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Note: 1. Copied from pages 283-286, History of Reno County, Kansas, 1917. "John H. Campbell, son of James M. and Sarah A. (McDonald) Campbell was born in Hampshire county, Virginia, April 5, 1855. His father was born in Fayette county, Virginia (now West Virginia), February 13, 1829. When a youth the father lived at Harper's Ferry, and began railroading as a brakeman in 1850 on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad between Wheeling and Washington, D.C. He was fireman on the locomotive that pulled the first train over the mountains in 1852; a few months later he was made an engineer. Railroading was very difficult in those days, the mountains were crossed by a system of switchbacks, a slow and tedious manner of travel compared to the finely-equipped trains pulled by the massive engines of the present day. The growing bitterness on account of the agitation of the slavery question between the North and the South was intensified by the John Brown affair at Harper's Ferry in 1859. Even at that time there was talk of secession and disunion by the radical southern leaders, and those who were not in sympathy with this radical sentiment found their environment anything but pleasant. James M. Campbell was a strong Union man, and, with a desire to find a location in a community more in harmony with his sentiments, moved to Illinois in the later fifties. In 1878 he came to Reno county, Kansas, and homesteaded eighty acres of land in Salt Creek township, and bought one hundred and sixty acres adjoining, which he farmed until he retired, in [1875]. He then moved to Hutchinson, where he lived at 426 Tenth avenue, until his death, on February 2, 1916. He was a member of the United Brethren church and is independent in politics. The paternal grandfather of John H. Campbell was John Campbell, who was a pioneer settler in Greenbrier county, Virginia, and built one of the first houses erected in that county. He was a farmer and stock raiser. He married Elizabeth Kesler, a daughter of Jacob Kesler, whose mother was of German descent. The paternal great-grandfather was also a native of Virginia. He was captured by the Indians and used as a pack carrier for two years before he made his escape from his captors. Sarah A. (McDonald) Campbell was born in Virginia in 1832. She was the daughter of John McDonald. John H. Campbell's brothers and sisters are: Joseph W., a farmer in Reno county, born in Hampshire county, Virginia, June 5, 1853; James C., a farmer in Reno county, born in Lee county, Illinois, in 1859, was formerly a building contractor in Hutchinson, Kansas and Aurora, Illinois; P.I. born in Lee county, Illinois, in 1861, is a grocery merchant in Hutchinson; Jacob L., born in Lee county, Illinois, died in infancy; Lacey Ann, born in Lee county, Illinois, in 1870, died in Reno county, at the age of fourteen years. John H. Campbell was educated in the district schools of Lee county, Illinois, and was kept at work on his father's farm when not in school. In 1877, soon after attaining his majority, he came to Kansas and home- steaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, in section 21, township 25, range 12 in Rose valley, Stafford county; it is now part of Union town- ship, Stafford county. He arrived in Hutchinson on a emigrant train June 11, 1877. The water through which the train had to pass at that time was up to the axels of the cars and the streets of Hutchinson were flooded, so that it was necessary for him to take a boat to reach the Reno House, where he put up for the night. Next morning he crossed Cow creek bridge, which was anchored with chains, and found enough grass on the other side to provide his three horses with their morning feed. Finally, after these and many other discouraging experiences, he reached his intended location and established a temporary home. He began the improvement of his land, and some time later added to his cares by the purchase of the southwest quarter of section 21, township 25, range 12 in Stafford county. In the first township election held in the township in which Mr. Campbell located, his house was used as the voting place. In lieu of a regulation receptacle for the deposit of votes an old copper kettle was used as a ballot box. Several years later this kettle was taken to St. Johns, the county seat of Stafford county, and kept as an interesting historic relic. Mr. Campbell engaged in farming quite extensively, adding to the improvement and value of his lands from year to year. In 1886 he engaged in the grain business in Stafford county and devoted his attention to this line of buisness largely until 1892. In the early part of 1893 he went to Kansas City, Missouri, to engage in business with the Jones Dry Goods Company, in which he was a stockholder. In this business he had charge of the furniture, carpets and draperies department for about ten years. In 1902 he retired from the firm on account of his health. During the time he was connected with this firm the business increased rapidly from year to year, as indicated by the fact that the number of employees of the house had increased from thirty-two to one thousand and thirty-six in that ten year period. For four years Mr. Campbell was in the wholesale carpet business at 181 North Main Street, Hutchinson, as a member of the firm of Fontron, Leigengood & Campbell, who bought the business and were the successors of Wall & Wall. Then, after traveling for one year, he engaged in the grocery business with his brother, P.L. Campbell, for four years. He was then engaged in the lumber business for two years, to 1913, when he retired. During these years, in which he had been engaged in various business enterprises, he had been uniformly successful and made large investments of his accumulated profits in lands. His holdings in real estate at the present time are: Three hundred and twenty acres in Lane county, one hundred and sixty acres in Coffey county, four hundred and eighty acres in Stafford county, one thousand six hundred acres in Hamilton county--a total of two thousand and eighty acres of Kansas lands. In addition to this he is the owner of valuable real estate in Hutchinson, including his fine residence at 28 Sixth avenue, West. He was a member of the school board, of Stafford, Kansas, and is a member of the First Christian church, of Hutchinson. His political affiliation is with the Republican party. John H. Campbell was married on December 24, 1882, in Reno county, Kansas, to Mary M. Warnock, daughter of Lewis W. Warnock. Mrs. Campbell was born in Missouri, February 9, 1862, and died in Hutchinson, Kansas, May 22, 1911. Her father was a farmer and died in Reno county, Kansas, in 1895. He was a member of the United Brethern church, and a Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell was the parents of the following children: Leona A. married Paul R. Hunter, a printer in Hutchinson; Irving M., in the furniture business in Silva, Reno county; Maud M., married Mike T. Bell, a farmer in Coffey county; Jennie M., married Joseph Ray, a sheet metal worker and plumber, in Stafford, Kansas; Sarah, "Sadie" A., married Joseph Thomas, salesman in the Hutchinson supply store; William C., a farmer in Stafford county, Kansas; Andrew, attending school in Hutchinson. Mr. Campbell is one of the live, progressive citizens of Hutchinson, a man of upright character and strict integrity, a capable business man and socially agreeable; he commands the confidence and respect of the community of which he is an honored citizen."
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