Campbell Home

James Campbell was born in Wisconsin and may have spent some of his boyhood years in Chicago. In the 1890's he operated a farm in the Longwood area and in 1891 married Minnie Guffin. Mrs. Campbell was originally from Iowa City, Iowa but came with her parents as a young girl to Longwood, Florida. The Campbells had four children: Ethel Mae, Herbert, Alice, and Annie. Around 1903 they moved to Winter Park and Mr. Campbell went to work for the Seminole Hotel Company, retiring in 1931. He was elected a town Alderman in 1916 and 1919, and also served on the school board. Minnie Campbell died September 24, 1928 and James Campbell died April 21, 1934.

According to Claire MacDowell's Chronological History of Winter Park, Alice Campbell opened Webster Kindergarten at the Hooker Memorial House, part of the Congregational Church, in 1927, and operated it for approximately ten years. Not much more is known about the Webster Kindergarten but in June of 1989, the Winter Park Public Library's History and Archives Collection was given a number of photographs of Miss Campbell and her pupils by her cousin, Harold Ward, Jr. The dates written on some of these photographs range from school years 1927 - 28 to 1934 - 35. Miss Campbell was also an elementary school teacher and a member of the First Congregational Church of Winter Park. Alice Campbell died in January 11, 1989 at the age of 87.

This article was written by former archivist, Barbara White, MLIS.