Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Northwest
Museum of Arts & Culture), Joel E. Ferris Research Library and Archives
2316 W. First Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: (509) 363-5342
Email: archives@northwestmuseum.org
Ms 38
Amasa B. Campbell, 1845-1912
Amasa B. Campbell Papers
1905-1922
3 linear ft.
3 boxes
Businessman of Spokane, Wash., and investor in mines in the
Coeur d'Alene Region of Idaho and other enterprises. Incoming business correspondence
(1905-1911); copies of outgoing correspondence in letterpress books (ca. 5000 letters); and
personal check registers (1905-1922) of Campbell's wife, Grace F. Campbell.
Materials are in English
Biographical Note
Amasa B. Campbell left his native Ohio in 1867 to work for the Union Pacific Railroad.
After its completion in 1869, he went to Utah and became involved in mining. In 1887 he came
to Spokane Falls, entered into a partnership with John A. Finch, and began investing in the
Coeur d'Alene mining district. Together they developed the Gem, Standard, and Hecla mines,
all of which proved to be extremely profitable. Campbell and Finch opened and developed the
Enterprise and Standard mines in the Slocan district of British Columbia in 1893. They were
involved in nearly every successful mining venture in the Inland Empire. Campbell invested
heavily in timber in the Grays Harbor district of western Washington. He was also involved
in many Spokane business enterprises, including the Washington Water Power Company, Traders
National Bank, Spokane and Eastern Trust Company, Spokane International Railway, and the
Spokane Southern Traction Company. At the time of his death in 1912, Campbell was one of
Spokane's millionaires whose wealth had resulted from wise investments in the Coeur d'Alene
mining district.
The collection consists of incoming business correspondence, 1905, 1907-1908, 1910-1911;
and copies of outgoing correspondence in letter press books, numbering nearly 5,000 letters.
While there are numerous gaps, the correspondence seems to be representative. Also included
are canceled checks and personal check registers for Mrs. Grace M. Campbell, 1904-1922,
covering her personal and household expenses. They indicate something of the standard of
living for an early twentieth century woman of considerable wealth.
Collection is not restricted.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Eastern Washington State Historical Society. All
requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to
the Museum Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Eastern
Washington State Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the
researcher
Amasa B. Campbell Papers (Ms 38), Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest
Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, WA.
Materials were found in a closet in the basement of the Campbell House by restoration
architect Albert Staehli in the course of a detailed structural evaluation of the house in
1984. The materials had apparently been in the closet since the death of Amasa B. Campbell
in 1912. After the death of Campbell's wife, Grace, in 1924, their daughter donated the home
to the Eastern Washington State Historical Society for use as a museum.
Processed to the file folder level.
Fahey, John.
Campbell House. Spokane, Wash.: Northwest Museum of Arts &
Culture/Eastern Washington State Historical Society, 2005.
Bean, Margaret.
Campbell House. Spokane, Wash.: Eastern Washington State
Historical Society, Campbell House Committee, 1965.
Nolan, Edward W.
A Guide to the Manuscript Collections in the
Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington State
Historical Society, 1987).
See also Amasa B. Campbell Estate Papers (MsSC 226), Helen Campbell Diaries (MsSC 224),
Allan Campbell Powell Papers (MsSC 327), Campbell and Cambell House Slides, Campbell House
Research Files, Hecla Mining Company Records (Ms 71), Iris Nilsson Letters (MsSC 309), Helen
Campbell and Bill Powell Photographs, Finch Investment Company Records (Ms 52), Campbell
House Architectural Drawings, and Campbell House Decorator's Plan.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Online Computer Library
Center (OCLC) WorldCat database. Researchers desiring materials about related topics,
persons, or places should search WorldCat using these headings.
Campbell, Amasa
B., 1845-1912--Archives
Campbell, Grace F. (Grace Fox), d. 1924
Wakefield & Witherspoon (Spokane, Wash.)
Coeur d'Alene
Region (Idaho)--Mines, mining, and mineral resources
Idaho--Mines,
mining, and mineral resources
Investments--United
States
Mines and mineral
resources--Idaho
Executors and
administrators--Washington (State)
Decedents' estates--Washington
(State)
Spokane
Washington
(State)
Idaho
Mines and Mineral
Resources
Business,
Industry, and Labor
Social
Classes
City and Town
Life
Home and
Family
Amasa B. Campbell
Grace M. Campbell
John A. Finch
Gem Mine
Standard Mine
Hecla Enterprise
Washington Water
Power
Trader's National
Bank
Spokane and Eastern Trust
Company
Spokane International
Railway
Spokane Southern Traction
Company
Campbell Family
Mines & Mining
Railroads
Spokane--Transportation--Railways
Banks & Banking
Inventory and Biography
Incoming Correspondence
A
1905
1
3
B
1905
1
4
C
1905
1
5
D
1905
1
6
E-F
1905
1
7
Hecla Mining Co.
