Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The
Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties,
State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing
Co., 1904.
JOHN L. CAMP, a farmer residing
four and one half miles south of Davenport, was born August 15, 1844, in
Campbell county, Georgia. His father Wesley Camp, was reared in Georgia,
where he was a prominent business and political man. He at one time
was a member of the state legislature of Georgia, which office he held
eight years, and was also for a time sheriff of his county. He died
at the age of sixty in 1872. Our subject's mother, also now
deceased, was in maiden life Miss Mariah Lasseter.
John L. Camp received
a liberal education, though he was raised on a farm, and in 1863 he enlisted
in Company K, Thirtieth Georgia Infantry, confederate army, and served
during the remainder of the Civil War. He enlisted as a corporal
but was promoted to third lieutenant of his company. During one of
the numerous engagements in which his command was involved all his superior
officers were either killed or taken prisoner, so Mr. Camp was placed in
command of his company as captain. Near Atlanta he was engaged in
several skirmishes and was slightly wounded. He had numerous bullets
pierce his clothing, and nearly every member of the company was either
killed in battle or else captured. All of his army life was spent
in Georgia.
In 1872 he went to California,
and from there to Utah and to Arizona, as a bookkeeper for a mining company.
Prior to coming to the coast, however, he taught school for four years,
as he did also near Salt Lake City after returning from Arizona.
From Utah he returned to California, and from that state came to the Big
Bend country in a wagon during the summer of 1879 at a time when the country
was very sparsely settled. Here he took a homestead and timber culture
which land he still owns. He came to the country with limited means
and found many obstacles to overcome before gaining a start here.
On June 9, 1886, occurred
the marriage of John L. Camp to Belle L. Merrill, a native of Minnesota
and daughter of Charles E. and Margaret (Flint) Merrill. The mother
is dead, but the father still lives in Anoka county, Minnesota, at the
age of sixty-nine years. Mrs. Camp has one brother living at Lind,
Adams county, Washington.
To Mr. and Mrs. Camp
have been born eight children, Aleta B., Alice E., John L., Cecil C., Edith
M., Blanche M., Benton P., and Georgia L.
Mr. Camp's present property
interests consist in four hundred and eighty acres of good agricultural
land where he lives and a separate quarter section partially improved;
a small herd of cattle; a sufficient number of horses to successfully carry
on his business of farming; a good residence; barn; outbuildings; et cerera.
He also has a first class orchard, and an abundance of water, which is
pumped from a well by means of a windmill. Although coming to the
country without capital he has been industrious and saving, so that at
this writing he is rated as one of the well-to-do farmers of the Big Bend.