Russellkonda
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Russellkonda
(' Russell's hill ') Town in the Goomsur taluk of Ganjam District, Madras, situated m 19 57' N. and 84 37' E , about 50 miles north-west of Berhampur on the Loharakandi river. It is called after Mr George Russell, who was appointed Special Commis- sioner in 1835 t P ut down the disturbances in the country round about. Population (1901), 3,493. It is the head-quarters of the subdivision and taluk of Goomsur, and of the Special Assistant Agent, Balhguda subdivision. It contains a training school chiefly intended for teachers for the schools in the Agency tract, a tannery which m 1903 employed an average of 45 persons daily and turned out 50 tons of leather valued at about Rs. 49,000, and a jail in charge of the Special Assistant Agent. This last was built for convicts belonging to the hill countiy, to save them from the severe fever they become liable to if sent down to the coast. It contains accommodation for 158 prisoners, who aie employed in stone-quarrying, oil-pressing, weaving, rice-pounding, and making elephant harness. Russellkonda was at one time a mihtaiy cantonment, but the troops were withdrawn in December, 1863.
