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James M. Campbell Obituary

A Pioneer Passes On
 
James M. Campbell, Veteran Resident of Reno County is Dead.
 
Came Here in the 70s
 
He Was Probably the Oldest Surviving Engineer of the Baltimore & Ohio.
 
James M. Campbell, one of the Oldest ex-employee of the Baltimore & Ohio railway system and probably one of the earliest engineers of that road still surviving, died at his home in Hutchinson, at 426 Tenth west, this morning.
 
He was an engineer on the Baltimore & Ohio division at Harpers Forry and Piedmont, Va., in the early 50s, and when the B. & O. built a branch over the Alegheny mountains in that vicinity, his train was the first to run over the branch.
 
The Funeral Thursday.
 
The funeral of Mr. Campbell will be held Thursday at 10 oclock from the residence on Tenth west, Rev. Hinshaw, of Turon, officiating.
 
The deceased is survived by four sons, J. W. Campbell, of Nickerson, John H. Campbell of Hutchinson, J. C. Campbell, of Arlington, and P. L. Campbell, of Hutchinson.  His wife died several years ago.
 
A Native of Virgina.
 
James M. Campbell was a native of Virginia, having been born in Fayette county, in what is now West Virginia,, in 1829.  His father, John Campbell, was also a native of that state, born in 1804, he and his father-in-law having been the first white men to settle in Fayette county.  His grandfather, John Campbell, came to this country from Ireland.
 
Jas. Campbell spent his boyhood and youth on his fathers farm, and became a hunter of great efficiency, for in those days the country was full of big game, bears, panthers, and wildcats.
 
When 21 years old he located near Harpers Forry, and he was married there in 1851.  He engaged in railroad work there, when the Baltimore & Ohio road was first built up the valley, starting in as brakeman, and finally advancing to the position of engineer.
 
To Kansas in 1878.
 
In 1858 he quit railroading and moved to Lee county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming.  In 1878 he moved from Illinois to Kansas, shipping three carloads of stock; and goods to Hutchinson from Chicago.
 
He purchased a half section farm in Salt Creek township, and at once put in 100 acres of wheat. The residence which he built on his farm was said to be the second frame residence erected in Salt Creek township.
 
Was Extensive Farmer.
 
Mr. Campbell engaged extensively in farming in that township, and in 1879 he and his older boys harvested 1,360 acres of wheat.  He was one of the first farmers to try alfalfa in that part of the county.
 
In 1898, Mr. Campbell bought property in Hutchinson, and moved here and retired from active farm life.  He sustained a partial stroke of paralysis years ago, from which he never fully recovered.
 
The Hutchinson News
Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas
Tuesday, November 2, 1915
page  9 *** column  4


Submitted by
Rose Stout on June 17, 2005.

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06/09/24