Garfield County CO Archives Biographies.....Chapman, William January 14, 1862 -
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net April 8, 2001, 2:03 am

Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book:
Progressive Men of Western Colorado 
Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill.

William Chapman

   William Chapman, the junior partner in the ranching and cattle firm 
of Chapman & Son, doing business near Glenwood Springs, is a native of 
Michigan, born near Saginaw on January 14, 1862, and the son of Simpson 
and Julia (McAlpin) Chapman, natives of Canada, the father being born 
and reared near Niagara Falls.  They farmed in their native land with 
moderate success and, thinking to better their condition, moved to 
Michigan where the father turned his attention to the lumber business, 
becoming a contractor, with saw-mills in the woods.  He was thus 
engaged four years, then passed five in association with the Otto Lake 
Lumber Company.  In these engagements he was successful and prosperous.  
In 1880 he came to Colorado and at Golden City prospected and worked as 
a laborer, and went broke.  He then made his way to Glenwood Springs in 
1883, at the time when the town was being laid out and consisted of one 
house and some sixty tents.  He had but twenty cents in money and his 
rifle was his only other possession except the clothes he wore.  But he 
found credit and bought a supply of ammunition and started out for 
game.  It was plentiful then and he had no trouble in getting it in 
large quantities, often making as high as twenty dollars a day hunting 
for the markets.  A year and a half was passed in this way, his success 
being all the time exceptionally good.  He then opened the first livery 
barn at Glenwood, which he conducted four years.  At the end of that 
time he rented the barn at fifty dollars a month for a few months, then 
sold it at a good price and purchased the improvements on a portion of 
the ranch on which the business of the firm composed of himself and his 
son William is carried on.  The first purchase covered one hundred and 
sixty-six acres and one hundred and twenty acres have been added since.  
Of the joint tract one hundred and forty acres are under cultivation, 
with good water rights to the place, and the yield in hay, grain and 
other farm products is abundant in quantity and superior in quality.  
Cattle are also raised in numbers, and a flourishing and profitable 
dairy business is conducted during the summers.  In political matters 
both father and son are independent, having more regard for the general 
welfare of the county and state than for allegiance to any party.  Mrs. 
Chapman, the mother of William, died in 1876.  Five children were born 
in the family.  A daughter named Mary is deceased, and the four living 
are:  Florence, the wife of George McFail, of Flint, Michigan; Charles, 
a resident of Alberta, Canada; Monroe, living at Denver, and William, 
the immediate subject of this sketch.  All are members of the society 
of Friends.  William Chapman was educated in the public schools of 
Michigan and Canada, and after leaving school remained in Canada until 
1881 working on farms and in the lumber woods.  In the year last named 
he came to Colorado and located at Golden, where he found employment on 
a ranch.  Sometime afterward he went to Wyoming and from there to 
California, devoting three and one-half years to profitable employment 
on ranches and fruit farms.  Being pleased with Colorado, he returned 
to the state and settled at Glenwood Springs and soon after entering 
into partnership with his father in business.  On May 29, 1893, he was 
married to Miss Mabel Haff, a native of Colorado, born in Jefferson 
county, and the daughter of John and Matilda Haff.  Her father was a 
carriage-maker and also a carpenter and miner.  He now lives near 
Dillon on the Blue river.  His wife died on June 16, 1881.  They had 
seven children.  One son, William, has died.  The living are George, a 
resident of Gold Hill, Oregon; Abbie, now Mrs. Lafayette Cox, of 
Garfield county, this state; Mabel, the wife of Mr. Chapman; Harris, at 
Alma, Colorado; Horace, at home with his father; and Charles, a 
resident of Fairplay, this state.  Mr. and Mrs. Chapman have five 
children, Eunice, Lloyd, Bessie, Amos and Nellie.  The careers of the 
Chapmans, father and son, forcibly illustrate the value of thrift, 
industry and courageous perseverance in effort, with clearness of 
vision to see and alertness to seize opportunities, and capacity to 
make the most of them.


Additional Comments:
From Progressive Men of Western Colorado.  Chicago:  A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/garfield/bios/chapman19gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cofiles/