HISTORY AT A GLANCE

John Campbell was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, in 1830. As a young man he was working as a mate on a sailing ship when he met and became engaged to Mary Duncan, an Edinburgh lass living in Australia.

In 1859, he arrived in San Francisco and traveled north until he reached the head of Little Skookum Inlet, near Kamilche, where he settled. Mary Duncan arrived in Olympia in 1860, "with trunks of finery," and the two were married May 12. Between 1869 and 1880, John Campbell kept a diary about his life in Mason County. This story is from excerpts of the diaries that were published in The Seattle Times in 1958.

For several years, Campbell lived primarily on the Kamilche homestead while Mary and the first three children born to the couple stayed in Olympia. After returning home from a visit to his family in late January 1869, he felt "dull and lonesome," and two weeks later was still "depressed in spirit."

Early in March, Campbell spent several days caring for his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Forbes, who were very ill with measles, as well as searching for a pair of his bell cows that had strayed into a swamp. On March 14, he found the cows dead from being mired, and decided to feed his remaining cows at the farm. He also built a bedstead, and sawed "cedar cuts" for puncheons to floor a bridge across the nearby creek. On March 27, he finally moved his family and all their possessions to the homestead.

Mary and the small children helped sow vegetable seeds and prepare garden beds. On May 16, they made an excursion to the head of Oyster Bay and brought back 13 pounds of bacon, 14 pounds of beef and 11 pounds of dried pears.

In the winter of 1872, Campbell built a rudimentary schoolhouse, plus desks and seats. School opened early in April, but the building was too cold and the children got sick, so the school was closed. A day or so later, however, "teacher brought an extra length of stove pipe and put it on and got some good wood, made a good fire in the stove. We sent the children to school and they were all comfortable."

On April 22, 1872, Campbell and T. W. McDonald went to Arkada (now Arcadia) to attend a Republican convention. "Stayed all night, but got too much beer." Five days later he was still "very sick from the effects of the beer." On May 23, he assisted settlers who were "fitting up the schoolhouse for a Good Templar's Lodge, which wife and self joined." (The Templars promoted abstinence from alcohol and other drugs.)

When the settlers gathered for a celebration, they usually made an all-night affair of it. This was the case on the Fourth of July in 1872, when people gathered at Varner's Prairie (near McCleary) for a picnic. Mary Campbell stayed home with her new baby, but John and the three older children picnicked and "danced all night until 4 a.m."

When school closed on July 23, it was decided that a more permanent building was needed, and a man named Benjamin Harned was engaged to build it. John Campbell cleared the site and made sills. Seven other settlers joined the effort and spent several days in preliminary work, including cutting shingles.

In December, the Campbells were invited to a Christmas celebration, but floodwaters rose and they stayed home to tend their cattle, get in firewood, and tether the bridge across the stream so it wouldn't wash away. They did make it to the next party, at J. M. Elson's, dancing until daybreak and eating breakfast before they returned home.

School began in the new building on Jan. 13, 1873, under new teacher Mr. Williams. John Campbell, who had been elected superintendent of schools, "examined the new teacher and issued his certificate, as required by law." When school closed April 18, Campbell paid Williams $112.50 for 72 days of instruction

Even though school had ended, the singing class held a concert April 24 and began practicing to sing for the Fourth of July celebration. On June 24, "Mr. Williams and Miss Chapman came to the head of the bay with the melodeon to practice songs." On June 29 and 30, all the settlement turned out to work on the grounds for the Fourth, including raising a new flagpole. Following the holiday celebration, Campbell wrote, "This is a memorable Fourth of July. It is the first time the national celebration has been performed here and I must say that it has been quite a success and the ball at night was well attended. We all came home at daylight and slept most of Sunday, as we were very fatigued."

On Sept. 3, Campbell took his two small sons to call on Francis Cook, and arrived in the nick of time. "Found he had just set fire to his slashings. Helped him to save his house from being burnt."

School reopened on Nov. 9, with 15 children attending. The community was soon making ready for a Christmas-tree celebration. On Dec. 23, the schoolhouse was scrubbed and decorated and the tree erected. Gifts were distributed at 2 o'clock the next day. "After that the old people and some of the youth went down to the Folsom House to the dance which they kept up all night, and had a fine supper and breakfast. On Friday morning we all got home in good order, but a little sleepy."

Jan Parker is a researcher for the Mason County Historical Museum. She can be reached at [email protected]. Membership in the Mason County Historical Society is $25 per year. For a limited time, new members will receive a free copy of the book "Shelton, the First Century Plus Ten."