Allan Aldrich Campbell was born in Washington, R. I., March 20, 1862, and spent his early life on his father's farm at Griswold, Conn., attending the schools of the vicinity. The lesson of hard labor was learned early in life from the many tasks that fall to a boy and young man on a farm, a lesson that he applied profitably in the later years. In 1884 he began work for Caleb Congdon on the latter's farm at Cranston, R. I., and after one year in this employ he assumed the operation of the farm on shares, an arrangement that existed with mutual profit and satisfaction until 1891. In February of this year he purchased the teaming business of William H. Snell, of Phenix, R. I., a long established enterprise. To this he added coal and wood dealings, at the same time leasing the Snell property for a period of five years. In 1894 his interests expanded still further and he included the sale of hay, grain, and feed in his business, devoting himself industriously to the founding and development of an establishment that should lead in its line. To this end he leased for ten years the property of A. B. McCrillis, of Phenix, and by 1903 his enterprise had assumed such large dimensions that he bought his present location and erected a modern grist mill and grain elevator, with excellent trackage facilities. This addition to his interests made it advisable for him to relinguish his teaming activities, which he accordingly did. That is the only one of his many connections that he has been compelled to abandon in the course of his busy career which has been passed in the acquisition of new interests, rather than in the abandonment of any department of his dealing.
Everything of concern to the welfare or progress of his town has Mr. Campbell's active support and he has proven himself unselfish in his service. Since 1891 he has been a member of the Phenix Fire Department, filling the office of assistant chief for many years, and in 1915 and 1916 he was a member of the police commission of West Warwick, serving as chairman of the commission in the latter year. During the years of his business life he has achieved success and standing in his community through the most diligent application to the work at hand and through adherence to the strictest and soundest principles of commercial dealing. He early gained and has ever held the confidence of his business associates and the business that he has fostered is a strong and vigorous concern. Mr. Campbell is a member of the Boston Chamber of Commerce and belongs to the Flat River Club.
Allan Aldrich Campbell married, June 27, 1895, Emma, daughter of Robert and Fanny (Irwin) Henry, of Fiskville, R. I., and they are the parents of: Harold A., born Sept. 20, 1896, a student in Brown University, class of 1920; and Fannie I., a student in the Women's College in Brown University, class of 1921.
