George W. Campbell    

GEORGE W. CAMPBELL was born at Kinzua, Warren Co., Penn., August 3, 1831, and is a son of John Campbell, who emigrated from Lycoming county, Penn., about the year 1800, he being one of the early pioneers of northwestern Pennsylvania. Owing to the fact that his father was an invalid. George, at the age of seventeen years, assumed control of his father’s business which he so managed that by the time he was twenty-one he had entirely paid his father’s debts, which were considerable. A few years afterward he commenced business as a lumberman, becoming general jobber for the firm of Meade & Eddy. This he continued successfully for several years, at the end of which time he was engaged in the same business for Messrs. Charles & L. D. Wetmore. Having continued with these parties for some time, during which he had acquired quite a competency, he moved to Warren and engaged in the oil business, which proved disastrous. He then tried the mercantile business, but found this not his forte, and, gathering up his fast diminishing resources, entered into a partnership and once more betook himself to lumbering, this time in Clarion county, same State. But his partners were not practical lumbermen; difficulties arose, and Mr. Campbell retired from this venture-with a capital stock of about $2,000—indebtedness! He was advised by his friends to avail himself of the provisions of the bankruptcy act, then in force, but not considering this an honorable method of liquidating debts, he refused. For two years from this time he worked as a day laborer, but finding that his-wages were not sufficient to support a large family, to say nothing of removing the debts, he consulted with his creditors, who advised him to again try lumbering, promising him assistance. Accordingly, with no capital but an honorable name, he, in 1880, built a saw-mill at Ludlow, McKean Co., Penn. This proved a success, and he liquidated his indebtedness, but fire in 1885 reduced the mill to ashes, entailing a loss of $7,000. Mr. Campbell had, however, erected another mill, which he operated until 1887, and also built one in 1886 at Mount Jewett, McKean county. In 1888 he and his sons, John and Edward, young men of rare energy and business tact, purchased the property of West & Britton, situated two and one-half miles north of Kane. This property has since been greatly improved, the mills now having a daily capacity of 60,000 feet of lumber. Mr. Campbell and his sons are owners of the Kinzua Creek & Kane Railroad, ten miles in length. Since 1880 Mr. Campbell’s business has steadily prospered. In 1854 the subject of our sketch married Mary Nutt, of Busti, N. Y., who has proved a true helpmeet. They have six children. Mr. Campbell has been a stanch Republican ever since the formation of the party. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the support of which they take an active part. In 1888 they purchased their present residence at Kane.

History of the counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter, Pennsylvania with biographical selections, including their early settlement and development, a description of the historic and interesting localities, sketches of their cities, towns and villages, portraits of prominent men, biographies of representative citizens, outline history of Pennsylvania, statistics.. Chicago. J.H. Beers & Co.. 1890, page 555. Read this book on line - Free Trial Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.