Temple in Bell County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Cyrus Maxwell Campbell

(September 14, 1839-January 27, 1921)

Photographed By James Hulse, September 28, 2022

1. Cyrus Maxwell Campbell Marker

Inscription. Born to Cyrus C. Campbell (1810-1883) and Rebecca Elizabeth Robbins (1818-1846), Cyrus Maxwell Campbell was raised near Travis (Austin County). At the age of 21, he enlisted in the Confederate Army at the beginning of the Civil War, serving in the Lone Star Rifles and later Company F, 16th Texas Infantry Regiment, where he achieved the rank of captain. Following the war, Campbell's father gave him a 100-acre tract in Washington County, which Cyrus began improving with the aid of Freedman. On December 29, 1867, he, married Lydia Ann "Annie" Dever (1845-1912), and they raised cattle and hogs on their farm. Campbell dabbled in politics and was a partner in a mercantile business but, by 1883, he sold his holdings and settled in Belton with his wife and children with intentions of launching a lumber business, C.M. Campbell & Sons Lumber.

By 1888, Campbell, with partner Irwin A. Lovitt (1854-1920), opened Campbell & Lovitt Lumber in Temple. The Belton and Temple stores prospered, and Campbell expanded to Killeen, San Antonio and other locations. In 1896, Campbell moved his family to Temple and built a stately home on North Main Street. His sons later managed several of the family lumber yards. The Campbells' lumber enterprises flourished, spurred by the county's remarkable growth and the subsequent need for lumber. However, by the

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

1930s, amid the depression, the company closed. Cyrus Campbell was among a group of entrepreneurs who assisted in the growth and development of Bell County, transforming it from tent cities to permanent communities.

Erected 2018 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 18936.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is December 29, 1867.

Location. 31° 6.737′ N, 97° 19.851′ W. Marker is in Temple, Texas, in Bell County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of North Front Street and East Shell Avenue. The marker is located in the central section of the Hillcrest Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1873 North Front Street, Temple TX 76501, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Raleigh Richardson White, Sr. (within shouting distance of this marker); Raleigh R. White, Jr., M.D. (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Yee Pat Ling (about 500 feet away); George Valter Brindley, Sr., M.D. (about 700 feet away); Nora Lee Mayhew Wendland (approx. 0.2 miles away); Seven Star Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Arthur Carroll Scott, Sr., M.D.

Cyrus Maxwell Campbell Marker and Gravestone image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, September 28, 2022

2. Cyrus Maxwell Campbell Marker and Gravestone

(approx. ¼ mile away); Claudia Potter, M.D. (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Temple.

Also see . . .
1. Lumber Industry. Texas State Historical Association

The next fifty years, from about 1880 to the Great Depression, has been called the "bonanza era" in Texas lumbering. The railroad network developed rapidly and provided transportation to every section of East Texas. Entrepreneurs followed closely behind, establishing complete lumber-manufacturing plants and often tram roads to carry the logs to the mills and transport the finished lumber to mainline railroads. To provide for the employees, often numbering several hundred, the owners also built company towns such as Camden, Fostoria, Kirbyville, and Diboll.

(Submitted on October 3, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

2. Bell County. Texas State Historical Association

Bell County, in east central Texas, is located along the Balcones Escarpment approximately forty-five miles north of the Capitol in Austin and is bordered by Coryell, McLennan, and Falls counties on the north, on the east by Falls and Milam counties, on the south by Milam and Williamson counties, and on the west by Lampasas and Burnet
Photographed By James Hulse, September 28, 2022

3. The view of the Cyrus Maxwell Campbell Marker in the Campbell family section of the cemetery
counties. Belton, the third largest town in the county, serves as the county seat and is sixty-five miles north of Austin. The county's center lies at approximately 31°02' north latitude and 97°30' east longitude. Interstate Highway 35 and State highways 195, 95, and 317 are the major north-south roads in the county; U.S. Highway 190 and State Highway 36 cross the county east and west. Bell County is also served by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Union Pacific railroads.

(Submitted on October 3, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 3, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 176 times since then and 67 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 3, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.