Colin Cameron, Sr.
Arizona, The Youngest State, 1913, pg 804

Colin Cameron was born in Danville Pennsylvania on the 
10th of December 1849, and was a son of Simon and Elizabeth 
(Leinbach) Cameron.  In the paternal line the family is 
descended from Highland Scotch stock and has furnished 
not only to Pennsylvania but to the American nation, some 
of its notable public men.  This branch of the family has 
been twice represented in the U.S. cabinet by General Simon 
Cameron and his son, James Donald Cameron--close relatives 
of Simon Cameron who was the father of the subject of this 
sketch.  General Simon Cameron was secretary of war under 
President Lincoln, until 1862 when he became U.S. minister 
to Russia.  He was also for many years a member of the U.S. 
Senate from Pennsylvania.  James Donald Cameron was secretary 
of war under President Grant.  He resigned from the cabinet 
in 1877 and in that year was elected U.S. senator from 
Pennsylvania, succeeding his father, General Simon Cameron.

The early years of Colin Cameron Sr. were passed in a home 
of comfortable circumstances and amid an environment 
conducive to the development of high principles.  He 
completed his education at Lafayette College and turned 
his attention to business affairs and for a time was 
manager of the estate of G. Dawson Coleman of Lancaster 
Pennsylvania.  He continued to reside in his native 
state until 1882 when he and his brother Brewster came 
to Arizona, where they purchased a large tract of land 
known as the San Rafael grant.  Their holding extended 
for miles in every direction but its boundaries had not 
then been established and for ten years the question of 
the lines of their grant was fought out in the courts.  
The squatters who had settled on the land claimed by the 
Cameron's were very hostile in their attitude toward the 
brothers and there was hardly a day for a long period 
but brought threats of bodily injury or death to them.  
At last the dispute was settled and the court gave them 
legal possession of a large portion of the tract.  
They engaged in the cattle business when they first 
located in Arizona, maintaining for many years one of 
the largest outfits on the southwestern range.

Their early experiences were most difficult and 
discouraging, as while engaged in fighting for the 
title to their land, they suffered large losses from 
their herds from cattle rustlers and thieves.  With 
the sharp enforcement of the law, these marauders were 
gradually stamped out and conditions became more 
favorable for the cattle industry. For several years 
Colin Cameron sent his cattle to the live stock 
exhibits at Kansas City and he became recognized as 
one of the authorities on Hereford cattle.  He was a 
prominent member of the National Live Stock Association.  
He worked tirelessly in his efforts to improve the 
conditions to improve the stock industry but met with 
little encouragement for many years.  When appointed 
chairman of the Arizona Cattle Sanitary Board the 
stock laws of the state were very crude but at his 
own expense he had a set of laws drafted which 
contained the best sections from stock laws of various 
western states.  Several years prior to his death, Mr. 
Cameron sold his ranch and removed to Tucson where he 
erected a beautiful residence called Lochaber on 
Franklin Street and lived there until his death on 
March 6, 1911.

On March 15, 1877 Mr. Cameron married Miss Alice F. Smith, 
also a native of Pennsylvania and to them were born four 
children: Colin Jr. of Tucson; Mary C., the wife of Walter 
Wakefield of Tucson; Jean C., wife of Leland D. Adams of 
Weedon Canada and Alice F. Cameron II.


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