The Chapman Families of Harrison County, Iowa

JOHN CHAPMAN, Sr., came to Harrison County in the spring of 1865, and settled on the Pigeon farm. 1 He rented that farm of Mr. Lindley Evans, and after one year removed to Harris Grove in LaGrange Township, where he purchased forty acres of land, twenty acres improved and twenty acres timber. He lived there three years, sold out, and moved back to the Pigeon, in Union township, where he purchased eighty acres of wild land, improved it, and there remained until the autumn of 1889, when he moved into Persia.

He was born in Wiltshire, England, July 14? 1818, where he remained until

1861, and sailed for America. He was twenty-eight days on the ocean, and finally found his way to Florence, Neb., halted six weeks, and then with ox teams started for Ogden, Utah, accompanied by his brother William, who came from Utah to meet him. They left Florence in July and arrived in Ogden, September 12, 1861. He remained in Utah until 1864, and then made the overland trip back to Florence, Neb., arriving in July. In the spring of 1865, he came to Harrison County-

He was married in England, May 6, 1838, to Miss Harriet Cealman, by whom eleven children were born — James, Elijah, Rebecca, Judah, John, Nephi, Harriett J., Eliza J., Heber W., Thomas, and Benjamin.

Harriett (Coleman) Chapman was born in Wiltshire, England, in August, 1815, and remained with her parents, until the date of her marriage.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Chapman united with the Latter Day Saints Church in England.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

BENJAMIN CHAPMAN, has been a resident of Harrison County since the spring of 1865, and is now located on section 2, of Union Township, where he has come to he a prosperous farmer. He accompanied his parents, to the county, and they rented a farm of Lindley Evans, in Cass Township, from where they moved to Harris Grove. At this point he started to the district school, being seven years of age. The family remained there two years, and then located where our subject now lives, improving a piece of wild land, building a house 18x20 feet, and a story and a half high; a barn 14x20 feet, together with numerous out buildings.

Benjamin remained with his parents until he was of age, and then farmer his father’s land for six years thereafter, and then bought the old homestead, around which still clings many a fond memory of those early pioneer days, when hope was their chief capital! He paid $4.50 for one “forty,” and $7.60 for the other, raising this amount in four years.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Thirza, Oliver, Valentine, Adalede, (deceased), and William T.*

Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, are the parents of the following four children — Benjamin O., born March 2, 1887; Arthur T., born August 29, 1888, (deceased); Albert, born October 2, 1889; John W., December 20, 1890.

Mr. Chapman in his political opinions, favors no special party. In religious matters he and his wife are believers in the Latter Day Saints faith.

Concerning the parents of our subject and their family/ it may be said that their names were John and Harriet (Coleman) Chapman, who were the parents of the following living children, — James, Elijah, Judah, John, Nephi, William, and Benjamin.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN CHAPMAN, Jb., a resident farmer of section 6, in Washington Township, has been a resident of the county for twenty-one years, coming as he did in the autumn of 1870, and settling on the Pigeon, in Union Township.(section 4), where he bought forty acres of wild land, which he improved and lived upon until the spring of 1877. He sold this place in the fall of 1877, and the following spring moved to Harrison County, Mo., where he purchased a farm and remained until July, 1880, when he sold and came back to this county, and purchased a farm on section 4, the same being but partly improved, there being about thirty acres of breaking, but no house upon it. To this he added forty acres more, upon which he built a small house, and remained there one winter, and the following spring bought the Fry farm in the same section, which was an improved forty-acre tract. The buildings he had erected upon his other place, he moved, and tore down those that were on the Fry farm and built new ones. Here he remained until the spring of 1891, when he moved to his present place, which he bought in the autumn of 1890, it belonging to two different parties. One of his farms contains one hundred and thirty-six acres, and the other eighty acres, both of which are well improved. The one on section 4, he rents.

