago for nearly two decades, continuing there until 1886. During this period he established himself as a practicing attorney and began to build the legal and business experience that would later underpin his civic and political activities.

Waters relocated to California in 1886 and settled in Redlands, San Bernardino County. There he continued his legal career and served as city attorney of Redlands in 1888, participating in the legal and municipal development of the growing community. In 1894 he moved to Los Angeles, where he became increasingly active in business and civic affairs. He served as president of the Pasadena Consolidated Gas Company, treasurer of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and vice president of the Citizens’ Bank, and he was connected with many public institutions, reflecting his prominence in the commercial and civic life of Southern California.

A member of the Republican Party, Waters entered national politics at the close of the nineteenth century. He was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-sixth Congress and served as a Representative from California in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1899, to March 3, 1901. His single term in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history marked by the aftermath of the Spanish–American War and the nation’s expanding international role. As a member of the House of Representatives, Russell Judson Waters participated in the legislative process, took part in the democratic governance of the country, and represented the interests of his California constituents. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1900, concluding his congressional service after one term in office.

After leaving Congress, Waters resumed his business career in Los Angeles, particularly in banking and corporate leadership. He became president of the Citizens’ National Bank of Los Angeles, extending his earlier association with Citizens’ Bank into a leading role in regional finance. He also served as president of the California Cattle Company in San Jacinto, California, from 1903 to 1911, and as president of the San Jacinto Water Company in 1910 and 1911, positions that placed him at the center of agricultural and water development in Southern California during a period of rapid growth.

In addition to his careers in law, business, and politics, Waters was an author. Among his published works were “Lyric Echos” (Los Angeles: Times-Mirror Printing and Binding House, 1907), a volume of verse, and “El Estranjero (The Stranger): A Story of Southern California” (Chicago and New York: Rand, McNally & Company, 1910), a work of fiction reflecting his adopted region. Russell Judson Waters died in Los Angeles, California, on September 25, 1911. He was interred in Hollywood Cemetery (later Hollywood Forever Cemetery), leaving a legacy as an educator, lawyer, businessman, author, and public servant who played a notable role in the civic and political life of California at the turn of the century.