Campbell, Robert, 1804–79, American fur trader and merchant, one of the mountain men, b. Ireland. He came to the United States c.1824. Having been advised to lead an outdoor life because of a lung ailment, he joined (1825) a fur trapping expedition. He trapped and traded in the Rocky Mts. until 1832, when he and William Sublette formed a partnership, which offered competition to the American Fur Company. Suffering reverses, they confined their activities to the mountain territory. The partnership was dissolved in 1842, and Campbell returned to St. Louis, where he amassed a fortune in merchandising, real estate, and banking. In 1851 and again in 1869 he served as Indian commissioner.
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