This gentleman, now a resident of the township of Royal Oak, was born in Paris, Oneida county, New York, July 20, 1810. He received his education in Monroe county, New York, and after his school days were over learned the business of coopering. In the year 1834 he removed to Michigan, and settled on section 7, in the town of Oxford, Oakland County, arriving upon his premises on the 26th of May. His aged father accompanied him to his new home, and remained there an honored inmate, until his death, which occurred on the 6th of September, 1843.

They were among the first settlers of Oxford. The first religious services in the town were held in Mr. Campbell's house, and he assisted in the erection of the first house of worship, as well as the first school house. On the 9th of June, 1839, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Cheney, by whom he became the father of five sons and five daughters, of whom all the sons and three daughters are now living.

His location in Oxford was known as "Campbells Corners," and here he remained for twenty-five years, most actively engaged in the various pursuits of agriculture, merchandising, building, and his original trade of coopering, and he also was proprietor of a store in Pontiac. The prosecution of these vocations has produced a wide change in his pecuniary circumstances since the time when he first arrived in Michigan, forty-three years ago, poor enough in the matter of worldly wealth.

In November, 1859, he removed with his large family to the township of Royal Oakj where he had purchased a tract of seven hundred and fifty acres of land. Upon this tract he lived and made improvements for sixteen years, until he brought it up to rank as one of the very best farms in the township. A most desirable feature of his improvement was the planting of maple trees for shade on both sides of the highway, and it would be well if this public spirited practice should become more general among farmers. A pictorial representation of his homestead will be found among the pages of this work.

Mr. Campbells eight children are settled on farms of seventy to eighty acres each, which were cut from his original tract, and he has sixty acres left as a homestead, all clear of debt. His residence at present is in Royal Oak village, where he devotes his time to the keeping of bees, in which he claims an improved system. His apiary yields him annually about two tons of honey.