History of Bay County, Michigan: And Representative Citizens
by Augustus H. Gansser (1905)
JUDGE SYDNEY S. CAMPBELL
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HON. SYDNEY S. CAMPBELL, deceased, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was one of the pioneer citizens of Bay County, Michigan, and located at Lower Saginaw (now Bay City) as early as 1838. He was actively identified with the growth and progress of the community, and conducted the first tavern here, long known as the Globe Hotel, which still stands.
Sydney S. Campbell was born in Paris, Oneida County, New York, February 29, 1804, and was a son of Moses and Phoebe (Stewart) Campbell, being the youngest of five children. He was of Scotch descent. He received his early intellectual training in the common schools of his native county, then attended college at Utica, New York, where he graduated from the law department.
In 1830 he came to Michigan, settling first at Pontiac and then at Cass River Bridge, where, in 1836, he laid out a town and called it Bridgeport, his partner in this venture being Judge G. D. Williams. A post office was established with himself as postmaster, but the town was blighted by hard times in the winter of 1837-38. He was induced by James Fraser and Judge Williams to remove to the new city on the Saginaw, known as Lower Saginaw, and start a hotel.
He arrived on March 1, 1838, and the following day killed a large buck on the opposite side of the river, the last one seen by him for a period of five years. That month, as described by Judge Campbell afterward, was as warm as is usual for the month of June. His family lived in the block-house on the bank of the river for a short time until the tavern was completed, it being located on Water street, where it still stands as a relic of Bay City's early history.
It was often difficult to get the provisions necessary for his table, but Judge Campbell was always a liberal provider. Often he found it necessary to paddle a canoe 16 miles to Saginaw for a pound of tea or some equally small article.
A year or two after his arrival, he and his brother Harry borrowed the government team of oxen and plowed a piece of land near where the Folsom & Arnold old sawmill stood, which they sowed to buckwheat. When the time came to gather it, he and his wife would go down the river in a canoe to the field, and as they proceeded he would shoot ducks, which were plentiful
those days. Arriving there, he would spread out a sail-cloth upon the ground and on
this thresh out the buckwheat as his wife carried it to him. They then placed it in bags and took it to the tavern in the canoe, emptying out the bags of grain in an upstairs bedroom.
The following winter there was a scarcity of flour and in February the supply in Lower Saginaw became exhausted and none could be obtained from Saginaw or Flint. To the people of the settlement, Judge Campbell's store of buckwheat was indeed welcome.
Frederick Derr, who lived in the "wild-cat" bank building opposite the tavern, owned a large coffee-mill, of which the settlers soon took advantage, taking the amount of buckwheat needed and grinding it in this mill. In this way the only flour used in the settlement for a period of three weeks was made, and none was obliged to go hungry.
In those days Judge Campbell was very friendly with the Indians, and traded extensively with them. He conducted the tavern for a number of years, and in after years when retired from business activity he formed the habit of going to the hotel for a social visit twice a day.
In 1873, he built a brick business block, just north of the hotel, and in many ways was prominently identified with the development of the city.
He made many interesting notes with regard to the early history of this vicinity, and these appear in the historical portion of this work. He witnessed the gradual change of Bay County from a wild and sparsely settled state to its present condition, with its richly cultivated farms and populous towns and cities.
He was the first supervisor of Hampton township, the first meeting being held in his tavern. He held that once a number of years and when the county was organized, became probate judge, serving as such for a period of 12 years, from 1857. He was elected on the Democratic ticket, and was always a consistent member of that party, frequently serving as delegate to county, State and congressional conventions.
In March, 1830, Judge Campbell was joined in the bonds of matrimony with Catherine J. McCartee, one of those sturdy pioneer women who bravely faced the hardships and thrilling experiences of the early days in this country. She was of Scotch-Irish descent and was a daughter of William James and Clara (Dunlap) McCartee.
Judge Campbell died August io, 1887, aged nearly 84 years, and his wife died June 1, 1888. They were parents of the following children : Margaret, deceased, who was the wife of Bernhardt Witthauer; Emily, who resides in the old family home at No. 1704 Woodside avenue, and is the only one of the children living in Bay City; Edward McCartee, deceased, was the first white boy born in Lower Saginaw; William James, a farmer residing in Pinconning township ; and Catherine, who died in infancy.
Judge Campbell was a man of the highest character, and had his influence in the moral, intellectual and financial affairs of the community. He and his wife were Presbyterians. Miss Emily Campbell is a lady of literary attainments and accomplishments, and has always occupied a prominent place in the refined circles of Bay City.
