Campbell Cabin

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about the Campbell Cabin, out here in Guadalupe County. Now, the story starts across an ocean. John Campbell, a man from Ireland, made his way to Seguin before 1847.

That alone is worth a moment's pause. He crossed the Atlantic, found his way to Texas, and somewhere around 1850, he may well have put up the first room of a log cabin right here in this corner of the world. Now, the marker says 'possibly,' and I respect that honesty.

History doesn't always hand you certainty. But what happened next, that part is solid. In 1851, John Campbell turned around and went back to Ireland.

Not to stay, mind you. He went back to persuade. He talked to his family, made his case for Texas, and he was convincing enough that several of them agreed to come back with him.

Among those family members was his brother Peter Campbell. Peter was a farmer and a rancher, and he made that cabin his home. As his family grew, Peter enlarged the cabin to keep up with them, adding on to what his brother John had first built, room by room, life by life.

For over a century, the cabin stayed in the hands of Campbell descendants. It sat southwest of Seguin, quiet and sturdy, until 1957, when it finally passed out of family hands. Then, in 1979, the cabin was moved to this site.

And there it stands today, not just as four log walls, but as a reminder of the pioneer settlers who shaped this land, one room, one generation, one ocean-crossing at a time.

What the marker says

John Campbell of Ireland, who migrated to Seguin before 1847, possibly built the first room of this log cabin about 1850. In 1851 he returned to his native country and persuaded several family members, including his brother Peter Campbell, to settle here also. A farmer and rancher, Peter lived in the cabin and later enlarged it to accommodate his growing family. The cabin was originally located southwest of Seguin and was the home of Campbell descendants until 1957. Moved to this site in 1979, it now serves as a reminder of the area's pioneer settlers. 1982