Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 799
JUDAH CHAPMAN

Judah CHAPMAN, a resident of Cass Township, was born in Wiltshire, England, October 8, 1843, and in company with his parents sailed for America when he was eighteen years of age. The family went to Utah, where they remained until the spring of 1864. On his way back from Salt Lake he stopped at Ft. Bridger and worked at farming one summer, and in the fall came to Florence, Neb., where he was engaged at railroad work the following winter.

December 25, 1867, he was united in marriage with Deborah BLAIR, a native of England, born June 16, 1848, the daughter of David and Deborah J. BLAIR. She was the fourth of a family of seven children, and is now the only survivor. She accompanied her parents from England, in 1856, and the father died while crossing the plains on their way to Utah. The mother is now the wife of Thomas CHAPMAN.

Our subject and his wife have reared a family of seven children: Rebecca J., born July 22, 1868; Elizabeth I., born February 28, 1870, died September 4, 1873; David T., August 11, 1873; James B., born July 26, 1876, died February 23, 1881; Ella Z., January 21, 1879; Louisa B., November 24, 1882; one died in infancy, born November 19, 1887.

Upon coming to Harrison County in 1865, the CHAPMAN family rented a part of the Lindley EVANS farm for two years, after which time our subject purchased eighty acres of land in Union Township, on section 10, and there remained for seven years after which he rented for five years, and then purchased his present place, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres, on sections 28 and 33, the same being wild land. He at once began improving and erected his spacious farm house, the upright of which is 14x24 feet, one and a half stories high and an addition 14x14 feet.

When Mr. CHAPMAN first started for himself he had one pony, which he traded for a span of colts and out of these grew a team. By working other men's land, using their team to work his own land, with good management and a great amount of hard work, and materially aided by the labors of his good wife, they are now in possession of a comfortable and happy home.

At the time when Mrs. CHAPMAN crossed the plains, then known as the Great American Desert, their household goods were hauled by hand-carts the entire distance, from Iowa City through to the wilds of Utah. Many of the famous band of Mormon believers perished through hunger and exposure, the details of which the pages of history will never have anything like a comprehensive account of. When about two hundred miles from Salt Lake President Brigham YOUNG sent teams out and conveyed the almost perishing remnant of the band the remainder of their journey. Mrs. CHAPMAN's father died at the point known as Rocky Ridge.

Mr. and Mrs. CHAPMAN are both devout and consistent members of the Latter Day Saint's Church, she having been a member since eight years of age, while her husband has been identified with this denomination for the past twenty years. It may be added that Mrs. CHAPMAN'S father was an Elder (minister) in this church and died in abiding convictions of his faith. Politically, our subject is a Democrat.

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