Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 2, Part 24

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 774

USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 2 > Part 24

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

George Bunn Campbell, familiarly known as Bnnn, received a good common school education in the district schools of Cartwright Township and at the age of nine years started to work on the home farm, taking his place behind the plow and working with diligence at home until hls marriage, October 11, 1877, to Miss Jenny Dob- son. She was born in Athens Connty, Ohio, Jannary 2, 1856, daughter of Richard and Susan (Cralg) Dobson, the former of Athens Connty and the latter of Morgan Connty, Ohio. The Dobson family emigrated to Illinois and settled in Morgan County, but in 1874 removed to Cart- wright Township, Sangamon County, where Mrs. Dobson dled in 1879. The father then went to make his home with his son, P. L. Dob- son. at Woodstock, Iowa, where he dled In November. 1876, when he was brought back and laid to rest beside his wife in the Jacksonville Cemetery, the town in which the family had first settled on coming to Illinois. They were parents of these children: Anna, wife of D. C. Warner, of Decatnr, Ill .; Lizzie, who is making her home with Mrs. Campbell ; P. O., of Dobson. Tenn. : Matilda, deceased, who was the wife of John W. Lalrd, was married in Ohio. came to Illinois, and went thence to Kellerton, Iowa, where her husband is still living; Mrs. Camp- bell ; and four children who died in infancy.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Campbell rented a farm in Menard County, Ill., where .

they made their home until 1879, then located in Richland and followed farming there until 1885. At this time they removed to the vicinity of Stanberry, Gentry County, Mo., Mr. Camp- bell buying some land and renting other prop- erty, and bought and sold two farms. He re- mained there seventeen years, engaging in farm- ing, mostly graln raising, and being reasonably successful in his enterprises. In 1903 his father became serlously Ill and desired that the son returu home to take charge of the farm and nurse him through his last illness and from that time nntil the father's death Mr. Camp- bell cared for him tenderly.

Mr. Campbell has remained on the home farm and has spent much of his time in stock breed- ing, having inherited from his father a love for fine stock. He recently purchased a fine jack, "Blue Jim," fifteen hands high, weight 950 pounds, seven years old, bred In Calloway County, Mo., and he also has one of the best- bred animals of Missouri. Mr. Campbell has made his own way in the world since attaining his majority and his farming and stockralsing enterprises have been nniformly successful.

Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have had two chil- Gren : Gny A., born July 17, 1878, an electrician residing at Pnxico, Mo .; and Lottie B., born May 17, 1882, wife of Henry Sorensen, residing in Tallula, Ill., by whom she has had fonr chil- dren,-Gny, Lorene, Georgie and Bernice. Mr. Campbell has always been a Republican and for a number of years has been a member of the district school board. Socially he Is connected with Pleasant Plains Camp of the Modern Woodmen of America. He and his wife have long been active members of the Richland Bap- tist Church.

CAMPBELL, John H .- Each year finds the ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic thin- ning; each year finds fewer of the gray-haired veterans who as boys marched away from home and loved ones to fight their country's battles ; each year many answer their last roll-call, and it will be at a not far distant date that the last of these brave and gallant men have gone to thelr rest. Invariably it has been found that those soldiers who had the best records during their army service have been the ones to whom success in after life has come, and it is certainly a fact that the strict discipline and severe train- ing they received has had much to do in fitting them to fight the battles of peace, and making them as good citizens as they were soldiers. An honored veteran of the Civil War who has achieved success as an agriculturist, and who also has the distinction of belng a pioneer of Sangamon Connty, Ill., is John H. Campbell, carrying on operations on Section 27, Cart- wright Township, who was born in this town- ship, May 19, 1828. a son of Maxwell Campbell, who settled in Sangamon County in 1823.

In John H. Campbell's youth there were no free schools, and his education was secured In the subscription schools of that day, taught by

1103

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY .

teachers who boarded around among the pa- trons of the district aud who received from the parents a certain sum for each pupll. As soon as he could swing an axe or hold the plow- handles Mr. Campbeli started to work on the home farm and often In the early days while at work on the place he would see bands of In- dians, who at that time were just leaving this part of Illinois. Helping to clear away the tim- ber, break the prairie and drain the swamp- land, Mr. Campbell enjoyed both the pleasures and hardships of ploneer life and can now look back over the marvelous chauges that have beeu wrought since those early days. He often hauled goods from Beardstown, five yoke of oxen being used, and drove the hogs to market overland.

