William Camp was born between 1827 and January 2, 1830, either in Ohio or Pennsylvania. The exact date and place of his birth has not been determined however it is believed that the 1830 date is correct. Military records indicate that he was born at Stark, Ohio. This was probably Stark County since there is no town in Ohio by that name. This is given further credence by some members of the family who say that he was born near Akron, Ohio, which is in the county adjoining Stark County. However other sources say Pennsylvania. His full name is not known either.

Thus far, information regarding his parents' names and his background has not been found. Members of the family have stated that William Camp originally spelled his last name "Kamp" or "Kemp". We have not been able to find when the spelling was changed nor for what reason. However, use of the "K" reflects his German ancestry. It has been reported that he spoke mostly German and very little English.

William Camp is believed to have been a member of the Dunkard faith, which is known today as the Church of the Brethren. It is a branch of a religious denomination organized by a reformer named Alexander Mack in 1708 in Germany. Dunkards were persecuted in Germany and took root in America in 1719 at Germantown, Pennsylvania. They then spread westward through the farming country of Pennsylvania and the Middle West. Dunkards believed in peace, brotherhood of man, temperance, and simple living. It forbade the taking of oaths. They wore plain clothes and seldom wore adornments.

On February 14, 1854, William Camp married Sarah Ann Boots in Marshall County, Indiana, with Justice of the Peace M. L. Smith officiating. Sarah Ann was born at Argos in Marshall County on March 9, 1836, and was the oldest of 15 children. Her father, John Austin Boots, was born in West Virginia. Her mother, Miranda Arnold, was born in Louisville, Kentucky. The name "Boots" was once spelled "Bootz".

In 1863 and 1864, William Camp purchased land and a farm in Center Township, Marshall County, Indiana, and sold it in 1870. Moving west by oxen team and covered wagon, they stopped near Westville, Illinois, to camp. While they were camped, someone stole their oxen, leaving them stranded so they settled on a farm at Brooks Point just east of Westville. The Brooks Point settlement was near where the No. 4 Mine rock pile is today which probably accounts for some people saying that Brooks Point was located where Belgium or Kelleyville, Illinois, is now.

The William Camps farmed near Westville until William's death. On September 8, 1873, he sustained a large cut on his foot from an axe while cutting timber to clear land and bled to death while trying to reach his house and help. He was buried at Sandusky Cemetery, Westville, Illinois.

William Camp was a veteran of the Civil War. He was drafted for one year of service in the Union Army and was mustered into service on October 20, 1854, at Michigan City, Indiana, as a private in Company A, 17th Regiment, Indiana Infantry. Military records state that he was 35 years old, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair. Although the records are neither detailed nor clear, they show that he was sent to Louisville, Kentucky, on December 5, 1864, and apparently served in Alabama and Mississippi. He was sick for some time and received a medical discharge on June 9, 1865.

William and Sarah Ann Boots Camp were the parents of eight children. They were:
Sarah Alice Camp October 4, 1856 - July 18, 1916
William Henry Camp July 2, 1859 - May 1, 1943
Miranda Catherine Camp August 8, 1860 - April 17, 1933
Almeda Matilda Camp January 4, 1862 - October 2, 1936
Franklin Edward Camp March 16, 1863 - April 5, 1920
John Riley Camp November 7, 1864 - February 4, 1920
Lewis Morton Camp November 29, 1866 - February 4, 1931
Bailess Elmore Camp May 26, 1868 - December 16, 1943