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Submitted by Valerie F. Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net>
The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 258
Hancock County
CHARLES L. CAMPBELL. In length of service Charles L.
Campbell is the oldest member of the teaching administrative staff of the Butler District of Hancock County.
His experience has covered nearly all the improvements in school facilities from the crude one-room schoolhouse to a
real school system and educational plant. He is principal of schools in the incorporated village of Holliday's Cove,
which is included in the Butler school district, embracing the unincorporated adjoining town of Weirton. Weirton
and adjacent community are the subject of more extended comment and description on other pages. The postmaster
at Holliday's Cove is D. M. Shakley, also president of the Butler District School Board.
Mr. Campbell was born at Holliday's Cove April 9, 1876,
son of George and Alice (Hammond) Campbell, still living at the old homestead. The Campbells are one of the
oldest families in this section of West Virginia. George Campbell's father was Robert Campbell, and his grandfather
was Alexander Campbell. The pioneer of the family in this section of Virginia was James Campbell, who secured a
grant of land from Patrick Henry, then governor of Virginia. Some of the old estate is still owned by the family.
Robert Campbell died at the age of seventy-eight. George Campbell is now seventy-one.
Charles L. Campbell attended high school at
Steubenville, Ohio, the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, and also the State University at Morgantown. In
1898, at the age of twenty-two, he began teaching, taking charge of the school at Holliday's Cove when he was sole
teacher with about sixty pupils, all in one room. Prior to that time there had been a school house of two rooms
with an opening making them practically one, and used both for school and church purposes. This was replaced
by a one-room building on the site of the present eight-room school house. That in turn was followed by a four-room frame building erected in 1902. Mr. Campbell after
teaching at Holliday's Cove taught in other schools of the district, but in 1907 returned to his home community.
For three years he was a teacher in the Weirton School, and since then has been in regular service at Holliday's
Cove. The present eight-room brick building occupies the site of the old frame school house which was burned. While
the main building contains only eight rooms, the school population has so increased that fifteen rooms are now
required, necessitating the leasing of temporary quarters.
Mr. Campbell married Ora Shimer, a native of Ohio.
They have six children, Leslie. George, Harold, Ruth, Wayne and Alice. His family is affiliated with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and has held the chairs in the lodge. For eighteen years he has been an enthusiastic advocate of
wholesome athletics in this community, and in the school has encouraged a base ball team and otherwise stimulated
athletic competition. |
