- "Among the flour bags I found my satchel and the spare dress still tucked inside. I unfolded it, pulled it over my head, then tied the starched ribbon around my waist. Even though Ma said it's not to be worn until Oregon. I do not care. I want to feel pretty now."
- —Hattie Campbell[2]
Hattie Lewis (née Campbell; born January 15, 1834) was the daughter of Augusta and Charles Campbell. She was the elder sister of Jake and Ben. In early 1847, Hattie's father decided to move the family out west. They endured a grueling six month journey, before settling in Oregon City, Oregon.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Hattie was born on January 15, 1834[1] in Boonville, Missouri to Augusta and Charles Campbell. She had four sisters, three older and one younger, as well as two younger brothers named Jake and Ben. After her sisters died of swamp fever in the summer of 1846, Hattie became the eldest child.[3]
Journey to Oregon[]
Sometime after her thirteenth birthday in 1847, Hattie's father decided to go out west. Her mother was against the idea out first, but went along with her husband. They were joined by Hattie's aunt and uncle, June and Tim Valentine. In late March, they reached Independence by steamboat. They remained there for several days, waiting to start their journey. Before leaving Independence, Hattie befriended Pepper Lewis. They became close to each other, spending much of their time together even after Pepper's marriage to Gideon.
Not long into the trip, Hattie and Pepper had picked some water hemlock unaware it was poisonous. The incident greatly affected Hattie since it caused the deaths of three children and Pepper's brother Wade fell into a coma, though he recovered. Meanwhile, Hattie became suspicious of Mrs. Kenker after catching her stealing something. She kept a close watch on her from then on. Hattie did not tell anyone about it until she became friends with Mr. and Mrs. Bigg. After talking with them Hattie had mixed feelings towards Mrs. Kenker.
After the wagon train reached Fort Bridger in July, the Campbells' and their friends decided to continue on to Oregon. Near the end of the journey, Mrs. Kenker's crimes were discovered after her husband's death. Not long after, Hattie's cousin River Ann was born while they were crossing a river. In the same crossing, Mrs. Bigg drowned which devastated Hattie. The wagon train finally reached Oregon City in October. The Campbells' settled down near their friends, including Mrs. Kenker whom Hattie forgave.
Later life[]
The Campbell family and all of their friends all "prospered" in Oregon City. In 1848, Hattie and Wade were married on Christmas Eve. Unable to have their own children, they adopted six-year-old orphan twins Sarah and Blue. Hattie remained close to Pepper for the rest of her life, sharing a garden and fence.
Personality and traits[]
Hattie was a happy, fun-loving girl with a great sense of humor. She gradually became a stronger, tougher person throughout her journey travelling west. By the end of the trip, she had learned what was really important was family and loved ones, not possessions or vanity. Hattie was good with children, including her brothers and the Anderson girls. After seeing Pepper and Gideon together, Hattie became very interested in romance and falling in love.
Family tree[]
| Fairchild family | Charles Campbell | Augusta Campbell | Milton (d. 1847) | June Valentine | Tim Valentine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gideon (b. 1830) | Pepper Lewis (b. 1833) | Wade Lewis (b. 1833) | Hattie Campbell (b. 1834) | Four daughters (d. 1846) | Jake Campbell (b. 1841) | Ben Campbell (b. 1845) | River Ann Valentine (b. 1847) | Paddy O'Reilly | Henry, Tom, and Adam Valentine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michael (b. 1848) | Six sons | Sarah Lewis (b. 1847) | Blue Lewis (b. 1847) | Daisy Valentine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Behind the scenes[]
- Hattie is the heroine of Kristiana Gregory's Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie.
- She is also a featured character in the computer game, Dear America: Friend to Friend.
- She appeared in the stage play based on the book. Hattie is played by Jane Keitel in Playwrights Theatre version.
- Hattie could be a descendant of The Winter of Red Snow heroine Abigail Stewart, whose married name is Campbell. It is also possible that Hattie's uncle Tim could be descended from Abigail's sister whose married name is Valentine.
- Hattie is a cousin of Susanna Fairchild which is explicitly stated in the epilogue of Seeds of Hope.
Appearances[]
- Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie
- Seeds of Hope (Mentioned only)
- Dear America: Friend to Friend
- Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie (play)
References[]
See also[]