Elizabeth Augusta Russell

Elizabeth Augusta Russell (née Sawtell; 1832–1911) was an American philanthropist, reformer, and restaurateur. Born in Mason, New Hampshire, she was one of ten children raised by Yankee farmers. After teaching in schools, she moved to Florence, Alabama, during the Civil War but later returned north to care for wounded soldiers at 194 Broadway as a matron, succeeding her predecessor in 1861.

Her post-war career included roles managing institutions like the Colored Orphan Asylum in New Orleans and hotels across several cities. In 1879, she traveled to Europe but soon returned to manage hotels, including positions at Saratoga Springs and Manhattan Beach. By 1888, she focused on establishing coffeehouses for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), opening the Russell Coffee House in Minneapolis, which became renowned nationally.

As National Superintendent of coffeehouse work for the WCTU, she managed the World’s Fair Temperance Hotel in 1893. In 1902, she advocated fasting for health benefits and later moved to Miami, Florida. She died on January 7, 1911, following a severe fall earlier that year.