1884 History of Clay County, pp. 524-525.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Dick Johnson Township.

WILLIAM CAMPBELL was born in Scotland in 1825, and is one
of a family of eleven children of John and Mary (Magill) Campbell.
William came to this country with his wife and two children in the
year 1851.  He was in Ohio a short time, then moved to Clay County,
thence to Virginia, thence to Ohio again, then to Clay County
again, where he engaged in the coal business.  He assisted in
sinking the first shaft out of which block coal was taken.  He
followed the coal business until about the year 1877, when he took
charge of his farm, and has since been looking after his farming
interests.  He has a beautiful home on a farm of 166 acres,
well-improved aud stocked.  In his boyhood, before emigrating to
this country, Mr. Campbell had the advantages of only three years
schooling, but by close application he has qualified himself for
a first-class business man.  When he opened his first coal mine,
he could only sell four car loads a week, and accepted as pay for
it pork, beans, coffee, sugar, etc.  Now thousands of tons of coal
are sold monthly for cash.  Within three-fourths of a mile of
Brazil there is the "Campbell shaft," named in honor of Mr.
Campbell.  The shaft is sunk on land formerly owned by him.  He was
married in 1847 to Marion Kennedy, a native of Scotland.  Eleven
children have been born to them -- John, Thomas, George, Allen,
William, Marion, Marian, Mary, Agnes, Jeannette aud Willie.  Mr.
Campbell is now fifty-eight years of age.  For seventeen years he
has been a member of the Masonic fraternity, and for sixteen years
an Odd Fellow.  He has been a church member for thirty-five years.