DATE: ca. 1830s-1920s
CREATOR: Campbell, Robert (1804-1879). Irish immigrant, fur trader, businessman, and resident of St. Louis. His home is now preserved as the St. Louis local Campbell House Museum.
EXTENT: 35 linear feet of manuscripts and archival records.
SCOPE: The contents of this collection includes primary materials on the activities of Campbell, his friends, associates, business partners, and adversaries. Campbell's life in the Rockies, and later in the rapidly developing frontier town of St. Louis, is covered.
Business correspondence, company ledgers, copy books, financial reports, and family letters form the bulk of the collection, which spans the period from the early 1830's to the 1920's. The bulk of the collection is comprised of Robert Campbell's business records from 1832-1879, the year of his death.
HISTORY: Robert Campbell was one of the most widely-known and influential business leaders of the American West of his day. Born in 1804, in Aughlane, County Tyrone, Ireland, references to Campbell can be found in the journals and letters of a host of correspondents of the early American fur trading period, in which venture he participated as one of the archetypal "mountain men" of the independent Rocky Mountain fur companies.
PROVENANCE: This collection was donated to the Mercantile Library on July 19, 1985, by Mrs. Harry W. Kroeger of Clayton, Missouri. Kroeger's late husband had possession of the materials for approximately fifty years.
ACCESS: This is collection M-107. This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the collection may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, depending on condition. Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building. More information about conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page.
RESTRICTIONS: None
Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is “From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.”
Acknowledgements: Thank you archivist Mr. Bryan Stephen Thomas, who created this finding aid for these papers under the St. Louis University Department of Historical Studies Archival Intern Program in cooperation, under the supervision of Mercantile Library staff and Dr. Martin Towey of St. Louis University Department of History. Also to the Campbell House Museum and Foundation.
Related Resources: The Campbell House Museum maintains the home, furniture, fixtures, carriage, personal letters and other records of the Campbell family as well as a database of the collections. The Missouri History Museum holds Robert Campbell's 1833 Rocky Mountain journal and other papers related to the fur trade.
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