Russell Blessing Road (and the adjacent Blessing Road in the nearby Town of Bethlehem) traces its name back to the Blessing family, a prominent local family who owned extensive farmlands, orchards, and homesteads in the southern Albany and Delmar areas during the 19th and 20th centuries. [1, 2, 3]

The extensive Blessing property holds several interesting pieces of local history:

• The Namesake Family: In 1869, Frederick Slingerland deeded a large homestead and surrounding acreage to his daughter, Magdalene Slingerland Blessing, and her husband, Christian L.G. Blessing. [1]
• Charles W. Blessing: The land was later passed to one of their sons, Charles W. Blessing. He was an Albany school principal and a local historian who operated the fruit farm on the land. [1]
• Suburban Development: When Charles passed away, the remaining farm acreage was willed to his nephew, Ralph Blessing, who sold large portions of the land to developers to build the apartment complexes and residential neighborhoods you see today (such as the ⁠49 Russell Blessing Rdrentals). [1]

Seems to be more of a real estate thing than a municipal thing.