1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910790193103321

Autore

Nester William R

Titolo

From mountain man to millionaire [[electronic resource] ] : the bold and dashing life of Robert Campbell / / William R. Nester

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Columbia, Mo., : University of Missouri Press, 2011

ISBN

0-8262-7248-7

Edizione

[Rev. and expanded ed.]

Descrizione fisica

viii, 311 p. : map

Collana

Missouri biography series

Disciplina

978/.02/092

Soggetti

Pioneers - West (U.S.)

Fur traders - West (U.S.)

Businessmen - Missouri - Saint Louis

Fur trade - Rocky Mountains - History - 19th century

Saint Louis (Mo.) Biography

Missouri History Civil War, 1861-1865

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Acknowledgments -- Robert Campbell family life spans -- Introduction : a bold and dashing life -- Old and new worlds, 1804-1825 -- The Shining Mountains, 1825-1829 -- Worldly triumphs, 1829-1833 -- Fort William, 1833-1835 -- A home and family of his own, 1835-1845 -- Wealth, power, and tragedy, 1846-1859 -- Civil War, 1860-1865 -- New directions, 1865-1879 -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

Sommario/riassunto

Robert Campbell (1804-1879) came to America from Ireland in 1822 and entered the fur trade soon thereafter. He quickly rose from trapper to brigade leader to partner, all within a half dozen years. In the mid-1830s, Campbell retired from the mountains, having already amassed considerable wealth, and embarked on a new career. He returned to St. Louis and built up a business empire that embraced mercantile, steamboat, railroad, and banking interests. Through these ventures he not only gained more wealth but also became a leading force behind the development of the region's economy. Exploring the enormous treasure trove of letters, journals, and account books that Campbell left behind, William Nester places Campbell in the context of the times in which he lived, showing the economic, political, social, and cultural



forces that provided the opportunities and challenges that shaped his life.