Robert Campbell (Wisconsin politician)

Robert Campbell (November 2, 1841 – after 1880) was a British-born American immigrant, businessman, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Monroe County during the 1880 session.

Robert Campbell
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Monroe 2nd district
In office
January 5, 1880 – January 3, 1881
Preceded byGeorge R. Vincent
Succeeded byJohn O'Brien
Personal details
Born(1841-11-02)November 2, 1841
Carlisle, England, UK
Diedafter 1880
Political partyRepublican
Occupationmerchant

Biography

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Robert Campbell was born in Carlisle, Cumbria, England, in November 1841. As a child, he emigrated to the United States with his parents. They settled in Portage, Wisconsin, in 1849.[1]

Robert Campbell went to work as an apprentice in a printing office when he was 14 years old, working on the printing of the Badger State and State Register newspapers.[2] In 1868, he went into business with Charles P. Austin, establishing a grocery store under the name "Austin & Campbell".[3] Within a year, however, Campbell sold his share of the partnership to John Gates, though he remained an employee in the firm.[3]

About 1870, their firm leased a store in Glendale, in Monroe County, Wisconsin, and sent Campbell there to manage the new business. After a few years Campbell went into business with the owner of the Glendale store building, James R. Lyon, and operated the store under the new firm Lyon & Campbell.[4]

Robert Campbell was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1879 from Monroe County's 2nd (eastern) Assembly district, running on the Republican Party ticket. He served in the 1880 session of the Legislature and was not a candidate for re-election in 1880.[5]

His sister, Mary J. Campbell, married his one-time business partner Charles P. Austin.[3]

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Assembly (1879)

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Wisconsin Assembly, Monroe 2nd District Election, 1879[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1879
Republican Robert Campbell 1,001 59.73%
Democratic John F. Richard 409 24.40%
Greenback E. N. Palmer 266 15.87%
Plurality 592 35.32%
Total votes 1,676 100.0%
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ "Robert Campbell, of Glendale..." The Wisconsin State Register. November 15, 1879. p. 3. Retrieved February 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "The many friends of Robert Campbell..." The Wisconsin State Register. November 8, 1879. p. 3. Retrieved February 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c Butterfield, Consul Willshire (1880). The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company. pp. 876–877. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "An Early History of the Town of Glendale and Village of Kendall". Kendall Keystone. January 24, 1930. Retrieved February 22, 2022 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
  5. ^ a b Warner, Hans B., ed. (1880). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 520. Retrieved February 22, 2022.