My Genealogy Hound

CAMPBELL, J. W., now a resident of Ft. Madison, Lee Co.; Iowa, was born on the North Fabius, Lewis Co., Mo., June 17, 1825, and became a resident of Lee Co., Iowa, in October 1830, and is today the second oldest inhabitant living in the county; while residing at Keokuk, in his boyhood days, he devoted a large share of his time to catching catfish and drift logs; this occupation inclined him in after years to a nautical life, and, in 1844, he shipped on board the steamer Mermaid in St. Louis, to learn to pilot on the Upper Mississippi River; he followed this occupation until 1851, when he was promoted to the position of Master of the steamer Badger State, plying between St. Louis and Galena; in succeeding years, he commanded the following boats: Hindoo, in 1852 ; Envoy, 1853 to 1856; he built and commanded the Henry Clay in 1857 and 1858; City Belle and Kate Cassell in 1859 and 1860; Flora, in 1861; Fannie Harris, in 1862; Jenny Whipple, in 1863 and 1864; Keithsburg, in 1865 and 1869; built and commanded the steamer Rock Island in 1870 to 1871, and, in October of this year, after spending twenty-seven years on the waters of the Upper Mississippi, he voluntarily stepped down and off the hurricane deck, and requested President Rhodes, of the Northern Line Packet Company, to fill his place with Capt. Albert Woempner, who had at one time been an apprentice pilot with him on the steamer Envoy. There are probably living in Iowa at this time 50,000 persons who have been guests of Capt. J. W. Campbell during his career as a steamboatman; for many of these people he entertains a kindly regard, and feels assured the friendship is reciprocated. In 1871, he secured the original autographs of all the prominent boatmen on the Upper Mississippi from 1819 to 1871, and arranged them as an autographical chart, and presented it to the Historical Society of Iowa, at Iowa City, endeavoring thereby to perpetuate the names of many good and generous pioneer boatmen who would have soon been forgotten. The writer of this sketch is more indebted to him and his father, Isaac R. Campbell, for information in regard to the pioneer history of Lee Co. than any other authorities; they seem to have forgotten nothing relating to the county, or the men who have lived in it. Capt. J. W. Campbell married Miss Eliza J. Eversole, in St. Louis, in 1849, with whom he is now passing along the journey of life with all the happiness that man can ask; he has three sons — J. W. Campbell, Jr., B. H. Campbell and I. R. Campbell, whom he is endeavoring to train up to be good and useful men. In the years 1872 and 1874, Capt. Campbell built several grainhouses on the B. & S. W. R. R., in Van Buren, Davis and Appanoose Cos., and has bought and shipped, in the past year, to Chicago and St. Louis, about 300,000 bushels of grain.