On February 27, 1851, Mr. Campbell was mar- ried to Minerva E. Bumgardner, daughter of Joseph Bumgardner, whose wife died when Mrs. Campbell was but a child. These children were born to this union : Alonzo, died at the age of two years; Isabella M., born November 24, 1853, was married February 2, 1871, to Aaron Thompson, who died, leaving her two daughters, Sarah N. and Rose, and she married (second) a Mr. Butcher; Nancy E., boru August 5, 1861, married Jobn McHenry, a resident of Billings, Mo .; WIIllam J., born April 25, 1867, married Miss Jennie Grider and is farming in Menard County, Ill. The mother of these children died February 4, 1883, having been a kind and .in- dulgent mother and a'devoted aud active mem- ber of the Baptist Church. Mr. Campbell was married (second) to Miss Rose Bassett, Sep- tember 30, 1884. She was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, February 13, 1844, daughter of John D. and Amanda M. (Marshall) Bassett, tbe former born in New York State and the lat- ter In Canada. They were marrled in New York and both died in Obio, and to them there were born the following children : Nicholas H., of Coshocton, Ohio, enlisted in Fifty-first Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry and served until 1865, when he was honorably discharged; Jesse A., a member of the Eightieth Ohio Volunteers, died while in the service; Mrs. Campbell ; James E., of Cos- hocton, Ohio; Anna M., wife of James Sargent, of East St. Louis; Gertrude, wife of James Webb, of Coshoctou, Ohlo; Mary, wife of Lewis Call, also of that place; and Harry F., wbo was last heard of In North Dakota. The mother died in 1854 and the father about 1900. After the death of Mrs. Bassett the family was broken up and Mrs. Campbell went to Jacksonville, Ill., to visit a sister, and while there accepted a po- sition as nurse in the Insane hospital, a posi- tion she held for five years. To Mr. and Mrs. . Campbell one daughter has been born. Clara G., who married r'rank C. Houghton. January 6. 1904, and they have had three children : Gladys H., born April 16, 1905; Florence M., born May 22. 1907; and John Harry, born December 3, 1909. Mr. Houghton is a farmer In Panhandle, Tex.

John H. Campbell comes of military stock, his

grandfather, Robert Campbell, having served in the Revolutionary Army, and the battle of Cowpens having beeu fought near the old Campbell home. Mr. Campbell remembers hls grandmother's telling of a woman who during this battle rushed out to rob the dead soldiers, only to be instantly killed herseif by a cannon ball. In 1862 John H. Campbeli enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Fourteenth Regi- ment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for three years or during the war, and served until his honorable discharge in 1865, participating with hls regiment in all the struggles of the war and galning for himself an honorable and distin- guished record. Among his most notable en- gagements were Vicksburg and the surrender of

Richmond. He remembers au amusing Incident after he had been transferred to the Eastern Army under General Grant. It seems that the ammunition had been landed at City Point and General Grant had given strict orders that there should be no smoking around the landing. Eventually the General himself, who was an Inveterate smoker, approached the supplies with a lighted clgar In his mouth, when he was hastily approached by a negro sol- dier who ordered him to throw the weed away, and the general, with a grim smile, recalling his own. orders, had to do so. At one time the army corps of which Mr. Campbell was a mein- ber captured an English vessei at Fortress Mon- roe, loaded with arms and ammunition for the South, and one of Mr. Campbell's most highly prized relics Is an old Enfield musket that was. taken from the vessel. Mr. Campbell's regi- ment, at the time of the Grand Review at Wash- ington, was unable to participate in that great spectacle, as it was at that time stationed at Baltimore, Md. Immediately after his dls- charge Mr. Campbell returned home and took up farming again, eventually purchasing the property adjoining the old home place on Sec- tion 27. He has become one of the successful farmers and stockraisers of hls section and now has a fine property of 110 acres, although in his latter years he has not been so actively engaged in farm work, owing to a stroke of paralysis suffered several years ago.

For many years he and his good wife have been active in the work of the Richland Bap- tist Church, and Mr. Campbell has also been very active In his work for matters of an edu- catlonal nature, casting his first vote for a free school in 1851. He Is a popular comrade of Dick Johnson Post, Grand Army of the Re- public, of Tallula, Ill., of which he is serving as Chaplain.

CAMPBELL, Maxwell McClelian .- The younger farmers of Sangamon County are rapidly revo- lutionizing agricultural methods. They have increased land values so materially that few farmers are now willing to part with tbelr hold- ings at any price. Under the present scientific methods Sangamon soll is yielding prolificaliy, and the returns are correspondingly large. One

1104

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

of the foremost farmers of the later generation is Maxwell Mcclellan Campbeil, born November 21, 1862, on the farm he is now operating with his father, on Section 27, Cartwright Township. He is a son of William V. Campbell, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work.

