A Guide To The Robert Campbell Family Collection Of .

A Guide ToThe Hobert Campbell FamilyCollection ofHistorical PapersIn The St. Louis Mercantile Libraryii!"" ;' '.IiREF. EF.Cl56.' .":""'r- ic.2!"iK; ,rBryanS. Th01JUlS". ;D F ted by: John N. Hoover.:.": . . . ;LouiS:Mel"cantlle Library Association

I'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlA GUIDE TOTHE ROBERT CAMPBELL FAMILY COLLECTIONOFHISTORICAL PAPERSIN THE ST. LOUIS MERCANTILE LIBRARYbyBryan Stephen Thomasedited byJohn Neal Hoover -,- , "(,Copyright 1986St. Louis Mercantile Library AssociationSt. Louis, Missouri)

PREFACEThis register of documents, as it now hereby exists for theresearcher, intends to be a basic list as well as an announcement madeby the St. Louis Mercantile Library of the primary materials in itscare relating to early St. Louisan Robert Campbell and his immediatefamily.The lives of this almost legendary fur trader, banker and St.Louis entrepreneur, and of his family tell a fasciha ing story of lifein the unsettled West, and subsequently, of the burgeoning, boomingmidwestern city of St. Louis in the nineteenth century.We at the St. Louis Mercantile Library have thus been immenselypleased that this important collection has come to our ResearchDepartment. We are indebted to our young archivist, Mr. Bryan StephenThomas, who has created this finding aid for these papers under theauspices of the St. Louis University Department of Historical StudiesArchival Intern Program in cooperation with and under the supervisionof the research staff of the Mercantile Library. In this collaborativeeffort it is hoped much has been learned between staff and intern, andwe applaud Dr. Martin Towey of St. Louis University Department ofHistory for his time and energy in administering such a splendidprogram.Mr. Thomas and the Mercantile Library have also benefittedfrom the unflinching support and advice in this project of Campbell House Museum and Foundatio -especially from Mrs. Ann Morris,curator of the archives of that Museum and archivist of the John W.Barriger III Railroad Collection of historic materials at the St. LouisMercantile Library.Robert Campbell's contributions to the settling of 'the West and toSt. Louis enterprise have always been profoundly felt.Yet, quiteironically, he has remained a shadowy figure to the modern reader.This is, in large part, due to the fact that significant documentsrelating to his life have remained hidden or hopelessly scattered inSt. Louis and elsewhere since the death of the last Campbell heir in1938.Even before the 1930's, this process had been well underway asCampbell's achievements slowly faded into historical footnote. Despitethis trend, much effort in the 1940's by some far-sighted St. Louisansto salvage as much as possible for the city's various institutions hadcounteracted this,It is sincerely hoped that this calendar of materials available atthe Mercantile Library will help to renew interest in the history of animportant individual and his era, which he influenced to such a largeextent, and of a distinguished St. Louis family, now belonging to thatcity's collective, cultural heritage.John Neal HooverSpecial Collections Librarianand Assistant Directori

lMaterials in the St. Louis Mercantile Library comprisesa large and significant group of Robert Campbell'spersonal papers and business correspondence, the bulk ofwhich was thought to be lost for a number of years afterthe death of the last Campbell heir and the subsequentdissolution of the Campbell Estate in downtown St.Louis, Missouri in 1938.This material was discovered and, through donation,acquired by the Mercantile Library on July 19, 1985. ions Department through the efforts of JohnHoover and,mostimportantly,through negotiationsundertaken by Nicholas V.V. Franchot III with Mrs. HarryW. Kroeger of Clayton, Missouri in whose late husband'spossession these papers had remained for the better partof fifty years.Robert Campbell was one of the most widely knownand influential businessmen of the American West.Bornin March, 1804 in Aughlane, County Tyrone, Ireland,references to Mr. Campbell can be found in the journalsand letters of the early American fur-trapping period.During his early years, he was associated with almostlegendary figures of the fur trade, such as ed iah Smi th, Jim Br idger and Wi 11 iam Sublette.Mr.Campbell spent ten years trapping and trading in theWest.Three years later, Mr. Campbell returned to St.Louis to form the firm of Sublette and Campbell which,for the next seven years, represented the only seriouscompetition to the American Fur Company.This firm wasformally dissolved on January 12, 1842 as Mr. Campbellturned his interests to establishing a large dry-goodsstore and investing in real estate. Over the years, hebecame the proprietor of the Southern Hotel, invested insteamboats and was Pres ident of both The. Bank of TheState of Missouri and The Merchant's National Bank. Mr.Campbell also engaged in pUblic service.In 1846 duringthe Mexican War, he was appointed to the staff of JohnC. Edwards, Governor of Missouri, hold ing the rank ofColonel. His duties included the drilling and equippingof the mounted volunteers.Due to his familiarity withthe Indian tribes in the West, Campbell was twiceappointed Indian Commissioner, in 1851 by PresidentMillard Fi llmore and in 1869 by Pr esident Ulysses S.Grant.ii

