Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Campbell, George M 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com September 7, 2007, 8:31 pm

Author: Genealogical & Biographical Record

GEORGE M. CAMPBELL. Of those who are connected with the stone business in 
Joliet, few have done more than Mr. Campbell to aid its development and foster 
its success. His name is inseparably associated with the history of the Joliet 
Stone Company, whose remarkable success was largely due to his energy and 
judgment. When this property was sold to the Western Stone Company in 1891, he 
continued with the latter as Joliet manager and stockholder, but after two 
years sold his interest in the business and resigned his position.  About the 
same time he formed a partnership with J. C. Dennis as Campbell & Dennis, 
general contractors, which business he now continues alone. He is interested 
in the supply house of A. W. Hays & Co., which has an office on Cass street, 
and keeps in stock a general stock of builders' and contractors' supplies.  
Upon the organization of the Joliet National Bank he was made a director, and 
two years later was elected vice-president, in both of which positions he has 
since been retained.  He is also a director of the Joliet Republican Printing 
Company; is treasurer of the Will County Abstract Company, and is interested 
in the Purington Paving Brick Company, of Galesburg, Ill.

The Campbell family was founded in America by a Scotchman who settled in New 
Hampshire, and whose son, Samuel, was the grandfather of our subject.  A 
native of New Hampshire, Samuel Campbell removed to Maine and engaged in 
farming there until his death, at sixty-five years. His son, John B., who was 
born in Waldo County, Me., went to sea in boyhood and remained for years in 
the merchant marine trade, meantime traveling all over Europe.  On leaving the 
sea he became a carpenter and joiner in Belfast, Waldo County, Me., but two 
years after his marriage removed to Massachusetts.  In 1857 he came west, 
first settling near Marion, Linn County, Iowa, and engaging in the carpenter 
business.  In  April, 1862, he came to Joliet, where he became a contractor in 
the building of canal boats.  Subsequently he went to Iowa and established a 
pleasant country home, "The Pines," in Des Moines, two miles east of the 
capitol.  His last years were devoted to art and literature, and he passed 
away at the home of his son, George M., in Joliet, when seventy-five years of 
age.

The marriage of John B. Campbell united him with Margaret W. Norton, who was 
born at Buck's Harbor, Me., January 16, 1827, and is still living.  Her father 
was born at the same old homestead, though at the time of his birth Maine was 
still a part of Massachusetts.  The great-grandfather Norton, an Englishman, 
settled at Martha's Vineyard, and afterward built the home at Buck's Harbor; 
later he took part in the Revolutionary war.  John B. and Margaret W. Campbell 
had three children, two of whom are living, George M., and Mrs. Susan E. Fox, 
of Denver, Colo.

In Unity, Waldo County, Me., the subject of this sketch was born January 5, 
1848.  He accompanied his parents in their various removals, and did 
considerable pioneer farming.  While at a small village called Central City, 
twelve miles north of Marion, Iowa, under his father he learned the 
carpenter's trade.  In 1862 he came to Joliet.  He attended the public schools 
of Joliet, and a private in Springfield, Mass.  After leaving school he 
engaged with a Joliet contractor for a year or more.  

For a short time he clerked for G. Munroe & Son, after which he entered the 
stone business, May 23, 1870, as bookkeeper and paymaster for Sanger & Steel, 
and remained with them until 1875.  With George H. Munroe and Daniel C. Hays 
he started in the stone business.  The company was incorporated in 1877 with a 
capital of $30,000, under the name of the Joliet Stone Company, Mr. Munroe 
being president, and Mr. Campbell, secretary, treasurer and manager.  The main 
office of the company was in Joliet, and there were five branch offices in 
Chicago, to which was run a fleet of boats owned by the company.  Thirteen 
thousand cars of stone were shipped from this company's quarries the last year 
before it sold out.

While business matters have required his almost constant attention, Mr. 
Campbell has never neglected his duties as a citizen, but has aided in 
enterprises for the public good.  He has always been a staunch Republican, but 
has never been an office seeker.  For many years he has been a member of the 
Universalist Church.

On Christmas day of 1873 Mr. Campbell married Elizabeth,  daughter of Henry 
Snapp, who was a noted attorney of Joliet and represented this district in 
congress. The two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are Jessie M. and Ida A.


Additional Comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900

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