Mr. Campbeli was married on May 27, 1886, to Ida L. Craig, of Menard County, Iil., born September 4, 1867, near Jacksonville, Morgan County, Ill., on the Jacksonville and Spring- field Road. She is a daughter of John H. and Anna (Spurgeon) Craig, the iatter being related to the celebrated divine, Rev. Charies Spurgeon, of England. Mr. and Mrs. Craig were both born near Athens, Ohio, but were married at Tuscoia, Iii. Mrs. Craig grew up in Douglas County but in 1870 removai was made to Men- ard County, where Mr. Craig purchased iand and died in 1877, his widow surviving until she too passed away at the home of her daugh- ter, Mrs. Maxwell Campbell, September 17, 1903. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Craig : Francis Craig, a farmer near Virginia, Ill. ; Mrs. Campbell; Larkin H., born in May, 1869, and died December 20, 1870; William D., born April 28, 1874, is a stock and grain dealer of Woodstock, Iowa, and Charles Hammond Craig, born January 23, 1877, now of Los An- . geles, Cal.

After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Campbell set- tled on a farm south of Pleasant Plains, but in 1887 they began operating a portion of the old home. Mr. Campbell, while giving much of his time to agricultural matters, finds time for other enterprises. In 1901 he joined with five others in establishing the Boynton Teiephone Company, and in 1907 Mr. Campbell, E. D. Boynton and John N. Howard bought out the interests of the other stockholders, and Mr. Campbell was made its President, still hoiding that office. This company has about one thou- sand patrons, and as the system is operated un- der the best of conditions, the equipment being entirely modern, an almost perfect service is given. In 1906 Mr. Campbeli, with eight others, incorporated the Pleasant Plains State Bank, he being on the first Board of Directors, and he still holds that office. The bank is one of the most solid in the county, owing to the conser- vative management of those in control, and it handles a large amount of business. He has served 12 years on the board of directors of the Springfield Mutuai County Fire Insurance Com- pany which carries over four million dollars of insurance in the County.

After the death of his mother Mr. Campbell and his wife came to the old home, where they have since iived, Mrs. Campbell assuming charge of the household. One child, Ethel Cor- delia, was born to them on July 21, 1887. She is a very talented young lady, who has been given a fine musical education by her affection- ate parents, so that there is no lack of enter- tainment in their pleasant home. Mr. Campbell is a member of the Odd Fellows, beionging to Lodge No. 770, and the Modern Woodmen of

America, Camp No. 139, as well as to the Dis- trict Court of Honor. His politicai affiliations are with the Republican party and he has heid many of the township offices. For thirty-five years he has been a member of the Richland Baptist Church, to which his wife and daughter aiso beiong. This church was organized in 1839. Mr. Campbell is very active in church and Sun- day School work and has for years been inter- ested in the uplift of his fellow men, and he has accomplished much good among his asso- ciates. He and his father seem more closely bound together than many occupying the same relationship, and their devotion to each other is very touching. The younger man is proud of his father's record, and long and useful iife, with the vigor he still displays, while the eider looks with pride on the business acumen and enterprise of his son. The two are universaliy respected and their home is one always hap- pily visited, for a hospitable welcome awaits anyone who comes within their doors.

CAMPBELL, William, who owns an excellent farm in Springfield Township, Sangamon County, was formerly a machinist and worked at his trade thirty years in Springfield. Mr. Campbeil was born in the Highlands of Scot- land, May 30, 1845, and is a son of Robert and Jeauette (McIntosh) Campbell, the former born in 1818 and the latter in 1820, both in Perth- shire, Scotland. The father brought his fam- ily to Ontario, Canada, in 1856, and there en- gaged in farming until his death, in 1861. His widow died in 1889. There were five sons and three daughters in the family, of whom threc sons and one daughter survive.

William Campbeli received his early educa- tion in the schools of his native country and finished it at the schools in Ontario. As a boy he worked on a farm and in 1866 moved to Springfield, Ill., where he learned the trade of machinist and followed same until 1890, when he moved to the farm he now owns northwest of the city of Springfield. He was an excellent mechanic and is an energetic and successful farmer. He owns twenty acres of excellent farming iand, which he devotes principally to fruit raising.

