The Founding of the Homeplace
The Victor Campbell Family Story
From the short story collection:
Part V:
Centennial Family Bios
The Victor
Campbell Family
I do not plan to ‘write my memoirs’ as Jake Patton was
attempting to do, prior to his untimely death, but I will try to provide some
insights into the involvement of my family here in the valley from an early
date. Ours was the first family to settle in the west valley arriving in 1836,
three years after the earliest settlers. My wife, Camilla, and sons, Ralph, 11,
and Delbert, 9, arrived with some cattle and some mules hoping to make this our
permanent home on the Western Branch of the Oak Creek. At an early date, we
were surprised but positively impressed with the way the others in the valley
welcomed us and worked to make our success more assured than we could have done
on our own. My sons and I had learned the benefits of using mules in our
agricultural pursuits and found a kindred spirit in Hugh Truesdale. We soon
became partners, along with Jake Patton and his horses, with Hugh in a very
successful breeding and training operation.
Our daughter, Lillian, was born in 1842. In the
following year, as I recall, shortly after planting season, our oldest son,
Ralph, moved into Oak Springs, at age 18, to work full-time in the mule/horse
joint venture. As others moved into the Western Branch area, we encouraged the
same kind of cooperation we received, and all of us did well.
Victor Campbell (1804)
married
Camilla Unknown (1804- )
They had children:
Ralph Campbell (1825- )
Delbert Campbell (1827- )
Lillian Campbell (1837-)
Ralph Campbell (1825- )
married
Sally Rhodes (1827- )
They had one son:
Vic Campbell (1864- )
Delbert Campbell (1827- )
married
Delia Rhodes (1827- )
Lillian Campbell (1837- )
married
Theodosia Rhodes (1832- )
They had children:
Augustine Rhodes (1855- )
Vance Rhodes (1858- )
Earl Rhodes (1862- )
Lillie Rhodes (1867- )
Stephen Rhodes (1871- )
When the township was officially organized, I was
pleased to serve as the Western Trustee. Roads and bridges were important to
us, and I was pleased to use the opportunities to continue to learn from the
others with whom I interacted in that capacity.
By the time the town of Oak Springs was organized, in
1848, my wife and I decided it was time to move to town and let son Delbert
take the lead on the farm. Along with Jake Patton and Robert Baldridge, we
created the Oak Springs Savings Bank and hired Jacobi Inman as clerk. We built
a bank building along Central Avenue north of the Livery Stable. They asked me
to serve as bank President in 1855. I felt somewhat inadequate, at first, but
worked hard to learn and found I actually enjoyed it and was good at it. I
became responsible for both investments and loans of the bank.
As I was learning the business by visiting many other
banks around the region, I was able to pick and choose where to make
investments that seemed to be the safest in the political environment in which
we lived. I learned to believe in diversification, and that paid big dividends
when we ended up at war in this country. I moved to the St. Louis area during
the war, and kept on top of the bank investments.
When it became apparent that the town could and would
be rebuilt, we were pleased to return and be a part of that activity. It has
been a good move, and we are happy to be back here, with family and friends,
working to make this a great place to live, again.
Note: This concludes the excerpts from The Founding book; order yours, today...
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May we each have a Homeplace, if only in our hearts!
Dr. Bill ;-)
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