ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL,
who is descended from an honorable line of Scotch ancestry, was born in
the
Land of the Thistle in 1826, and came with his parents to America two
years
afterward. In about 1840 he became a resident of Illinois, and until
within the
last three years was actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is
now a
resident of Bloomington, where he owns and occupies a good residence
which was
erected at a cost of $3,100. He has been intimately identified with the
industrial and agricultural interests of McLean County for the last
forty
years, and is held in the highest respect by the citizens among whom he
has
moved with an honest and upright purpose and a blameless life.
The parents of our
subject were Archibald and Elizabeth (Shields) Campbell, also natives
of
Scotland. After coming to America, they stopped in Pittsburgh for
eighteen
months, and then went into Jessamine County, Ky., and were residents of
Lexington for eight years following. They then moved to McLean County,
locating
in Orendorff settlement, where they remained one year, and thence
removed to
Old Town Township, where the father purchased 200 acres of land at
first and
subsequently added 300. Here he remained until the close of his life,
cultivating the soil and beautifying the homestead, and was buried on a
portion
of land over which he had walked for so many years. He was Justice of
the Peace
for many years and an Elder in the Baptist Church, of which his wife
was also a
devoted member. The record of their four sons is as follows: John is a
merchant
of McLean County, and all the other brothers are residents here.
The subject of this
history remained with his parents until twenty-four years old,
assisting in the
labors of the farm and receiving a practical education. He then
purchased forty
acres of land which he paid for before his marriage, afterward making
further
purchases, first of eighty and then of 120 acres, and then his father
left him
eighty acres. To this he afterward added sixty acres, and has also 160
acres
near Farmington City, and eighty near Amboy, Lee County.
Mr. Campbell was
married, in 1851, to Miss Mary E. Twining, a native of Pennsylvania,
born June
2, 1833, and the daughter of Thomas Twining, a native of the same
State. Of
this union there were born seven children, three now living, and the
record is
as follows: Mary B., Mrs. Wagner, was born Feb. 21, 1852, and is the
mother of
five children — Charles F., Gracie (deceased), Abbie J., Edna, and an
infant
unnamed; Sarah E., Mrs. Gregory, was born Dec. 19, 1856, and has two
children —
Ella M. and Goldie E.; Thomas A. was born May. 2, 1859,and married Miss
Mary
Nogel; they have two children — Howard
and Elnora; Franklin E., born Dec. 9, 1861, died Oct. 13, 1886; Howard
A., born
Aug. 2, 1864, died Jan. 31, 1882; Charles E. born Oct. 23, 1867, is
attending
college at Bloomington; Nellie A., born May 24, 1871, is at home with
her
parents.
Mr. and Mrs. C. are
worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Bloomington, and in
politics our subject is a stanch Republican. He was School Trustee
while on a
farm, and belonged to the Union League. No man in McLean County is held
in
higher respect than our subject, and no lady is more worthy of esteem
than his
amiable and excellent wife.
Portrait and biographical album of
McLean County, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographical
sketches
of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with
portraits
and biographies of all the governors of Illinois, and of the presidents
of the
United States. (Chicago: Chapman
Brothers,
1887), 251-2. Transcribed by Judy
Rosella Edwards.
FOOTNOTE:
031 CAMPBELL, ARCHIBALD Nat. Rec.
1859-1894 p. 99 1st day of November 1867 Declaration of Intent to become U.S.
citizen; From Great Britain McLean County Immigration Records
