The role J. C. Campbell played in the Granbury/Hood County community is noteworthy, and while his service to our community is and will continue to be appreciated by its citizens, likely, nothing will be as enduring as the contribution J.C. made through his drawings of the historic homes and buildings of Granbury and Hood County. J.C. started sketching these drawings in the early 1970’s after taking photos of each of the buildings. Each drawing was sketched with a “rotring repidograph” ink pin (made in Germany). A light table was used when sketching the drawings and with a piece of mylar material placed on the photograph, the miniscule and complex lines of each stone or piece of wood used in the construction of the buildings were carefully depicted. Each drawing is dated and includes J.C.’s signature located conspicuously within the drawing.
Prior to his death, J.C. Campbell gifted his original drawings to the Bridge Street History Center. J.C.’s drawings are housed at the David Lee and Sudie Nutt house, the history center’s headquarters, located at 319 E. Bridge Street. The house was built in 1879, by pioneer settlers David Lee and Sudie Nutt. The mission of the history center is “to collect, preserve, and interpret the life stories of the people of Granbury and Hood County.” In recognition of J.C.’s selfless commitment to our community over the years, the history center has republished “Scenes of Granbury and Hood County,”, which was originally published by J.C. in 1975. J.C.’s story is just one of the stories we tell at the history center. Come and learn about some of the interesting people who shaped our community and made it what it is today, and let us tell you about the fascinating story of the restoration and grand reopening of the Granbury Opera House, the Mitchell-Truitt Feud and much, much more.
