Allan Campbell was born on October 11, 1815 in Albany, New York, United States; the fourth son of Archibald and Margaret (Adams) Campbell. His father was a native of Scotland who came to this country in 1798 and was for many years deputy secretary of the State of New York.
Allan was educated at the Albany Academy.
In 1832 Allan joined John Randall, a distinguished engineer of that time and chief engineer of the Ithaca & Oswego Railroad, one of the first railroads in the United States. He served for several years as engineer in the construction of the earliest railways in the state of Georgia.
Subsequently, while chief engineer of the extension of the Harlem Railroad, Campbell received an offer from the Government of Chile to go to that country to construct railroads. He accepted this offer and left in 1850 to start the survey and construction of the Copiapo to Caldera route. Twice he crossed the Andes to Argentina, making reconnaissance of a route to connect the oceans. While in Buenos Aires he was on intimate terms and had most friendly relations with the then president of Argentina. Upon his return to this country in 1856 he again became chief engineer of the extension of the Harlem road and subsequently president, an office which he held until superseded by Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had purchased a controlling interest in the line. Later, as president of the Consolidation Coal Company, Campbell brought that concern out of financial difficulties into dividend-paying fields, a most noteworthy accomplishment. During the Civil War he was employed on the harbor defenses of New York City. Much interested in civic affairs, he was appointed commissioner of public works in 1876 by Mayor Wickham of New York. He resigned in 1880 to accept the comptrollership of the city, an appointment by Mayor Cooper. He was also appointed in the same year, by act of legislature, one of the assessment commissioners of the State of New York. His work in all of these offices was characterized by strict integrity, industry, and conscientious application to his duties. In 1882 he was prominently mentioned as a candidate for the governorship of New York, and in the same year was nominated as a non-partisan candidate for the mayoralty of New York City. He was, however, defeated for the latter office. His defeat was laid to organized machine politics to which he was bitterly opposed.
For many years he was a vestryman of Trinity Church, succeeding John Jacob Astor as warden in that organization.
He was an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a member of the New York Historical Society, the St. Andrews Society, the Century Club.
He married in 1843 Julia Farlie Cooper, daughter of Thomas Cooper, the tragedian.
