National Register of Historic Places in Jackson County

National Register #80003316: Richard Posey Campbell House in Ashland
22 September 2006
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National Register #80003316
Richard Posey Campbell House
AKA Orlando Coolidge Rental House
94 Bush Street
Ashland
Built 1888

This Stick Victorian, one of the finest in Ashland, was built by Orlando Coolidge as a rental at the rear of his large lot facing North Main Street.

For a while, the house was occupied by Coolidge's daughter and her husband, Minnie and George Ogg.

In the early 20th century, Richard Posey Campbell, purchased the house. Campbell was a poet on the Chautauqua circuit who toured under the nom de plume, Dick Posey, the James Whitcomb Riley of the West.

Campbell's day jobs involved real estate and insurance.

Richard Posey Campbell published a book of poems, Just Common Folks, in 1918. Here are a couple of verses from the poem Hawg Meat.

I have studdied human natur'
Off and on for sixty year.
And I've noticed that our diet
Counts a heap in our career.
Our lives are built and fashioned
By the kind of grub we eat.
If you want a man what is a man,
Just feed him plain hawg meat.

Show me a man that co'nquars worlds
And scales Fame's dizzy height,
He's pokin' hawg meat down his neck
Mornin', noon and night.
It puts the ginger in you
And some gumption in your hat.
It's our nation's hope and pr'omise.
Just plain hawg meat, good and fat.

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