Chippewa County Michigan Genealogy & History

Michigan Trails through Chippewa County

CHIPPEWA CO MICHIGAN BIOGRAPHIES CHARLES H. CHAPMAN Charles H. Chapman, the well known and esteemed veteran newspaper man of Sault Sainte Marie and a member of the popular law firm of McDonald & Chapman, descended from Danish ancestors who left Jutland about the middle of the fourth century and united themselves with the Britons, thus contributing their blood toward the formation of the Anglo-Saxon race. The name was preserved all through the ages. Some years prior to the American Revolution, one Edgar Chapman emigrated to the New Worl and took up his abode in Connecticut. One of his descendants, probably a son, Ichabod Chapman, fought in the American army for independence. As a civilian, he was a farmer. In 1818 he moved to Genesee county NY near Batavia, and opened a new farm. He died there about 1830, at the age of 85. One of his sons was Amasa D. Chapman, born in Colchester CT, Nov. 11, 1796 He spent his life in the main as a farmer, but during his young manhood he was a teacher. He graduated at Bacon's Academy in CT in 1816 and went to Genesee County NY with his father. In 1835 he was commissioned Capt. of militia by the Governor of that State. He came to Michigan in 1837 and settled on a farm in Oakland county. This farm he cultivated until the spring of 1855, when hemoved to Cumerland County KY, remaining there four years anda half, and then returning to Oakland County where he died Dec. 4, 1882. He was greatly interested in the education of the young, and for 21 consecutive years was moderator in his school district. He was the father of nine children by Hannah L. Hunt, who family went to NY from VT. Sixo of their children survive; Joseph, George and Ichabod, in Oakland county; Albert, an attache of Representative Hall, Lansing; Edgar C., Pontiac and Charles H.
Charles H. Chapman was born April 9, 1855. He attended the district schools until he was 15, when he entered the office of the old Pontiac Jacksonian, published by D.H. Solis, and began his journalistic career. He worked on the Saginaw Daily Courier one year, was for 3 years with the Pontiac Bill Poster, next on the force of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, and afterward did reportorial work and typesetting on many papers in Ohio and souther IL. Finally returning to MI, he resumed work on the Saginaw Courier. In 1876 he etablished the Pontiac Commercial, which he conducted until 1879, when he sold out and then accepted a position on the Western Newspaper Union in Detroit. This place he filled until July 1882, the date of his coming to Sault ste. Marie. Here he became associated with William Chandler in the publication of the Chippewa County News, as editor and joint proprietor, which relation he sustained until November 1887. In the m eantime he was appointed Deputy State Oil Inspector, and was President of the Village of Sault Ste. Marie in 1886 and 1887, being the last incumbent of that office. In November, 1888 he was elected by the Republicans to the office of Register of Deeds for Chippewa County and served two years. Just before his term expired he entered into an arrangement with Messrs. Webster & Stradley to purchase the Soo Herald. They changed its name to Sault Ste. Marie Tribune, and its politics to Republican, and published it till April, 1892, when it was consolidated with the Soo News, and Mr. Chapman passed out of the newspaper arena.
In November 1892, the subject of our sketch was the Republican candidate for the Legislature, but was defeated by 78 votes, while the head of the Democratic ticket in the district showed a majority of over 400. January 1, 1893, Mr. Chapman was appointed by the Sec. of State as Asst. Chief of the Dept. of Agricutlure, and eight months later he was promoted to Chief of the Corporaiton department. While in Lansing he perfected his law studies, was admitted by the Supreme Court, March 12, 1895, and resigned the last week in the same month to return to this city. Here he at once engaged in the practice of law, becoming a member of the firm of McDonald & Chapman.
April 27, 1878 Mr. Chapman was married in Pontiac MI to Miss Mollie B. daughter of Nicholas Nott, who came to this country from Cornwall, England. They had two children, both of whoom are deceased, on dying at the age of 4 years and the other at 16 months. Mr.Chapman is a Knight Templar and a Knight of Pythias, and both he and his wife are identified with teh Epicsopal Church.
From "Memorial Record of the Northern Peninsula" 1885 Pg 48
** Mary Burnett Nott was born 27 January 1857 in England, daughter of Nicholas & Jane (Burnett) Nott. Charles H. & Mary had three children - Edna J., Louis Chapman and Guy Amassey.