In the hunter community the Campbells were well known. They got in, resolved the issue and then disappeared from the grid until the next hunt. They had the numbers, the knowledge and the determination. But they didn't dare. If they stumbled upon something they didn't know about they retreated and called someone who did (they were respected and slightly feared but nothing more)
(this is important)
When Mary Campbell left the life nobody but her immediate family noticed (she was not important, not yet)
She left, but the life never left her (food cooked with extra salt, silver cutlery, crosses at every door and a prayer hidden behind every song she sang to her boys)
Angels are watching over you
John wouldn't remember these things for years but they would come back whenever he researched a new monster and he would wonder (he would never find out that his wife was a hunter)
Over time John would make a name of himself in the hunter community (ruthless, cold hearted were words that followed his every step, he didn't care). For years they would refer to him as The Bastard (he was not here to make friends he was here to kill monsters simple as that) but every hunter knew that if you wanted something to be taken care of you called John Winchester. He didn't know a lot of things (not yet) but by God he would get the job done one way or another. And after, no matter how tired or hurt he was he would sit and write in his journal.
(are you proud yet?)
John Winchester became the hunter you called only as a last resort and even then you would think twice because while you were sure he would take care of the problem you could never be sure he would have your back. And if you had a problem with him? You swallowed your anger and moved on. Most hunters were civilians before the supernatural life kicked them in the teeth but John was one of the few rare ones who took to a life of a hunting like a fish to water (for him civilian life was something he had to learn, his life had been a war before he met Mary and the war after she died had different enemies but it was still war and war was something John Winchester knew well)
(are you sane?)
Then came Sam and Dean (always always Sam and Dean). Sam and Dean weren't to be meddled with (unless you wanted the wrath of John Winchester to descend upon you
and wasn't that familiar?)
But then..then whispers rose: Azazel (Those boys took down one of the chief demons of hell), Lilith (the queen of hell. Didn't you hear?), they are protected those boys (you can't touch them. Didn't you hear Roy and Walt shot them point blank but i saw them a few weeks ago?) and then the Apocalypse.
(those are the big things and nobody talks how after Roy and Walt disappeared, nobody talks about how you don't touch Sam unless you want the last thing you see to be Dean Winchester's green eyes and grim smile, nobody talks about how you don't go after Dean unless you want to have Sam Winchester's knife in your throat)
Didn't you hear? Walker tried to take out Sam and ended up a vampire. A dead one at that.
The Winchester boys are untouchable, maybe...maybe you can take one of them but you can bet your ass the other one would be after you like a wolf chasing a bleeding deer (and God help you if you try to take them together, you better just sign your death warrant right now)
(and do you really want Singer's support withdrawn?)
Their history is painted in blood and gore and monsters but through it all the Winchester boys come out on top.
No matter the monster, the situation, it doesn't matter if you hate them (or they hate you) they will come to help and they will succeed with a combination of skills and a whole lot of luck. Because they don't care about thanks or reward, they do it because somebody has to, because if they didn't then who would?
There aren't a lot of hunters left now (more will come) and even fewer of those who remember John Winchester, but they stick together. That's what kept them alive until now (and the boys aren't John, you can trust them to always always have your back no matter what)
When a new hunter comes along without fail a more experienced one would come and teach them a few things (if you are in trouble, if you are in something way over your head call the Winchesters and by everything that is Holy don't mess with them)
(nobody mentions the dark haired, blue eyed man that sometimes follows them. what they don't know won't hurt them)
The Winchester name remains for years after they are gone (dead and buried) and every hunter prays to them when they are in a spot of trouble (let my shot be carried true by Dean, let my research come true by Sam, let my hunt go on and on, let me burn this motherfucker down. Amen)
(are you proud yet?)