Aside from biographical sketches and periodicreferences made in the writings of other traders andmountainmen, little has been published concerning thelife of Robert Campbell.However, many personaljournals, letters and records of Campbell are scatteredthroughout St. Lou is and Missouri.The Campbell HouseFoundation, under the editorship of Ann Morris, recentlypubl ished a finding aid to the various collections ofRobert Campbell's papers possessed by that institution(*).At the time of that publication by Ms. Morris,however, the St. Louis Mercantile Library collection hadyet to be acquired.For the purpose of furthering scholarship on thelife of Robert Campbell, and in order to provide anupdate on the Campbell sources that are available toresearchers elsewhere, the pub1 ication of this findingaid and intended companion to the Campbell House Morris document was determined of the highest priori tyby the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association.*Morris, Ann.A Guide to th Campbell House MuseumHistorical Papers. St. Louis:The Campbell HouseFoundation, 1985.With bibliography and notes onCampbell sources in other St. Louis institutions.Selected further readings:Brooks, George R. (ed.)."Private Journal of RobertCampbell", Missouri Historical Society Bulletin,XX, No.1 (October, 1963) 3-24.Brooks, George R. (ed.)."Private Journal of RobertCampbell", Missouri Historical Society Bulletin,XX, No.2 (January, 1964), 107-118.(ed. ) "Correspondence of RobertDrumm,Stella M.Campbell 1834-1845", Missouri Historical SocietyGl impses of the Past, VIII, No.1 (January, 1941),3-65.History of Saint Louis City andScharf, J. Thomas.Philadelphia:Louis H. Everts &County, Vol. I.Co., 1883.Sunder, John E.Bill Sublette, Mountain Man.University of Oklahoma Press, 1959.Norman:The Fur Trade on the Upper MissouriSunder, John E.University of Oklahoma Press,1840-1865. Norman:1965.iii

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTIONAs an overview of the Robert Campbell papers held by theSt. Louis Mercantile Library, the collection consists ofledger books, copy books of bus iness correspondence, checkbooks with copious expendi ture notat ions, montl1ly bus inessreports for various firms and enterprises, as well as accountbooks and a myriad of items ranging from legal papers,var ious personal books and government documents, maps andprinted ephemera.Personal correspondence, diaries and other family papershave been separated in a logical pattern from business papersbydate.Alphabet ical arrangementisemployed whereappropriate to facilitate usage.The earliest material -- business records and earlycorrespondence -- falls sharply between 1832 and the 1920's,with the most massive part of the collection concentratedbetween 1835 and 1882, covering Campbell's most activeperiods of work.The collection comprises ca.35 linear feet of papers,divided into six subject series, housed in archival storageboxes in the Mercantile Library Rare Book Room, and isavailable for serious research by appointment at the Library.SERIES ONECorrespondence - By DateSERIES TWOBusiness RecordsSERIES THREERobert Campbell and CompanySERIES FOURPublicationsSERIES FIVEFinancial DocumentsSERIES SIXOther Campbell Family Documentsiv1836-1883

THE ROBERT CAMPBELL FAMILY COLLECTIONofHISTORICAL PAPERSTable of ContentsPREFACEiINTRODUCTIONiiSCOPE AND CONTENTS OF COLLECTIONivSERIES ONE OF PAPERS1Correspondence - By Date 1836-1883Correspondence of various business ventures, as well aspersonal letters by date, 1836-1883, and undated materialSERIES TWO5Business RecordsRobert Campbell's businesses and firms; with company ledgers,business day books, account books, various receipts, bankbooks relating to fur trade activities, St. Louis propertyownership abnd management, rental agreements, loans andindebtedness. By date, 1832-1885, and undated.material.Always the first noted year and month of each entry takesprecedence.SERIES THREE16Robert Campbell and CompanyFormal ledgers of financial reports listing sales, debts credits by date. The core summary of the Campbell family'sfinancial record and reports for the period 1862 to 1885.Subseries 3-A of Papers16Robert Campbell and CompanySubseries 3-B20Personal Accounts, Real Estate Post Mortem Reports forCampbell Estate Earnings; Robert Campbell Personal FinancialReports

Subseries 3-C24Interest AccountsSERIES FOUR25PublicationsGovernment documents and reports pamphlets maps businessephemera advertising flyers and cards broadside separatesand other printed material -- possessions of Robert Campbelland family -- with underscoring, presentations, annotationsand marginalia. Arranged loosely by type of material.Mostly nineteenth century.Subseries 4-A25Government Documents and ReportsSubseries 4-B27Catalogues and PamphletsSubseries 4-C28Subseries 4-D29Business Cards, Advertising Flyers and Broadsides,InvitationsSERIES FIVE31Financial DocumentsChecks: check stubs bank statements account books forRobert Campbell, Robert Campbell's companies and HughCampbell, by date miscellaneous receipts.1857-1924.Listed by first noted month and year per entry.Subseries 5-A31Checkbooks of Robert Campbell, Robert Campbell and Company,1857-1885Subseries 5-B33Cancelled Checks, Check Receipts, Bank Statements, BusinessNotices -- Hugh Campbell. 1892-1929Subseries 5-CHugh Campbell's Account Books, 1884-192635

SUbseries 5-035Later Receipts and NoticesSERIES SIX38Other Campbell Family DocumentsDeeds, copies of legal decisions, wills, genealogicalmaterials and later letters relating to the Campbell family'ssubsequent history in America after immigration from IrelandSubseries 6-A38Copies of Deeds, Wills, Estate DocumentsSubseries 6-840Campbell Genealogical ChartsSubseries 6-CLater Letters42