Sheriff William B. Campbell

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It's interesting how some of these glimpses of Bullitt County history come together. This one began with a friend's inquiry about a tombstone in the Hebron Cemetery that he had been told belonged to an early Hebron Church minister named Campbell. Upon examination, it turns out that it was there to mark the graves of two infant boys, sons of the then Bullitt County sheriff, William B. Campbell. The stone stands close to the intersection of Old Preston and Hebron Lane. Time has eroded it, but the names and dates can be read with some difficulty.

The first name was that of William Arnold Campbell, who did not survive his first day on November 10, 1907. The second was young William Edgar Campbell who was approaching his first birthday when he died on June 23, 1909.

John L. Sneed, editor of The Bullitt Pioneer, wrote on June 25, 1909 about William Edgar's death. He wrote that death "entered the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Campbell on Wednesday morning last and took their precious and only darling baby boy. He was a lovely little fellow, just beginning to walk and lisp a few words and would have been a year old next Tuesday. The idol of a proud father and devoted mother, the last of three children, all of whom have died in infancy. ... This little darling was the writer's special pet, who will sadly miss him, and the blow strikes so close to him, he finds words indeed difficult to express his feelings."

It was a time when infant deaths were regrettably commonplace, but no less painful for the parents; and that brings us to their parents, William and Alma Campbell.

We first encounter William as a boy in the 1880 census, living in Taylorsville with his parents and siblings, where his father ran a grocery store.

William was nine years old when, upon the death of his mother, Mary V. (Nicholson) Campbell in September 1881, their father William Willis Campbell appointed his brother Stephen Theodore Campbell as guardian of his four children, William, Mary, Earnest and the baby Robert. Shortly thereafter, the baby Robert died.

We don't know what became of their father, as he seems to disappear from local records; but the three children remained with their Uncle Stephen on his farm just outside Taylorsville until he died in 1886. With his death, William and his siblings needed a new home which they found in Bullitt County. On February 14, 1887, William, Mary Jane and Ernest became wards of J. W. Ridgway, who had married their Aunt Hettie Nicholson as his second wife.

William was approaching his 15th birthday, Mary Jane was 12, and Ernest was 8 as they adapted to their new home.

Also living with the Ridgways, and working at their sawmill were J. B. Nicholson, a brother to the children's mother, and John H. Nicholson, a cousin. In the fall of 1891, Ridgway relinquished his guardianship and it was transferred to their uncle, J. B. Nicholson, but they all remained at the same place in the Ridgway household.

On the eve of his 20th birthday, William appeared before the County Court and requested that he be granted "a certificate of honesty, probity and good demeanor" which was granted him and recorded in the county order book. While this was usually sought by individuals who planned to practice law, we are not certain why William sought it. However, receiving it at his age was surely a favorable sign of his character.

By July 9, 1894, J. B. Nicholson had made settlement of his guardianship accounts with both William and Mary Jane, who by now had married Thomas Moore, and he relinquished his guardianship of Ernest to John H. Nicholson.

Living nearby was Alma Arnold, a daughter of William and Roxanna (Key) Arnold. William and Alma were married on March 26, 1896 at West Point in Hardin County, although their marriage was recorded in Bullitt County.

Then on January 3, 1898, Sheriff J. F. Collings appointed Bert Hall of the Mt. Washington area, and William B. Campbell of western Bullitt County as his deputies. And in February, William filed his bond as treasurer of School District No. 10; a clear sign that he was becoming an important person in his community.

At the end of February, William's brother Ernest, who was now at the age where he could choose his own guardian, appeared in court and chose William, adding to the young man's responsibilities.

In February 1902, Will Campbell and Mrs. Katie Hays, wife of W. H. Hays, together purchased about seven acres of land next to the railroad tracks south of Salt River from O. H. Masden. They planned to develop a residential community with streets and lots on the site, and had W. C. Herps, county surveyor, draw up a plat for what they were calling the Salt River Improvement Company Town Plan at Salt River.

Then in May 1903 he purchased two lots in the B. F. Oxley Addition on the east side of Shepherdsville from W. C. Morrison, W. C. Herps, and C. P. Bradbury. In June he sold the lots to William Troutwine, and used the money to purchase a 200 x 200 foot lot from Troutwine located today on the southeast corner of Highway 44W and Abbott Street.

William continued to be involved in business affairs as he was listed as one of the directors of the Peoples Bank in Shepherdsville in 1904, along with W. C. Deacon and J. V. Rouse. R. F. Hays was the bank cashier, but would soon announce his candidacy as County Judge.

