Forfar 50th Anniversary Interviews: Wilton Russell

Wilton Russell, Red Bays Native (Musician, Historian & Artist)

Wilton Russell has been connected to Forfar since he was just 12 years old. Many of our groups visit his home during their trip to the local Red Bays community. Wilton welcomes our groups and shares his music and songs during their visit! Wilton is an important part of the Red Bays experience and we are grateful for the time he lends to our groups and students.

“Wilton Russell is my name and I have a few nicknames which are “Rubberband Man” along with “Willy D’ Dynamite”. Those are the famous names that were given to me.” - Wilton Russell

How well did you know Archie Forfar?  Any memories you want to share about Archie?

I remember Archie. He used to come here for me to carry him hunting for wild hog. Me, Archie and Albert Colebrooke used to go hunting wild hog down a place called Billy Coppice. We used to have a farm off a road that connects Morgan’s Bluff to Fire Road then onto Red Bays. He would bring food for my grandmother, some milk and stuff like that if he didn't do anything we’d have to eat our yard chicken. If Archie, Tiny, Big Mac and guys who work on AUTEC base didn’t bring something for us to eat, we had to eat off the soil, because it’s too far away to walk from the coppice to the sea. So back in the day Archie was a blessing to Red Bay and I wouldn't say only to me because he would come down giving away stuff to the poor people. Especially around Christmas time he would give away paints even shortly after Hurricane Betsy.

 Archie was the first person drive down here on a truck on the small lil road going from house to house handing out flour, rice, sugar, matches. Archie is a legend and it brings tears to my heart that he left us so early, everybody misses him.

Did you know Ben Bohl well?  Do you have any memories you want to share about Ben?

Ben is another great guy and if he can do anything to help he would help in any condition. I miss him. Ben would visit and bring the groups down to old Red Bays and do his best to help no matter the situation.

What is your relationship to Forfar?

I look at Forfar as a tourism garden of The Bahamas and from then to now it has only gotten better. I’d say 95% of them [visitors to Red Bays] come to the field station so from [when I was] 12 years old I learned about the place through Archie. My relationship with Forfar Field Station was formed when most of the leaders would come looking for me, from a child I grew up entertaining the tourists. I’d take them on tours through the bush showing them different flowers, wild birds, bushes, mud testing. IFS had some outstanding students come down to learn right now, I’d say that it is doing much better with these great leaders that we have. They ain't letting it fall down to the ground, they’re lifting it up.

How long have you worked with Forfar?

I wouldn’t say that I’ve worked on the station grounds like that but sometimes I’d be asked to rake, clear the ground or even water the plants around the area. In our free time, we would go hunting or go on the boat with the tourist looking for shells or sea urchins. It wouldn’t be an everyday kind of thing just every so often. 

What is your favorite memory that is affiliated with Forfar?

My favorite memory would be in the earlier days with Archie and Ben. Archie came down here on his own. He was the type of guy who came looking for friends but between him and Ben the best memories centered around those two legends.

Over your time, you must have met so many people coming from Forfar to visit Red Bays. Do you keep in contact with people that you met along the way?

Yes. I remember Cindy and Marcus used to run the place at one point in time. Me, Henry Wallace, Cindy and Marcus designed the old museum with concrete markings and engravings with ship racks for the display boats. There was also a lady by the name of Sage with her husband Derrick who stayed down here for a few years then they left to go to Minnesota. In fact, I still got letters and cards that the groups would send down to me from a long time ago, some of those letters so old they’ve got mildew.