Robert Campbell (1804 - 1879)

Born 12 Feb 1804 in County Tyrone, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Virginia Jane (Kyle) Campbell — married 24 Feb 1841 in Wake, North Carolina, United States

Died 16 Oct 1879 at age 75 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States

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Biography

Robert Campbell is Notable.

Robert Campbell migrated from County Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland to the United States.

Robert Campbell was born on February 12, 1804 ^[1] , in his family’s home, "Aughalane" to Hugh Campbell and Elizabeth Buchanan. The house was built by his father in 1786 in Ulster, County Tyrone, Ireland. Aughalane is today preserved by the Ulster American Folk Park near Omagh, Northern Ireland. ^{[2] [3]}

Robert was the youngest sibling and at the age of eighteen followed his older brother, Hugh, to America. He arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 27, 1822. Two year later, in 1824, he was living in St. Louis, Missouri.

Interested in going further west, he joined fur trader Jedediah Smith, in an expedition leaving St. Louis for the Rocky Mountains in 1825. With the financial backing of William Ashley they became the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, (named in 1830), which was founded at Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Campbell was the clerk for the expedition which included a group of sixty men, including experienced explorers and traders. The group traveled north of the Platte River to Cache Valley, Utah and up into southern Idaho, trading with the Indians to procure valuable furs. ^[1]

In 1829, he returned to St. Louis, with forty-five packs of beaver pelts. Robert had very successful and profitable career in the American west, when he ended his frontiersman days in 1835. After 1835, he started traveling east for his business instead of west. ^{[1] [2]}

About 1835, while both were in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he met Virginia Jane Kyle. At the time she was in school. He corresponded with her and they finally married 6 years later on February 24, 1841 in Wake, North Carolina. ^{[4] [5]} After getting married they settled in St. Louis, Missouri on 5th Street. ^[2]

In St. Louis, he had been establishing himself as a businessman. He had partnered up with William Sublette, forming the Sublette & Campbell Company, which provided goods for travelers to the West and also provided Indian goods to the eastern United States. ^[2]

Although he lived in St. Louis, he spent a lot of time back east mostly in support of his business ventures. 1849 was a bad year to be in the city, there was a enormous fire that wiped out most of downtown (Robert and Virginia’s home escaped, but his office near the riverfront did not) as well as a terrible cholera epidemic (caused by unsanitary drinking water) that killed their eldest son James. The Campbells packed up and headed to Philadelphia for several months to escape, and Virginia gave birth to their daughter Mary in September of that year. ^[6] They can be found staying at Robert's brother Hugh's house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the 1850 census (recorded 6 September, 1850). ^[7]

Campbell House

In 1854, the Campbells moved out of the crowded area of the city to the elite Lucas Place neighborhood ^[8] , taking up residence at what is today known as the Campbell House Museum. ^{[2] [9]} The museum/house is located at the southwest corner of 15th and Locust Streets in downtown St. Louis.

Robert became one of the wealthiest men in Missouri, extending his real estate empire as far as El Paso and Kansas City, serving as president of two banks, and managing the finest hotel in the city, the Southern. Such weight was attached to the Campbell name that figures such as President Ulysses Grant, James Eads, Henry Shaw, and General William Sherman all made appearances. ^[2]

Robert passed away, October 16, 1879 ^[1], followed by Virginia in 1882 ^[10] , leaving the house to their sons Hugh (1847–1931), Hazlett (1858–1938), and James (1860–1890). The 3 sons produced no heirs. Once Hazlett had passed away, Robert's fortune then passed to the probate court. Eventually, a global search commenced for his closest relatives. Many distant cousins were found in Northern Ireland. Most of them received a moderate sum. ^{[2] [3]}

Robert is interred at Bellefontaine Cemetery in Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Memorial: Find a Grave (has image(s) - used as source)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #9328 (accessed 8 January 2023)
   Memorial page for COL Robert Campbell (12 Feb 1804-16 Oct 1879), citing Bellefontaine Cemetery, Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA (plot: Block 60/61, Lot 257); Maintained by AJ (contributor 1003).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Website: "The Campbell House Museum"
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Documentary Film: "aweedeadbird.com": "Robert Campbell - Mountain Man", Michael Beattie, Third Street Studios, 2018.
4. ↑ Marriage: "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979"
   citing Wake, North Carolina, United States, p. , North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History; FHL microfilm .
   FamilySearch Record: QP9J-D732 (accessed 8 January 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSZT-Z9TS-C Image number 02971
   Robert Campbell marriage to Virginia I Kyle on 24 Feb 1841 in Wake, North Carolina, United States.
5. ↑ Marriage: "North Carolina Marriages, 1759-1979"
   citing FHL microfilm: 418152; Record number: 64;
   FamilySearch Record: Q29D-B67G (accessed 8 January 2023)
   Robert Campbell marriage to Virginia J. Kyle on 24 Feb 1841 in Wake, North Carolina, United States.
6. ↑ Website: "Campbell House Museum" (blog), https://campbellhousemuseum.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/thanksgiving-on-christmas/
   Retrieved: 14 Mar 2023.
7. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850"
   citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
   FamilySearch Record: M4CJ-KYH (accessed 9 January 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HY-68XS-4QK Image number 00149
   Robert Campbell (40) in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Born in Ireland.
8. ↑ Website: "Lucas Place in a Nutshell", "campbellhousemuseum.org", https://www.campbellhousemuseum.org/2011/10/lucas-place-in-a-nutshell/
9. ↑ 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860"
   citing Page: 165; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 655; FHL microfilm: 803655; Record number: 14082;
   FamilySearch Record: MHZJ-M58 (accessed 8 January 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9BSC-94CQ Image number 00435
   R Campbell (53) at 6th Ward St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States. Born in Ireland.
10. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image - used as source)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #10385786 (accessed 8 January 2023)
    Memorial page for Virginia Jane Kyle Campbell (25 Jan 1822-30 Jan 1882), citing Bellefontaine Cemetery, Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA; Maintained by: Find a Grave.

• 1870 Census: "United States Census, 1870"
  citing Page: 146; Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 14; FHL microfilm: 000552314; Record number: 13104;
  FamilySearch Record: M4XY-YRW (accessed 8 January 2023)
  FamilySearch Image: S3HY-67JG-NC Image number 00332
  Robt Campbell (64) head of household in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Born in Ireland.

See also:

• Website: "Ulster American Folk Park", "www.ulsteramericanfolkpark.org" - Ulster American Folk Park
• Website: "State Historical Society of Missouri", "missouriencyclopedia.org" - Robert Campbell
• Wikipedia: Rocky Mountain Fur Company
• Wikipedia: Robert Campbell (frontiersman)
• Wikidata: Item Q7342719, en:Wikipedia