Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== A History of the Northern Peninsula and its People, Vol. 2 Alvah Littlefield Sawyer, 1911 [886-888] WILBER E. CAMPBELL, a man of superior ability and enterprise, is actively associated with the leading interests of Iron River as busi- ness manager of the printing and publishing department of the Stam- baugh Reporter, one of the best known newspapers of Iron county, being associated with PATRICK O'BRIEN, editor and proprietor of that jour- nal. A son of JEROME S. CAMPBELL, he was born in April 18, 1862, in Union City, Branch county, Michigan, coming from honored Scotch stock. His great-grandfather CAMPBELL, the emigrant ancestor, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and married a MISS HOOKER, who was of English descent. After coming to this country he located permanently in Massachusetts. HOMER CAMPBELL, grandfather of WILBER E., was born and bred in Massachusetts. With the same ambitious desire to improve his con- dition as animated his father, he, too, moved westward, going to New York state, and settling as a pioneer of Genesee county. Buying a tract of wild land he cleared and improved a fine homestead, and there spent his remaining days. He married OLIVE PATTERSON, who was born at Castle Garden, New York, just after the arrival of her parents in that place, when they came to this country from Ireland, their native land. She also spent the closing years of her life on the home farm. JEROME S. CAMPBELL, a native of the Empire state, learned the trades of a blacksmith and machinist when young, and soon after moved to Jackson, Michigan, finding employement in a shop in which threshing machines were manufactured. He subsequently followed his trade in various places until 1863, when he enlisted in the engineer corps of a Michigan regiment. At the end of his term of enlistment he joined the engineer corps of an Ohio regiment, and served until the close of the Civil war. He subsequently resumed work at his trade in Union City, Michigan, remaining there until 1871, when he went to Colorado, where for a year he was employed in the mining camps tempering steel drills. Returning then to Michigan, he resided in the southern part of that state until 1880, when he settled at Eastport, Antrim county, where he followed his trade until his death at the age of seventy-two years. He married SARAH A. JONES, who was born, sixty-seven years ago, in New York state, a daughter of ALGERNON S. and a Miss (MUNSON) JONES, and they reared two children, namely: WILBER E. and CORA, wife of N. O. LARABEE. Receiving his elementary education in the public schools, WILBER E. CAMPBELL, while in Denver, Colorado, attended a private military school for a time. At the age of thirteen years he left school, and for six years was variously employed, after which he again continued his studies in the higher branches of learning for six months. From that time until twenty-three years of age, MR. CAMPBELL worked in lum- ber camps and on railroads, and then became associated with his father. During all of these years he continued his studies, acquiring a substantial education, fitting him for a professional career. In 1886 MR. CAMPBELL taught school in Antrim county, and the following six years was engaged in teaching during the winter terms of school in either Antrim or Charlevoix counties, working in the shop the remain- der of the year. Locating then in Traverse City, Michigan, he engaged in business as a general merchant, and also manufactured candy, which he sold to the trade. Selling out at the end of two years he was for a few months engaged in selling pianos and organs. In 1895 MR. CAMPBELL made his first venture in journalism, estab- lishing a newspaper at Ellsworth, Michigan. Six months later he form- ed a partnership with the owner of the Elk Rapids Progress, and for a while conducted both papers. Selling out his interest in both, he did editorial work on different newspapers until 1897, when he purchased the Empire Leader, which he published at Empire for five years. Mov- ing then to Northport, in the same county, MR. CAMPBELL remained there eight years, continuing the management of the paper, which he leased from 1908 until 1909, when he sold it. In 1908 MR. CAMPBELL assumed the editorship and management of the Manistique Courier-Record, with which he was associated a year. Coming to Iron River in September, 1909, he has since been business manager of the printing and publish- ing business of the Iron River Stambaugh Reporter, being associated with PATRICK O'BRIEN, of whom a brief sketch may be found elsewhere in this work. MR. CAMPBELL married, in 1889, FRANCES E. SWEET, who was born in Castalia, Ohio, a daughter of BYRON and MARY E. (GROVE) SWEET, and they have one child, FRANCES LENORE CAMPBELL. Fraternally MR. CAMP- BELL is a member and a past member of Northport Lodge, No. 265, F. & A. M.; a member of Northport Lodge, No. 16, I. O. O. F.; of Northport Tent, No. 489, K. O. T. M.; and of Evergreen Lodge, No. 93, K. of P., of Manistique. ===========================================================================