The story
Read it all →How Campbell came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Campbell.
Campbell was platted in 1886 on behalf of the railroad. Campbell was the name of one of the founders.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
–Not graded
History · Campbell
Campbell dates to 1886, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940
Below: maps from 1897 on and the census since 1900.
1886founded
0on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Quick answers
How Campbell began
When was Campbell founded?
1886
Campbell dates its founding to 1886 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.
First census: 368 in 19002020 census: 272140 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1873.The full story ↓
What stands out about Campbell’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Campbell are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18973 editions of the USGS map, 1897 to 1985. Watch Campbell change.Boom and bustPeaked at 573 in 1910; 272 people lived here in 2020.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Campbell.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Campbell’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Campbell’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.On the map
Campbell on the map, 1897 to 1985
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Campbell. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1897Red Cloud sheet · 1:125,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Campbell.
People over time
Campbell, census by census
Peaked at 573 in 1910; 272 people lived here in 2020.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Campbell’s Wikipedia page.
Timeline
Campbell, 1873 to 1934
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1873Post officeThe North Franklin post office opens
- 1875Post officeThe North Franklin post office closes
- 1875Post officeThe Amazon post office opens
- 1886FoundingCampbell is established
- 1887Post officeThe Amazon post office closes
- 1887Post officeThe Campbell post office opens
- 1897
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey - 20th century
- 1910CensusPopulation peaks at 573
- 1923Born hereBarney Koch is born here
- 1934Born hereJacklyn Smith is born here
By decade
Campbell, decade by decade
2010
2010
2010
2005Famous people
See all →2 famous people were born in Campbell
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices
Campbell’s post office has been open since 1887. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
North Franklin
Amazon
Campbell
18701950today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Campbell’s history
What year was Campbell founded?
In 1886, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Campbell’s post office opened in 1873, and the census of 1900 counted 368 people here.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Start a conversation
Sources
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.