In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1912) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1849
From A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902), History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912)
JOHN B. CAMPBELL.
A landmark in Crawford county, Ohio, is the fine farm of John B. Campbell, on the Galion and Bucyrus pike, four and a half miles from Bucyrus, in Whetstone township. There Mr. Campbell was born April 4. 1849. a son of Edward Campbell, who was born and reared in Wayne county Ohio, and a grandson of John Campbell, who was an early settler in that county. In 1823 John Campbell brought his family to Crawford county, Ohio, and settled in Whetstone township, where his son, Edward, is still living, and where he took up government land. He built a log cabin and applied himself to the task of clearing and improving a farm. He was a man of ability and influence and lived a useful life and died at the age of seventy-six. Edward Campbell was brought up amid the vicissitudes of backwoods farming and acquired such an education as was available to him. He married Amanda Tupps, who bore him four children. Their daughter, Catharine, married Frank Keiffer and is dead. Their son, Samuel K.. is managing his father's homestead farm. Their son, John B., who is the immediate subject of this sketch, was their third child in order of birth. Their daughter, Lettie J., married Andrew H. Gibson and lives on Grandfather Campbell's old homestead, in Whetstone township, which in the days of its founder was the center, not only of a generous hospitality, but of an influence which extended in many directions, for that honored pioneer served for many years in the office of justice of the peace at one time represented his district in the legislature, and he was an active member of the Disciple church. His son Edward has been devotedly attached to the same church and during all his active life was prominently identified with township and county affairs. He is the owner of eight hundred and forty acres of land, all of which lies within the borders of Whetstone township, and he has been one of the leading sheep raisers in his part of the state. His wife died in 1889, aged sixty-nine years. He attained to the advanced age of eighty-five years, becoming quite feeble, having been the victim of a paralytic stroke in March. 1901. He died November 5. following.
John B. Campbell was born and reared on the farm on which he now lives, was educated in the public schools near his home and at Lebanon, Ohio, and at the age of nineteen began teaching winter terms of school, giving his attention to home interests during the remainder of the year. In 1872 he married Miss Jennie Shanks, a daughter of David Shanks, and they have two children — Mabel Campbell, who was educated at the State Normal School at Ada. Ohio, and is a teacher, and Urias Edward. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Campbell settled on Grandfather Campbell's old home farm, where they lived ten years, then located on their present farm of one hundred and sixty acres, all the tine improvements on which have been planned and carried out by Mr. Campbell. He has given his attention to general farming and has come to be known as a successful breeder of Shorthorn cattle and is a very prominent sheep raiser, and in 1892 he was in fair competition awarded a premium for large yield of scoured wool per fleece grown in the United States, during the vear 1892, which was conferred upon him at Boston, Massachusetts. He is a Republican in politics and like his father and grandfather has made his influence felt in local affairs, though he is not an active politician and has never sought public office, but his public spirit has impelled him to ally himself with many movements having for their object the enhancement of the g-general weal.
As printed in A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
JOHN BENTON CAMPBELL, a resident of Whetstone township, Crawford county, O., is the owner of 480 acres of land and is also a stockholder in the Farmers and Citizens Bank of Bucyrus. Mr. Campbell was born on the farm on which he now lives, April 4, 1849, a son of Edward and Amanda (Tupps) Campbell and a grandson of John and Mary (Jones) Campbell. The grandfather was born in Virginia, Oct. I, 1788, but moved with his parents
AND REPRESENTyVTIVE CITIZENS when a boy to Wayne county, where he was reared and where he married Mary Jones, who was also a native of Pennsylvania, but who had removed with her parents to Wayne county, O. They became the parents of nine children. Mrs. John Campbell died in 1857.
It was in the spring of 1824 that John Campbell and his wife came to Crawford county, O. He was at that time a poor man with only enough money to enter 80 acres of land and for the first few years he owned neither oxen nor horses and his farming operations had to be carried on without the use of these and other implements so necessary to work on the farm. However, his neighbors were good to him and with what little help he received from them, he prospered, and notwithstanding his early poverty became one of the most prominent and influential men in the county. For 27 years he was justice of the peace and during that time his decisions were rarely reversed when appealed to the higher courts, this fact proving the accuracy and excellence of his mind and judgment. In 1832 he was elected to the legislature by the people of Fairfield county and was reelected in 1834. While in this office he advanced the interests of both the county and state by his judgment and deliberation. It was he that started what is known as the Campbell graveyard which is located on the Campbell farm and the first burial was that of his infant son, John, who died Aug. 16, 1825. John Campbell died Jan. 3. 1867.
Edward Campbell, son of John and Mary (Jones) Campbell and father of our subject, was born Dec. 16, 181 6, and was about eight years old when the family removed to Crawford county. This region was at that time a wilderness and it became his duty to help clear the home farm. He began the battle of life when of age and by his own exertion and business sagacity acquired much land. At the time of his death he owned about 656 acres of land, but he always resided on the home farm. His marriage to Amanda Tupps took place Jan. 4, 1838. She was born in Pennsylvania, Sept. 20, 1820, but came to Crawford county when a small girl and there was reared. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Campbell had the following children: Catherine, deceased, who was the wife of Benjamin F. Keifer; Samuel K., deceased; John Benton, whose name heads this article; and Letta J., the wife of Andrew H.
Gibson. Edward Campbelldied Nov. 5, 1901. He was a Democrat in politics but joined the Republican party upon its organization. He and his wife were members of the Disciples church.
John Benton Campbell, the direct subject of this article, attended the common schools and then the Gallon High School. Later he spent three terms in the Lebanon Normal School, after which he spent his winter months in teaching school and the summer time in farming. Following three years so spent, he gave his entire time to farming, and this has been his life work to the present time. He carries on general farming and has one of the finest homes and barns in the county, these buildings being modern and equipped with all the conveniences of the city homes.
On Sept. 16, 1872, Mr. Campbell was married to Jennie Shanks, a native of Edinburg, Scotland. She is a daughter of David and Jessie (Frazer) Shanks and was born in Edinburg, Scotland, coming to the United States with her parents when 18 months old. They landed in New York where they lived about five years when they came to Crawford county. David Shanks was a contractor all his life. He and his wife had the following children: Jennie, Andrew, Grace (Mrs. Charles Weisinger), Devine (wife of Charles Gravelle), William, Christian, Joseph and Charles.
Mr. and Mrs. John Benton Campbell are the parents of two children: Mabel, who is the wife of E. W. Crall and has two children — Muriel and Clark; and Edward, who married Elva Rexroth.
Our subject is a Republican in politics. He has served as supervisor and school director. He and his wife attend the Christian church,
As printed in History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Their biographies name John Campbell: Earl W. Crall (b. 1875) John Gibson (b. 1859) Andrew Hetich Gibson
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.