1905
1
8
G-J
1905
1
9
K-L
1905
1
10
M
1905
1
11
N-O
1905
1
12
P-Q
1905
1
13
R
1905
1
14
S
1905
1
15
T-V
1905
1
16
W-Z
1905
1
17
A
1907
1
18
B
1907
1
19
C
1907
1
20
D
1907
1
21
F
1907
1
22
G
1907
1
23
H
1907
1
24
I-J
1907
1
25
K
1907
1
26
L
1907
1
27
M
1907
1
28
N-O
1907
1
29
P-Q
1907
1
30
R
1907
1
31
S
1907
1
32
T-V
1907
1
33
W-Z
1907
1
34
A
1908
1
35
B
1908
1
36
C
1908
1
37
D
1908
1
38
G-J
1905
1
39
G
1908
1
40
H
1908
1
41
I-J
1908
1
42
K
1908
1
43
M
1908
1
44
N-O
1908
1
45
P-Q
1908
1
46
R
1908
1
47
S
1908
1
48
T-V
1908
1
49
W-Z
1908
1
50
A
1910
1
51
B
1910
1
52
C
1910
1
53
D
1910
1
54
E-F
1910
1
55
G
1910
1
56
H-J
1910
1
57
K-L
1910
1
58
M
1910
1
59
N-O
1910
1
60
P-Q
1910
1
61
R
1910
1
62
S
1910
1
63
T-V
1910
1
64
W-Z
1910
1
65
A
1911
1
66
B
1911
1
67
C
1911
1
68
D
1911
1
69
E-F
1911
1
70
G
1911
1
71
H-J
1911
1
72
K-L
1911
1
73
M
1911
1
74
N-O
1911
1
75
P-Q
1911
1
76
R
1911
1
77
S
1911
1
78
T-V
1911
1
79
W-Z
1911
1
80
Miscellaneous
1
81
Inventory
1899-1904
1
82
Household Accounts
1899-1904
1
83
Letterbooks
Letterbook
Oct. 7, 1896-Oct. 20, 1899
1
84
Letterbook
Oct. 12, 1899-Oct. 9, 1900
2
1
Letterbook
Oct. 16, 1900-July 2, 1901
2
2
Letterbook
July 2, 1901-Apr. 21, 1902
2
3
Letterbook
Apr. 22, 1902-June 24, 1903
2
4
Letterbook
June 25, 1903-Mar. 20, 1906
2
5
Letterbook
Mar. 14, 1906-Aug. 6, 1908
2
6
Letterbook
Aug. 10, 1908-Mar. 11, 1912
2
7
Cancelled Checks
Youngstown, Ohio
Canceled Checks, Association Assessments
Jan. 20, 1896-Dec. 30, 1896
2
8
Canceled Checks, Association Assessments
Jan. 1, 1897-Dec. 21, 1897
2
9
Canceled Checks, Association Assessments
Jan. 14, 1898-Mar. 16, 1898
2
10
Spokane, Washington
Canceled Checks
May-July, 1898
2
11
Canceled Checks
Aug.-Nov., 1898
2
12
Canceled Checks
Dec., 1898; Jan.-Feb., 1899
2
13
Canceled Checks
Mar.-May, 1899
2
14
Canceled Checks
June-Aug., 1899
2
15
Canceled Checks
Oct.-Dec., 1899
2
16
Bank Statement, Youngstown, Ohio
June 18, 1900-Jan. 3, 1901
2
17
Canceled Checks
Jan.-Mar., 1900
2
18
Canceled Checks
Apr.-June, 1900
2
19
Canceled Checks
July-Sep., 1900
2
20
Canceled Checks
Oct.-Dec., 1900
2
21
Youngstown, Ohio; Spokane, Washington
Jan., 1904; May-June, 1904; Dec., 1904
2
22
Cancelled Checks and Checkbooks: Grace M.
Campbell
Canceled Checks
Dec. , 1904; Jan., June, 1905
2
23
Canceled Checks
July-Aug., 1905; Nov., 1905
2
24
Canceled Checks
Jan.-Feb., 1905; June, 1905
2
25
Canceled Checks
July-Oct., 1906
2
26
Canceled Checks
Nov.-Dec., 1906; Feb., 1907
3
1
Canceled Checks
Mar.-Apr., 1907
3
2
Canceled Checks
July, 1907; 1908; 1912
3
3
Miscellany
3
4
Checkbooks
Sep. 5, 1905-Mar. 2, 1906
3
5
Checkbooks
Mar. 2, 1906-Aug. 1, 1906
3
6
Checkbooks
Dec. 6, 1907-May 11, 1908
3
7
Checkbooks
Jan. 10, 1911-Feb. 6, 1912
3
8
Checkbooks
Mar. 1, 1912-Oct. 3, 1912
3
9
Checkbooks
May 25, 1907-Jan. 10, 1911; July 7, 1911-Jan. 5, 1912
3
10
Checkbooks
Jan 5, 1912-Mar. 1 , 1912; July 4, 1914-Dec. 2, 1914
3
11
Checkbooks
Dec. 4, 1914-Apr. 15, 1915; Apr. 17, 1915-Sep. 2, 1915
3
12
Checkbooks
Feb. 2, 1916-Apr. 29, 1916; Sep. 3, 1915-Feb. 1, 1916
3
13
Checkbooks
Dec. 2, 1915-June 12, 1916; June 12, 1916-Oct. 10, 1916
3
14
Checkbooks
Oct. 13, 1916-Feb. 6, 1917; Feb. 8, 1917-July 5, 1917
3
15
Checkbooks
July 5, 1917-Nov. 8, 1917; Nov. 8, 1917-Feb. 25, 1918
3
16
Checkbooks
Feb. 26, 1917-May. 23, 1917; Mar. 7, 1918-July 20, 1918
3
17
Checkbooks
July 15, 1918-Feb. 6, 1918; Nov. 26, 1918-Nov. 26, 1919
3
18
Checkbooks
Aug. 3, 1918-Feb. 2, 1920; Jan. 13, 1919-Aug. 1, 1919
3
19
Checkbooks
Aug. 2, 1919-Jan. 3, 1920; Dec. 25, 1919-Jan. 6, 1921
3
20
Checkbooks
Feb. 4, 1920-Sep. 20, 1920; Sep. 11, 1920-Mar. 8, 1921
3
21
Checkbooks
Mar. 9, 1921-Aug. 16, 1921; Aug. 17, 1921-Jan. 6, 1922
3
22
Checkbooks
Jan. 11, 1922-July 3, 1922; July 2, 1922-Dec. 1, 1922
3
23
Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts
3
24