Our subject was born in Wilkshire, England, at the town of Westlavington, September 20, 1845, where he remained until 1861, and then emigrated to America, coming direct to Florence, Neb., at which point he remained a few days, and then went to Rockport, Neb. His parents and the family went to Salt Lake, Utah.*

He enlisted in the United States service, at Omaha, Neb., October 20, 1863, as a member of Company D, First Nebraska Cavalry, and was on the frontier, fighting Indians, and guarding emigrant trains. He was honorably discharged at Omaha, August 18, 1864, then returned to Florence, where he remained until winter and then hired out to drive ox-teams in a freight train across the plains, his older brother, James, being with him in the same train. They got as far as Cotton Wood Springs, but there were snow bound, and had to return to Florence, where our subject spent the remainder of the winter. After which he went to Bockport, Washington County, Neb., and there remained until 1868, and then came back to Douglas County, Neb., where he farmer for the first time. He rented in that vicinity until the fall of 1870 and then came to Harrison County, Iowa.

He was married in Washington County, Neb., March 5, 1868, to Miss Martha I. Wilson and they are the parents of eight children — Millie J., born August 4, 1869; Alfred W., March 12, 1872; Bichard F., June 22, 1874; Alice E., October 6, 1876; Harriet I., April 1, 1879; John G., April 15, 1881; Katie L., January 15, 1884 and Gertie M., June 21, 1887. John G. died September 16, 1881.

Martha (Wilson) Chapman, wife of our subject, was born in Taylor County, Iowa, March 12, 1851, and in the spring of 1865, moved with her parents to Pottawattamie County, where they remained until fall and then moved to Florence, Neb., remained there until the spring of 1866, when they moved to a farm in the same county, remained one season and then moved to Washington County, Neb., where our subject’s wife remained until the date of her marriage.

Mr. and Mrs. Chapman are both members of the Latter Day Saints Church; they united July, 1874. Of their family, Millie J., Alfred W., Alice E. and Harriet I. are also members of the same church. Mr. Chapman has held and still retains the office of township trustee.

The father of Mrs. Chapman, William A. Wilson, was born in Kentucky, March 24, 1821, and in 1835, with his parents moved to Indiana, where he remained un til 1845 and then came to Taylor County, Iowa, and from there to Pottawattamie County in 1865. The same fall, he moved to Florence, Neb., and in the spring of 1867, to Washington County, Neb., where he remained until 1869, then removed to Douglas County, where he died March 4, 1891. Sarah J. (Guill) Wilson, the moi ther of our subject’s wife, was born in Kentucky and died in Douglas County, Neb., November 14, 1866. They were the parents of ten children — five sons and five daughters, Mrs. Chapman being the third child.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THOMAS CHAPMAN, whose residence is on the south line of section 33, of Cass Township, has been a resident of the county since. 1865, when he settled on his present place, consisting of a fractional quarter section. He is a native of England, born September 23, 1825, in Wiltshire, and is a son of William and Mary (Green) Chapman, and was the fourth child of a family of ten children. His father was a farmer, and died in England. Two years after his father’s death his mother came to America, and died in Harrison County. When our subject was sixteen years old, in England, he commenced working at shoemaking, which he followed most of the time until he came to America, as well as one year afterwards. It was during the month of January that he bid farewell to his native land and sailed for America, landing at New Orleans, and from thence by boat up to Council Bluffs, and during the year 1851 purchased the farm in Boomer Township, Pottawattamie County. But like so many others at that date, he saw visions of golden wealth and prosperity, and in 1852 started for Salt Lake, crossing the plains with ox-teams. He remained in that country twelve years, just prior to his settlement in Harrison County. In the fall of 1851 he had assisted in surveying a part of the section lines in Harrison County.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GGILES L. CHAPMAN, a leading citizen, and an old settler of Harririson County, was born in New London County, Conn., November 19, 1845. He is the son of Joseph N. and Elizabeth A. (Poth) Chapman, both natives of Connecticut, but of English descent. The father, Joseph N., was the son of Joseph and Betsy Chapman, and was born in October 1815, and the mother was born March 2, 1819, and was the daughter of Nathan and Ehzabeth (Shoals) Poth.

