Butte County
Biographies
CHARLES STEWART CAMPBELL
CHARLES STEWART CAMPBELL. – Born in
1853, and for many years engaged in hard work and difficult enterprises in
which, fortunately, he has profited through good management, Charles Stewart
Campbell is both one of the oldest native sons of Butte County and among the
pioneers most comfortably situated; and what is still more worth the while, he
and his good wife have succeeded, far beyond the average, in rearing and
educating a large family, and so providing others with the training and
equipment for good citizenship. Charles Stewart Campbell was born a mile south
of Cherokee, the son of John Campbell, a native of
Belfast, Ireland, who came of good Scotch-Irish descent. The latter was a
butcher by trade, who, believing that America offered greater opportunities for
a young man’s advancement, left Ireland and came out
to Michigan. From that state, in 1849, he crossed the plains to California,
bringing with him a drove of cattle, and, once arrived in the Golden State, he
settled in Butte County, not far from Cherokee. Here he set up in the butcher
business, and being among the earliest of the pioneers, he opened the first
butcher shop in the region. For many years he continued there in that business,
retiring at last to a well-earned rest; and at Cherokee, in 1882, he breathed
his last, honored of all men.
Mrs. John Campbell was Ophelia Hazzard before her marriage, and she was a native of
Michigan, remaining in that state until Mr. Campbell, to whom she had become
engaged, returned East to marry her. After a pleasant
honeymoon, they came to California together, and it was then that they took up
their residence at Cherokee. Now Mrs. Campbell resides at Oroville with her
daughter Alice, the honored mother of nine children, five of whom were still
living. These are: Charles Stewart; Ida, who dwells at Oroville, as does Alice
(Mrs. Phares); James, who resides near Cherokee; and
Edward, who is on the old home farm.
Born on December 30, 1853, Charles S.
Campbell was brought up here and educated in the public schools in Cherokee.
From a boy he, too, learned the butcher’s trade; but he was also given a chance
to learn about stock-raising, in which he rode over the range after cattle.
When only seventeen he began to operate somewhat for himself, with a few head
of cattle, and it was then that he chose the easily discerned brand, C C,
stamped upon the right hip. Since that time, with the
exception of four years or so, he has continued in that activity, having once
turned aside to accept employment at Powellton with
the Consolidated Cherokee Mining Company. He served under Jacob
Patterson, the well-known expert who had charge of a ditch, and Charles S.
assumed the responsibility for a section.
Returning to Cherokee, Mr. Campbell bought
a place adjoining his present one, located on it, and again engaged in
stock-raising. Still later, he bought a place near where he now makes his home,
and at present owns over seven hundred acres in his ranch, nine miles north of
Oroville, on the Cherokee road. This he has greatly improved, and it is one of
the most desirable ranches in all this part of the county. He has also a fine
ranch of three hundred twenty acres in Flea Valley, where he makes a specialty
of raising Shorthorn and Red Polled Angus cattle, his experience in selecting
as well as in breeding enabling him to produce some fine high-grade stock.
On May 20, 1880, Mr. Campbell was married,
at Cherokee, to Miss Alice Emma Patterson, who was born near Butler, Mo., in
1860, the daughter of Jacob Patterson, and who four years later crossed the great plains with her parents who traveled with ox teams and
brought horses and mules to California and who settled at Cherokee. In the
latter place she was educated, and she herself has brought up ten children of
her own, namely: Claude, who is assisting the subject of our sketch; Clarissa,
who is now Mrs. Bowen, of Sacramento; Maude, a stenographer and a graduate of Heald’s Business College, who resides at Westwood; Guy, a dredgerman at Thermalito; Irene,
who is Mrs. Uren, of Oroville; Lester, employed at the shipyards in Oakland;
Irma, married Roy Wyman, who is now in the United States Army; William,
also with the dredger at Thermalito; while Alice and
Charles are at home.
A patriotic citizen, especially interested
in the promulgation of Democratic doctrines in national politics, Mr. Campbell
has known no narrow partisanship in supporting worthy local movements, and has
done his full civic duty to the immediate community which he lives. Among
positions of responsibility and honor he has occupied has been that of trustee
of the Oregon City school district, in which capacity he has served several
terms; and he has also been the choice of the board as clerk. He was also
trustee of Oroville Union High School for one term. Mrs. Campbell shares with
her husband the esteem and good will of the community, and both are happy that
their lines fell in such pleasant places as Butte County and its environment.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
23 October 2008.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1053-1054, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte
County Biographies