The second annual reunion of the Campbell family was held at Nelson, Aug. 23, 1894, in the grove of Mrs. G H Baxter, near the Fall Brook depot. The morning was beautiful and the fine weather continued throughout the day.
The train from the south brought friends from Harrison Valley, Westfield, Knoxville, Osceola and Elkland. The train from the north arrived about 12 PM, bringing friends from Watkins, Elmira, Wellsboro, Mansfield, Tioga, and Lawrenceville, besides the many carriages which kept coming all the morning loaded with relatives and friends. Among other arrivals was that of the Knoxville band, which furnished excellent music for the occasion.
If was a very merry party that assembled in the grove to renew their friendship and listen to the music and the literary program that had been prepared for the entertainment of the company.
About 12:30 the secretary announced that the program would begin with a selection by the band, composed by one of our absent friends, Mr. C. B. Campbell, of Green Bay, Wisc. Mr. Ed. Hazlett then gave an address of welcome, which was followed by another selection by the band, after which the company adjourned to the seats that had been arranged for their comfort while partaking of refreshments. After they were seated, the Rev. H. Armstrong1 returned thanks. The dinner consisted of everything that would delight the heart of an epicure. When all had eaten of the good things until they were satisfied, Mr. T. C. Campbell, who presided as toastmaster, announced the toasts which were responded to as follows:
"Our Family" by the President of the society, John H. Campbell, of Nelson, PA.
"Reminiscences," Mrs. Jessie Ellison, of Harrison Valley, Pa.
"Our Old Doctor," Dr. A. M. Loop2, of Nelson, Pa.
"The Days Gone By," Philip Young, of Elmira, N. Y.
"The Future", by Mrs. Ed Hazlett, Nelson, Pa.
"Generation after Generation," M. B. Seely, Nelson, Pa.
After a selection by the band, the literary program began by singing "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name," in which all joined in singing. The next was an address by B. [sic] W. Buck of Elmira, N.Y., followed by a reading of the minutes of the last meeting, held at Nelson, Aug. 23, 1893.
Mrs. Jane Tubbs then read the memoir3 of her father and mother, Joseph and Ann Campbell, giving a history of their early home life. In speaking of the religious principles that were instilled into their minds she told how in the spring, when they were making maple sugar, the sap buckets were always turned over on Saturday night as her father thought it would be wrong to use the sap caught on Sunday, but her brothers thought it as great a sin to waste the sap, so they went back one night and turned them back so as to catch the sap, and with the proceeds they bought a log chain, but their father would never eat a meal of victuals cooked over a fire made of wood hauled by that chain, and when one of the church members4 introduced a violin into the choir he and several others left the church5. The children went to school at the old log house at the mouth of Thorn Bottom Creek6. Their clothes were all made at home, and the shoemaker went from house to house to make the family's shoes, each one having two pairs, one of calfskin for Sunday and one of cow hide for every day wear.
The secretary then read letters of regret from the following: The Campbell Reunion of Mifflin county, Pa., to the Campbell Reunion of Tioga county, Pa., which was being held at the same time in Mifflin county;7 Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Hazlett, of Chicago, Ill.; Mrs. Jane Ellison, Merango, McHenry county, Ill; Sarah J. Campbell, California avenue, Allegheny City, Pa.; John Campbell, Dehaven, Pa.; also a dispatch from W. C. Campbell, of Marinette, Wisc. and a message from over the water from a cousin, Peter Clinch, County [sic] Essex, Gloucestershire, England.
The next on the program was a solo by Miss Carrie Parks, of Nelson, followed by a recitation entitled, "Lottie's Message",8 by Rena Campbell, of Elkland.
The next number, a song, "Old Folks at Home, by Mr. and Mrs. Will Munroe [sic], was omitted on the account of the absence of Mr. Munroe {sic]. Next came a solo by Mr. Phil Young, and a recitation by Eleanor Campbell Bosard, entitled, "Trouble in the Amen Corner."
Mr. Ross G. Loop, of Elmira, gave an address on "Family Reunions" and Miss Lena Seely read an original poem, "The Campbell's." [sic]
The following officers were then elected for the coming year:
President-J. D. Campbell
Vice President-E. B. Campbell
Secretary-J. E. Hazlett
Treasurer-M.B. Seely
Executive Committee-Robert Campbell, John H. Campbell and Chas. Merritt.
A motion was then made and carried the the balance of the committees be appointed by the President.
A vote of thanks was given to Mrs. G. H. Baxter and family for the use of their beautiful grounds and for their assistance in making the reunion a success.
A photographer was present and took a picture of the entire company. The family and relatives were requested to come forward to the Secretary's desk and register. There were 218 who registered, but a large number went away without registering. There were about 300 relatives present.
The balance of the day was spent in exchanging friendly greetings and visiting, while the younger ones enjoyed themselves with swings and hammocks, at games, etc., all interspersed with frequent selections rendered by the Knoxville cornet band.
Among some of the interesting data read was a portion of the family genealogy, furnished by the Rev. Joel Jewell,9 now 90 years old, but still as spry as many 40 years his junior. He said "Archibald Campbell was born in the year 1598 and was one of the leading men of Scotland.10 He signed the Covenant when 40 years of age and from that time on became a political leader of the Covenanters, who bound themselves to be faithful to the Reformed Presbyterian religion and to the King. In 1641 Charles Ist, made him Duke of Argyle, in which he has been followed by his heirs for over 200 years. The VIIIth Duke of Argyle was George John Douglas Campbell, who was born in 1822 and succeeded his father in 1847, at the age of 25 years. His eldest son, the Marquis of Lorne, married the Princess Louise in 1871 and in 1878 was appointed Governor General of Canada. Thomas Campbell of "Gertrude of Wyoming" in 1869 and "Ye Marriners [sic] of England," and "the Battle of [Mad and Strange Turkish Princes"] also a member of this noble family, hence we see and trace back a vein of blue blood covering a period of three centuries, and find in the possession of some present today mementos handed down from many generations back, such as a coat of arms, swords, buckles, amulets, etc.
It was to be regretted that a large number of the immediate relatives were absent, and we hope to see every living member of the family present at the next annual reunion, to be held one year from today, on these grounds.
Thanking the several committees for their hearty cooperation and efficient work in making this, our second annual reunion, a grand success, I remain
Yours truly,
T. C. Campbell, Sec'y.
1. Rev. Hallock Armstron was the pastor of the Beecher's Island Presbyterian Church, Nelson, PA.
2. Family doctor Albert Mortimer Loop (1818 - 1904) was an amateur historian who wrote several chapters of Munsell's 1883 History of Tioga county, Pennsylvania. His brother, George Loop, was the father-in-law of Maria B Campbell.
3. You can read her father's " memoir" or her mother's.
4. Music teacher Steadman Bottom.
5. Beecher's Island Presbyterian Church.
6. Just West of Nelson, on the South side of the river. Lands on the West bank of the creek was owned by Sam Hazlett; the East bank by James Campbell.
7. I don't know of any connection between Campbells in Miflin County and "our" Campbells.
8. A "powerful temperance poem" by Alexander G. Murdoch.
9. A friend and admirer of the family. As a boy he'd worked for both Joseph Campbell and his brother James.
10. In Scotland, the Campbells were divided into several clans, all of whom acknowleged the Duke of Argyll as their high chief. Among the major branches were: Campbells of Argyll; Breadalbane; Cawdor; and Louden. We know the grandchildren of brothers Joseph and James Campbell believed they were from the Argyll branch. But we don't know if that was just an assumption or if they had evidence for that .
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