June 7, 1870, Mr. Campbell was married, at Springfield, to Miss Elizabeth Hedley, who was born in Springfield, May 9, 1847, daughter of Daniel and Nancy (Simpkins) Hedley. Mr. Hedley, a carpenter by trade and a native of Pennsylvania, came to Sangamon County in 1830 and there worked at his trade until his death. His wife was from South Carolina. He enlisted in 1861 in the Tenth Iiiinois Cav- airy, served as a nurse in the hospital corps, and was killed in Missouri, in 1862. He and his * wife had six daughters and four sons, of whom all survive save two daughters. Seven chil- dren were born to Mr. Campbell and his wife, of whom six survive: Edith, wife of O. H. Dake, a lumber dealer of Illiopolis; Cora, a teacher in the Converse School in Springfield ;

1105

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

Jessie, wife of B. F. Woodruff, who is engaged in farming near Springfield; Robert, in llvery business in Ephrata, Wash .; Emma, a teacher in the Converse School; Herbert at home. There are four grandchildren in the family. Mr. Campbell has the good-will and esteem of his neighbors and Is a man of unquestioned prin- clples of honor. He served three terms as Jus- tice of the Peace of Springfield Township. He Is a stanch Democrat in politics and actively interested in public affairs. He is a member of the Congregational Church.

CAMPBELL, William (deceased), one of the prominent farmers in his part of Sangamon County, whose widow occupies a beautiful home at Buffalo, was born in Ireland, March 15, 1823. He was one of four children and, his father be- ing a farmer, he was brought up to a practical knowledge of agricultural operations and nieth- ods. He was educated in his native land and re- mained there until some time after the death of his parents, being the only member of his family who came to America. Locating first in Can- ada, he farmed there several years. Thence he moved over into New York State and farmed In Saratoga County until 1858, when he came west to Sangamon County, Ill., where he farmed till the Civil War began. Then he served by enlist- ment one year In Company L, Eleventh Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, participating in several bat- tles and accepting a discharge only on account of sickness which disabled him from further duty, as is shown in government records. Re- turning to Illinois, he lived at Peoria until his death, which occurred iu 1873. Hls widow and her family soon afterward came to Buffalo, where she is now living with her two sons.

Mr. Campbell married in Orange County, New York, March 3, 1844, Miss Martha Sargent, born in Lancashire, England, December 17, 1833, daughter of George Sargent, a farmer, who came to the United States and farmed in Orange County, N. Y., until 1856, then settled in San- gamon County, where he lived out the remainder of his life. Mrs. Campbell is of a famlly of seven sons and three daughters. Her brother, George Sargent, lives In Dawson, Sangamon County, a retired farmer ; her sister. Mrs. Emma Alexan- der, lives in Cornland, Ill., wife of a farmer. Mrs. Campbell is a member of the Christlan Church.

To Mr. and Mrs. Campbell were born nine children, seven sons and two daughters. Three of the sons have passed away, and the others are as follows : William H. and George S., live with their mother ; John H., is a citizen of Okla- homa ; Alexander lives In Decatur, Ill., employed as a foreman In the operation of the Illinois Tractlon System of electric railways; Martha J., is the wife of Norman Murphy, a farmer of Christian County, Ill. ; Cora A., married Charles McMullen, of Montana, who is winning success as a farmer. Mrs. Campbell has seventeen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

CAMPBELL, William Lee, a retired farmer liv- ing at Rochester, Ill., Is a member of an old famlly of Sangamon County. IIe was born at Pleasant Plains, April 15, 1843, a son of Hugh and Susan (Schreves) Campbell, both natlves of North Caroline, where their first four chil- dren were born. The family came to Illinols and were early settlers of Cartwright Township, locating on the farm which formerly belonged to the ploneer minister, Peter Cartwright. Four children were born to the pareuts after they came to Sangamon County. Those of the chil- dren who now survive are: William L., of this sketch, and Nelson, also of Rochester. The family lived In Cartwright Township sevell years, five of which were spent on the Cart- wright farm, then moved to the farm of Judge Taylor, where they lived ten years, after which they came to Rochester and the father pur- chased a farm in the neighborhood, where he died in 1863 and his widow in 1868.

As a boy William L. Campbell went to school in a log building, fitted with slab benches and poorly furnished, one of his early school-mates being DeWitt Smith. He worked on the farm for his father many years and after the latter's death continued agricultural operations until his retirement a few years since. He was an euterprising and industrious farmer and won success in this line. He uow has a comfortable home in Rochester. The family is one of the older ones of Rochester and its members are prominent in local affairs. Both Mr. Campbell and his wife are useful members of the Method- Ist Church and ready to forward any object which has in view the metterment of the com- munity. Both were personal friends of Abra- ham Lincoln, whom they remember with great regard.

