U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Camden, Johnson Newlon (b. 1828) ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Braxton County and Central West Virginia by John Davison Sutton Sutton, West Virginia, January, 1919 Pages 358-359 Hon. Johnson Newlon Camden was born in Collins Settlement, Lewis county, W. Va., March 6th, 1828. His parents were John S. and Nancy Newlon Camden. Mr. Camden, about the time of the formation of the county of Braxton, in 1836, removed to Sutton, where he reared his family and continued to reside until the Civil war broke out. Johnson N., the subject of this sketch, at the age of 14, went to Weston and entered the service of the County Clerk for one year. He then attended the North-Western Academy for three years. The following year was spent as Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court of Braxton county, with his uncle, Wm. Newlon. He then received an appointment as Cadet at West Point Military Academy, but remained only through half the course. His mind being directed toward the law, he was in 1851 admitted to the Bar, and was soon thereafter made Prosecuting Attorney for Braxton county and subsequently of Nicholas county. In 1853, Mr. Camden settled in Weston, and became Assistant Cashier of the Old Exchange Bank of Virginia. In 1857, he turned his attention to the manufacture of oil from Cannel coal, and later to the oil field at Burning Springs, on the Little Kanawha river. It was here that Mr. Camden's great financial talent, his close application to business, was displayed. It was there that he so wisely laid the foundation for a great fortune. Mr. Camden did more than any other man to develop the natural resources of the great State of West Virginia. About 1875 he assisted in building the narrow gauge road from Clarksburg to Weston, thence to Buckhannon, and afterwards he was associated with Henry G. Davis and others in building the West Virginia Central. The railroad from Wheeling to Huntington was projected and built through Mr. Camden's resources and energy. The road from Buckhannon to Pickens, and from Clarksburg to Richwood and also to Sutton, and other lines aggregating about 500 miles, was projected and built by Mr. Camden, and known as the Camden System. In all the large enterprises, involving millions of capital. Mr. Camden has either acted as President or as one of the directing minds in the direction of the business. Mr. Camden was twice elected to the United States Senate, by the Democratic party of West Virginia. In statesmanship he displayed that same careful and wise policy that characterizes his great business career. In 1858 Senator Camden married Anna, the daughter of the late George W. Thompson, of Wheeling, and his two surviving children are Johnson N. Camden, late Senator from Kentucky, and the wife of General B. D. Spillman, of Parkersburg. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Braxton County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/braxton/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------