Virginia Kyle Campbell

Virginia Campbell
Portrait painted posthumously circa 1885
Born	(1822-01-25)January 25, 1822 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S
Died	January 30, 1882(1882-01-30) (aged 60) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Nationality	American
Known for	Wife of frontiersman Robert Campbell and important example of St. Louis high-society women in the mid-19th century
Website	Campbell House Museum Website

Virginia Kyle Campbell (January 25, 1822 – January 30, 1882) was an American socialite who played host to members of high society in St. Louis into her home. These notable St. Louis citizens included President Ulysses S. Grant, James Eads, General William T. Sherman, and botanist Henry Shaw. She was highly educated at a women's finishing school, taught her sons through preparatory school, traveled with her children unaccompanied by a man, and ran the household in absence of her husband.

Virginia was married to Robert Campbell, an Irish immigrant known as a frontiersman, fur trapper, banker, and businessman. Robert even wrote to Virginia before their marriage stating that she "will soon be [his] counselor and adviser and it may be-manager." Their St. Louis home is now preserved as the Campbell House Museum which has been open to the public since 1943.

Virginia was born on January 25, 1822 to Hazlett Kyle and Lucy Ann Winston Kyle. Virginia's family was from County Tyrone, Ireland, and her family had a farm near the farm of her future husband's family, Robert Campbell.

Virginia's mother was widowed when Virginia was 11, and Virginia's uncle became her legal guardian. Virginia and Eleanor, her older sister, attended the Freeman's Finishing School for young women in Philadelphia. There they often visited their cousin, Mary Kyle Campbell who was married to Hugh Campbell, Robert Campbell's older brother.

Robert Campbell went to Philadelphia on business for his dry-goods store in the fall of 1835. During his visit he suffered a relapse of fever that had plagued him for most of his life and was confined to his brother Hugh's home under the care of a doctor. It was during his illness that he met Virginia Jane Kyle for the first time while she was visiting her cousin Mary. At the time Robert was 31 and Virginia was only 13 years old.

Robert and Virginia's friendship flourished after he returned to St. Louis and they began courting, which would prove to be long and drawn out. The two friends wrote to each often and some of these letters are preserved in the archives of the Campbell House Museum. Robert's friends and relatives were not very happy with Robert's interest in the young Virginia. Virginia was deemed "too gay and frivolous" and she already had been "four times courted and twice engaged." But Robert persisted in his attentions towards her and asked Virginia's mother for permission to marry her daughter when she was 16. Lucy gave Robert her consent only under the condition that they would wait to be wed until Virginia reached the age of 18.