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Historical records matching Alexander Macomb Campau
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About Alexander Macomb Campau
http://books.google.com/books?id=jkUOAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA886-IA3&img=1&zo...
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Alexander Macomb Campau
Alexander Macomb Campau was the second son of Barnabas and Archange McDougall Campau, born in Detroit on September 13, 1823.
Alexander Macomb Campau’s legacy is that of a strong-willed individual; some would say a tyrant. He was the second son of Barnabas Campau and Archange McDougall Campau. He was born in Detroit on September 13, 1823 and was a direct descendant of Jacques Campau who came to Detroit in 1708 from Montreal, Canada.
He was sent to Georgetown University at the age of seventeen, and a Detroit newspaper article, many years later, tells of his challenging train ride to Washington, D.C. In the early days of train travel, trains ran off the tracks every few minutes. The story details young Alex Campau, “dressed in his suit of maroon-colored broadcloth, with stock and lace ruffles at throat and wrist had to get off each time, and with his fellow passengers, helped to put the cars back on the rails.”
He returned to Michigan after graduating from Georgetown University in 1844. Alexander attended the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, for one more year of studies. He was one of only 11 students and 2 professors! He married Eliza Stringham Throop on April 15, 1846 and they had nine children.
Alexander further developed the fisheries on Belle Isle, having inherited the island from his father, Barnabas, and at one time, employed nearly 500 Frenchmen. He also was a large landowner in Detroit, attending to 600 to 700 tenants, in a nearly feudalistic way.
The Campau family, since their early arrival in Detroit, had always been good Catholics so when Alexander’s church came to him, wishing to build a new house of worship, he loaned them the money they requested to be paid back with interest. The church was erected on land he donated, time passed, and no effort was made to pay him back. When Alexander inquired about his loan repayment, he was told, “the money went to God.”
He never got his money, and he left the Catholic Church, worshiping till the end of his days, at Christ Church, Detroit located on E. Jefferson, next door to Sibley House.
At the age of 85, he lay on his deathbed, and a Catholic priest was called to his bedside to administer the last rites. As the priest placed the cross to Alexander’s lips so he could kiss it, he defiantly spat upon it instead! He died, recalcitrant to his last day, on April 1, 1908.
http://books.google.com/books?id=z_bhAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA383&lpg=PA383&dq...
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Alexander Macomb Campau's Timeline
| 1823 |
September 13, 1823
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Detroit, Wayne, MI, United States
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| 1847 |
July 23, 1847
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| 1848 |
October 24, 1848
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| 1849 |
October 12, 1849
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Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States
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| 1852 |
October 19, 1852
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Detroit, Wayne, MI, United States
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| 1854 |
November 11, 1854
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Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States
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| 1855 |
November 29, 1855
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Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States
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| 1858 |
May 24, 1858
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Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States
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| 1864 |
December 12, 1864
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Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States
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| 1908 |
April 1, 1908
Age 84
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