Joseph N. and Ehzabeth Chapman were married November 28, 1839, in Connecticut, where they remained until 1869, and then moved to Iowa, and settled in Douglas Township, Harrison County, on a farm, after first having spent one year in and around Dunlap. This farm is situated on section 5, and here they erected a fine frame residence, in 1879, and made other valuable improvements on the premises. They lived upon this place until 1880, and then moved to Dunlap, where they now reside. They have been associated with the Baptist Church for many years, having united early in life and have always been active, consistent members of that denomination. Mr. Chapman has been a Deacon in this church for some fifty years. WTas Superintendent of the Sabbath-school for a number of years. His family consists of three children: Bosannn, wife of Lucius Eggleston, a resident of Dunlap; George N., deceased, at the age of thirty-three years; he was Principal of the Baltic schools at the time of his death and was in the Civil War four years and sixteen days; Giles L., our subject,. This venerable couple sailed over the changeable sea of life, reared a family of children, who do honor to their name. They were company ions on the road until they had passed the fiftieth milestone of their married life, and in the month of October, 1889, when nature was putting on her robes of beauty, and the earlier leaves were falling to the ground, they celebrated their golden wedding and renewed the marriage covenant, that had been solemnized on a like day in

Giles L. Chapman, the subject of this sketch, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1868. He was reared on his father’s farm, educated at the public schools, and at the age of eighteen commenced teaching himself, and followed it for two years. May 30, 1866, he was married to Juliett Young, who was born in Plainfield, Conn., June 24,1843. She was the daughter of Nathaniel and Mary (Wood) Young, who were natives of Connecticut and Massachusetts, respectively, and died in the former State. They were the parents of ten children, four of whom died in infancy. The second year following the marriage of our subject, he located in Harrison County, Iowa, and took charge of the County Poor Farm for one year, and then removed to Douglas Township, where they purchased forty acres of land, built a house and made other necessary improvements, and lived there for twelve years. He added to his first purchase until he now owns one hundred acres. In 1880 he moved to Dunlap, where he lived four years engaged at various pursuits, including buying and selling property, and also in the butcher business. In 1885 he purchased the farm he now occupies on section 8, the same consisting of seventy acres, upon which he has erected a handsome residence which overlook the Boyer Valley, presenting a most charming rural landscape, the scene extending for twTelve miles. He turns his attention to farming, money-loaning and general brokerage business, and is looked upon as among the far-seeing business men of Harrison County. While he lived in Douglas Township he farmer summers and taught school winters, and was Assessor of the township for four years, and after moving to Harrison Township, was a member of the School Board.

Politically, Mr. Chapman cases his vote 'With the Bepublican party, He is a member of the Odd Fellows Order, belonging to Lodge No. 178, at Dunlap, and has passed all the Chairs in that Lodge. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, having united in 1876, and are also active workers in the Sabbath-school cause. Our subject and his wife are the parents of four children: Nellie I., born in 1870; George N., in 1876; both of whom died and were buried the same day, December 3, 1879. The living children are: Bessie, born September 16, 1881, and Charle-', August 1, 1882.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

EBER WILLIAM CHAPMAN, a dry-goods merchant and a popular citizen of the Village of Persia, Harrison County, Iowa, will form the subject of this sketch. He was born in Wiltshire, England, July 7, 1854, and in the spring of 1861, his parents came to the United States and from the coast came direct to Florence, Neb., near Omaha, and from there went overland by team to Salt Lake City, Utah, and returned to Florence, Neb., in 1864, and in the spring of 1865 came to Harrison

County and settled on the Pigeon, in Cass Township, where they rented a farm for two years and then bought forty acres of land in Jefferson Township, near Reed er’s Mills. The place was improved at the time they purchased it and they held it until 1870, when they sold and moved to Valley View in Union Township, where they bought a piece of wild land comprising two hundred acres, which they improved. The Village of Persia was just started at this time (1882) and our subject started in the general merchandising business at that point, his being the first dry-goods store of the place. He is still carrying on an extensive business.

He was married to Miss Frances M. Legan, of Vinton, Benton County, Iowa, November 14, 1875, and they are the parents of eight children — Maria, Robert, Elsie, Mabel, Emily, Edna, Willie and Elvin. Emily is deceased.

Mrs. Chapman was born in Franklin, Johnson County, Ind., and she and her husband, together with their two oldest children, are acceptable members of the Latter Bay Saints Church. Mr. Chapman is a member of the Masonic order, Lodge No. 490, at Persia. Politically, Mr. Chapman votes with the Democratic party.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.