Campbell, Missouri

Campbell is a city in northern Dunklin County, Missouri. It had a population of 1,992 at the 2010 census. Campbell advertises itself as "The Peach Capital of Missouri" due to the many fruit orchards in the vicinity.

History

The original settlement in the Campbell area was a town called Four Mile, so called because it was about four miles from the St. Francis River ferry at Chalk Bluff on the Missouri-Arkansas border. It was one of the first communities in the county, dating to around 1844. Despite the disorders of the Civil War, which saw considerable skirmishing as Union and Confederate troops crossed the river at Chalk Bluff, the town flourished for several decades, with several stores and, as one account says, "a more than adequate number of saloons."

In 1880, the Cottonbelt Railroad was built through the region, intersecting with the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad about two miles southeast of Four Mile. Within a couple years, nearly every business had relocated to the junction, and a new town was laid out. This was named after Alexander Campbell, a judge on the county court and a friend of one of the town founders. Campbell was incorporated in 1894 and grew rapidly, thanks to the presence of the railroad and timber-cutting operations in the region. The latter came to an end after about 1910; however, the town was boosted by intensive agriculture, especially peach-growing, in which Campbell quickly became a leader in the Midwest and Mid-South. The first Peach Festival was held in 1944, and has continued ever since.

Geography

Campbell is located at the junction of U.S. Route 62 and Missouri State Highway 53 in northern Dunklin County, about seven miles southwest of Malden and six miles northwest of Clarkton. Its exact coordinates are 36°29’34”N 90°04’24”W.

The city is located within Crowley's Ridge, a range of hills running northeast from Arkansas. The soil of the ridge is generally sandy to chalky and well-drained, as opposed to much of the flat bottomlands to the east, a major factor in the cultivation of peaches and other fruits in the area. Campbell has a total land area of 1.40 square miles, and an average elevation of 315 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Campbell had a total of 1,992 inhabitants, grouped into 799 households, with a population density of 1,422.9 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight increase from the 2000 census, when Campbell had a population of 1,883. 97.84% of the inhabitants were White, 0.10% were African-American, 0.25% were Native American, 0.05% were Asian, 0.45% were from some other race, and 1.31% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.11% of the population.

The median age in Campbell was 39.8 years, with 24.8% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.2% between 18 and 24 years old, 23.0% between 25 and 44, 24.6% between 45 and 64, and 19.4% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 46.5% male, 53.5% female.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the median household income in Campbell was $27,300, and the median family income was $31,757. The unemployment rate was 7.4%. The per capita income was $13,613. About 31.6% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 48.8% of people under the age of 18 and 19.2% of people 65 years old or older.

Education

Campbell and the surrounding area are served by the Campbell R-II School District, a PK-12 public school with an enrollment of about 620 students. Its mascot is the Camels, and the school colors are tan and black.

Missouri Peach Fair

The cultivation of various fruits and vegetables, but especially peaches, has been a part of Campbell local life since the early 20th century, encouraged by the favorable soil in the area. The first Peach Festival was held in 1944 by local business owners and the American Legion, lasting a single day; it gradually expanded in scale, and its name was changed to the Missouri Peach Fair in 1981. Today the fair, typically held in the second half of August, lasts a full week, and includes a parade, carnival, crafts, and beauty pageants, among other activities. The state of Missouri gave it official designation in 2011.