MYRON G. CAMPBELL

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 521-522
Kanawha

MYRON G. CAMPBELL. Thirty years ago Myron G. Camp-
bell was a wage earner in the coal mines. It was not long
until he was promoted to superintendent, and from that he
easily progressed into the ranks of operators. He was a
pioneer in the development of the Gauley River field. His
home has been in St. Albans for a number of years, and he
is now owner of the principal public utility of that little
city, the St. Albans Water, Light and Ice Company, of
which he is president and general manager.

The service represented by this corporation was first es-
tablished on a modest scale by the organization of the St.
Albans Water and Light Company in 1907. This company
erected a power house, constructed a reservoir and started
delivering electric current and water on a small scale. The
plant represented an investment of $50,000. The owners of
this company were W. E. and T. H. Mohler. In 1913 Mr.
Campbell bought the business, and at once undertook en-
largements and improvements that would permit a great ex-
pansion of the entire system. He ordered a light plant, en-
larged the power plant, installed electric generators of larger
unit capacity, but even now the demand for current is such
that the plant can supply only about half, the rest being
purchased from the Virginia Power Company. To the reser-
voir has been added a filtration plant, and the water works
now have a daily capacity of 2,000,000 gallons. Mains have
been extended four times the length of ten years ago. There
are now about twenty-five miles of main, with thirty-three
fire hydrants, and there are 750 water consumers and 400
light consumers. The ice plant has a capacity of twenty-
two tons daily, and all is sold at wholesale for local eon-
sumption. At the present time this public utility has an
investment of about $200,000, and there are ten regular
employes.

Myron G. Campbell was born at St. Albans in February,
1874. His father, John Campbell, was a cooper by trade.
The mother, Adaline Calvert, was born at Maiden, and is
now eighty years of age, living at St. Albans. Myron G.
Campbell was only a boy when his father died, and with only
a common school education he went to work in the coal
mines at the age of seventeen. He was soon put in charge
of a mining store, from that was advanced to superintendent,
and at the age of twenty-eight began operating in the
Gauley River field. He continued to give his personal super-
vision to his mining interests until 1913. As a coal operator
he employed about 150 men and shipped six hundred tons
daily. His brother, J. M. Campbell, and his brother-in-law,
T. H. Mohler, were associated as partners in this industry,
and from their three names they comprised the title of
their company, known as the Gamoea Coal Company at
Gacoma on the Gauley River. Around the mines they de-
veloped an industrial village containing eighty-five houses.
The business was finally sold to the Midvale Colliery Com-
pany. This firm did the first development of the coal east of
the Gauley River.

Mr. Campbell is a director and vice president of the St.
Albans Glass Company, and is a stockholder in both banks.
He is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner, and is af-
filiated with the Knights of Pythias and Independent Order
of Odd Fellows.

He married Miss Virgie Tasker, of Montgomery, West
Virginia. They have three children, all educated in the St.
Albans High School: Albert, in the garage and transfer
business at St. Albans; Nell, now a Senior in Northwestern
University at Evanston, Illinois; and Grace, who is in her
Senior year in Lewisburg Seminary. 

Submitted by:  vfcrook@trellis.net (Valerie F. Crook) 

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