Mr. Campbell was married at Springfield, June 14, 1867, to Elizabeth Money, boru in Loudouu County, Va., May 8, 1848, daughter of P. A. Money, a carpenter by trade. Both the father and mother were born in Fairfax County Va., and the latter's maiden name was Margaret James. Mr. Honey followed his trade in his native State until he came to Illinois in 1855, at which time he had three children. He lo- cated at Rochester and there followed his trade until his death, helping to erect many houses and other buildings in the vicinity and becom- ing owuer of considerable property there. He and his wife had six daughters and two sons, of whom the following survive: Louis A., a car- penter living at Denver ; Henry Tyler ; Margaret, wife of Albert Burk, of Rochester ; Mrs. Camp- bell ; Susan, wife of Frank Miller, a machinist living at Decatur, Ill. Five children were born to Mr. Campbell and wife, of whom all survive: William, the oldest, of Springfield; Jessie, also of Springfield; Lillian, wife of Louis Denton, a stock dealer of Rochester; Admiral, In the em- ploy of the Illinois State Journal, of Spring- field ; Della, wife of Bert Funkenbarger, a school

1106

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

teacher of North Dakota. There are ten graud- children and one great-graudchild in the family. Mrs. Campbell's father eulisted at Camp But- ler in the One Hundred Fourteenth Illinois Volunteer Infautry and served oue year during the Civil War, taking part in several battles.

CAMPBELL, William Van Buren, one of the oldest pioneers of Sangamon County, and a man widely aud favorably known, was born and reared on the farm which has been his home for seventy-five years. His birth occurred May 5, 1836, on Sectiou 27, Cartwright Township, he being a sou of Maxwell and Nancy (Plunkett) Campbell. Mrs. Campbell was a sister of Silas Plunkett, whose family history is treated of else- where in this work. Maxwell Campbell was born in North Carolina, October 29, 1795, being a grandson of Robert Campbeli, born in Scot- land. The latter, with six sons, settled in North Carolina prior to the Revolutionary War, all of his sons participating in that struggle, they be- ing James, John, Robert, William, Samuel aud George. Robert Campbell, the father, was killed in the service. The second Robert was the father of Maxwell Campbeil. The marriage of Maxwell Campbell occurred July 25, 1822. His wife was born in 1806, in the same county as her husband. The following year they came to Sangamon County, settling on the north side of Richland Creek, in what is now Cartwright Town- ship. They located on Section 27, erecting a log cabin, and became successful farmers of their locality. Previous to the formation of the Re- publican party he was a Whig, but after its formation, Mr. Campbell voted its ticket, hav- ing been a friend of Abraham Lincoln. The aged mother of Mr. Campbeli accompanied him to Illinois and died here April 7, 1844, when she had almost reached the age of one hundred years. The children born to Maxwell Campbell and wife were as follows: Rohert, born August 13. 1823, a successful farmer died. March 12. 1910; Jaue died in infancy ; John H., born May 19. 1828, enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Fourteenth Iliinois Volunteer Infantry, serving until his honorable discharge, now residing on the farmn in Cartwright Township; James E .. born October 8, 1830. died January 7, 1899, leav- ing no issue; Dorcas M., born April 3. 1833. married William F. Irwin, January 25. 1851. died March 25. 1886; William V .. born May 2. 1836; Jasper, born May 22, 1839, also a member of Company F, One Hundred and Fourteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, was captured and confined in Andersonville for several months. suf- fering untold hardships. Maxwell Campbell's well-known integrity and uprightness caused him to be selected to administer many estates. While he never accepted office, he was loyal in his devotion to his party and advocated the estab- lishment of schools and maintenance of good government. His death occurred August 8. 1881.

William Van Buren Campbell was born amid pioneer conditions and grew up on. the 120-acre farm his father had entered from the Govern-

meut, which later passed iuto his possession. Ilis education was secured in a typical log cabin and his boyhood was speut iu hard work on the farm. On February 13, 1862, Mr. Campbell was uuited in marriage with Mary E. Valeutine, born in Ohio, December 14, 1844, but brought to Illinois about 1854, her parents Samuel and and Sophia (Young) Valentine then locating on a farm in Cartwright Towuship, where they remained until death claimed thein, she passing away in 1880 and he iu 1885. They left a large family ; Sylvester, Samuel, Ellen, Philip, Sophia, Eva and India.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 2, Part 24

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913 Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 774

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 774