The Campbells: Close ties between brothers

Dan Campbell brought his younger brothers, Arthur and James, with him

when he left Ireland for the second time in 1898. They headed

straight for the Yukon. The trio did well, and eventually made their

way to California with their earnings.

James stopped off in San Francisco, while Dan and Arthur went on

to Los Angeles to visit Leslie and Mary Louise Brand. Later, Dan

married his childhood sweetheart, Margaret, in Ireland, and brought

her to Angelino Heights. Arthur might have lived with them, or

visited frequently, as Dan and Margaret’s firstborn, Dan Jr.,

recalled that his uncle Arthur wheeled him around Westlake Park as a

baby.

Both Dan and Arthur purchased land in northwest Glendale adjacent

to Brand’s estate.

By the time Dan and Margaret moved into their house, Ard Eevin, in

1903, Arthur was already farming his own property west of what is now

Highland. He farmed for several years, planting watermelon and winter

tomatoes.

Making the tie between himself and his brother even closer, he

married Margaret’s sister, Nellie McPeak, in November 1908, at the

home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel McPeak. (They had

come from Ireland some time after Margaret married Dan in 1900.)

The bride wore a wreath of “Ard Eevin” orange blossoms from Dan’s

ranch. Dan was best man and his tiny daughter, Kathleen, carried the

ring in a huge white chrysanthemum. After a two-week wedding trip,

the newlyweds moved into their new bungalow home in north Glendale,

according to a 1908 newspaper clipping.

They had three daughters -- Mary Elizabeth, Margaret and Helen

Louise. Arthur farmed his land for at least another year, then Brand

asked him to take over management of his utility companies: the

Glendale Light and Power Co., Miradero Water Co. and Home Telephone

Co., according to an article in the Glendale News-Press, April 10,

1961.

After the light and power company and the water company were

purchased by the city and the phone company was sold, Arthur helped

plant the palm trees that lined both sides of Brand from Colorado to

Mountain, securing several carloads of 3-foot trees from an Anaheim

nursery. Some of the trees reached a height of 75 feet before being

cut down.

He also conducted tours to Brand’s mountain home near Lee Vining

in the Sierra Nevada mountains. When Brand subdivided some of his

property, he showed his appreciation by naming one of the streets

after him: Campbell Street parallels Brand Boulevard.

In partnership with David W. Johnson, Arthur owned and operated

the Crystal Ice Co. at 1126 E. Wilson Ave.

A 1931 Glendale High School yearbook contains an advertisement for

the “100 per cent locally owned and operated institution.” He

affiliated with his brother, Dan, on both of his banking ventures in

Tropico and later helped organize Glendale Federal Savings & Loan

Assn., serving as president for six years.

Next week: Margaret raises a family and gets involved in her

community.

* KATHERINE YAMADA’S column runs Saturdays. To contact her, leave

a message at 637-3241. For more information on Glendale’s history,

contact the reference desk at the Central Library at 548-2027 or

visit the Special Collections Room at Central. It is open from 1:30

to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays or by appointment.