And at the same election, William Campbell was the Democratic candidate for sheriff, an election he would easily win.

In December 1904, William sold the western half of his lot to Sallie E. Smith. The deed stated that the lot included a house, perhaps the first built by Campbell.

An interesting side note: the next year, in 1905, a stock company that included W. T. Lee, R. F. Hays, C. L. Croan, Lenard Howlett, J. W. and J. M. Stansbury, W. F. Joyce, F. H. Kulmer, O. P. Means and W. B. Campbell bought a German Coach horse from the Lafayette Stock Farm for which they paid $2,600.

German Coach horses were large horses that were strong enough to pull large carriages or fire engines. However, they were much more stylish than draft horses. Some of the top importers of this German breed exhibited in St. Louis in 1904, where competition was fierce, William B. Campbell especially between Lafayette Stock Farms of Lafayette, Indiana, and Sedalia, Missouri, and the Oltmanns Brothers of Watseka, Illinois, and Leer, Germany.

It was also in 1905 that we begin to hear about ailments that would plague William Campbell the rest of his life. In a brief note in the local paper, we read that "Dr. J. V. Prewitt of West Point was here Saturday to see W. B. Campbell, who is abed with rheumatism."

Then in April 1906, the paper reported that "W. B. Campbell left Monday for Hot Springs. He has been low with rheumatism for some time, and we hope the trip will benefit him."

Perhaps it did. In February 1907, he and Lee Dawson together purchased two Shepherdsville lots and the livery stable on them from H. H. and Mattie Glenn. It was located opposite the courthouse, and close by where the Judicial Center stands today. Lee Dawson was one of Sheriff Campbell's deputies.

However, within a year they announced a public sale of the business. It seems that it was Campbell who was leaving the business for Dawson purchased the business for himself. Unfortunately, Lee Dawson died in June at the age of 41.

In July 1908, the local paper announced that a new "Young Deputy Sheriff," a nine pound boy had arrived at the Campbell home, and that "Bill began to smile right away and has not stopped."

Then in June of the following year, the editor broke the sad news of the child's death.

Campbell's health had continued to deteriorate, and in July it was reported that he was some better, and was planning a trip to Colorado where he hoped the weather would help him recover.

But before he could go, the paper reported, "Sheriff W. B. Campbell was operated on last Friday morning for tuberculosis of the bone and had his left limb taken off above the knee."

And the next month, Campbell sold his house to William and Minnie Rouse. The paper called it "one of the finest residences in town," and said that Campbell would leave for the west as soon as he was able.

And in October the report was that the Campbell's had arrived in Grand Junction, Colorado, and were pleased with the climate.

In December they returned for a visit, and Campbell tended to his responsibilities as sheriff. Then in April they returned to Colorado, locating in Denver where he planned to engage in business.

During this first year in Denver, they were blessed with a son they named Samuel. There was great fear the next year when the child became seriously ill with pneumonia; but the local paper reported the next month that he had fully recovered.

This son would grow to adulthood, marry, become a musician and later the owner of a music store to the great joy of his parents.

William Campbell worked for the Dolly Varden Chocolate Company, and later for the Cosner Candy Company, traveling from business to business as a sales representative.

William and Alma had been married 38 years when she passed in April 1934.

Although the years in Bullitt County had long since passed, William still held fond memories of his time here. In 1936, when his son Samuel was traveling east and planned on being in this area, he wrote to William asking for names and addresses of people he might visit on a trip to the Louisville area.

William happily replied, sharing names of both relatives and friends. In it he wrote, "If you find time to run out on the L. & N. R. R. 18 miles to Shepherdsville you will see your third cousins Dr. Howard Ridgway and his brother Lindsay who is the present clerk of Bullitt County. Also you will see a lot of my old friends, viz. C. P. Bradbury, County Judge; Ora Roby, County Superintendent of Schools; Ora is a cousin of yours.

"Also do not fail to see James Hardaway, cashier of the Peoples Bank and Harry Combs, cashier Bullitt Co. Bank; and furthermore you will see my old home which might interest you and Margaret; the house I built to live in during life.

"You will find everybody a friend of mine in Shepherdsville."

It's not bragging when you tell the truth, and from all we have learned about William Campbell, he was likely right.

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Copyright 2024 by Charles Hartley, Shepherdsville KY. All rights are reserved. No part of the content of this page may be included in any format in any place without the written permission of the copyright holder.

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