1892 History. Added April 2008.
Portrait & Biographical Record of Saginaw and Bay Counties, Michigan
Published by Portrait Publishing Co., Chicago (1892)
JOHN G. BUCHANAN.
----------
John G. Buchanan, who is eh proprietor of the Campbell House, has been a resident of Bay City since October, 1869. He was born in County Lanark, Ontario, on December 15, 1849, and is a son of Peter and Catherine (Galbraith) Buchanan. The father was a tailor by trade and resided at different times in various villages of Canada, and there the boy obtain his education in the common schools, completing his studies in the Canadian Literary Institute at Woodstock, after which he came to Michigan, locating at Bay City, as above stated.
The young man first found employment in the woods among the lumbermen, and was able after a little to take the position of sealer, and afterward that of foreman, and continued thus until 1881, when he went into the lumber business for himself, remaining in that line for some six years, being largely interested in culling and manufacturing. While still in this business he became the proprietor of the Moulton House, which he bought in the spring of 1881. Some five years later he bought the Brunswick House property, and refitted it, putting in steam and other conveniences, and carrying on the house successfully something over two years. He finally sold his property to the Government as that site was desired for the new Government building.
Mr. Buchanan bought the Campbell House Block, a fine brick building with one hundred and twenty-five feet frontage on North Water Street and one hundred feet frontage on Third Street, buying also an addition lot running back to Saginaw Street. Upon this lot he erected an addition to the hotel, which he devoted to the kitchen laundry and rooms for the help. The house has sixty-tour rooms available for guests, and it is thoroughly heated throughout by steam, and has electric lights in every room. About $10,000 were expended by him in refitting and improvements upon taking the house, and in all respects it is now a first-class hostelry. The hotel property comprises six stores, two fronting on Third Street and four on Water Street. He also owns another brick block on Third Street. Mr. Buchanan is well adapted to achieve success in this calling as he is accommodating in his nature and genial and kindly, and thinks no trouble too much in order to make his guests comfortable and contented.
Our subject is now the Alderman for the Second Ward, to which position he was first elected in the spring of 1888, and again in the spring of 1890. His is a member of the Joppa Lodge. F. & A. M., of the Blanchard Chapter, of the Bay City Council and Commadery, and the Michigan Sovereign Consistory of Detroit. He is also a member of the Mystic Shrine of Detroit, and has taken thirty-two degrees. His is President of the Bay City Branch of the Northwestern Building & Loan Association at Minneapolis. His marriage, September 25, 1876, united him with Jane Jenkins, of Canada, and they have two children – Peter and Albert.
None at this time.