"Portrait and Biographical Record of Western Oregon, containing original
sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present."  Chicago: Chapman
Pub. Co., 1909. p. 588.
 
JOHN H. CHAPMAN

     Among those leading citizens who have been successfully engaged in farming
and stock-raising in Douglas county, Ore., and who have gained a comfortable
competence thereby, is John H. Chapman, the subject of these lines, who owns a
six hundred and twenty acre farm upon which he has lived for the past forty-nine
years. This farm is located on the east bank of the Umpqua river, eighteen miles
east of Roseburg, and is principally devoted to stock-raising. Mr. Chapman is a
native of Gallia county, Ohio, and was born August 15, 1825, a son of George and
Daisy (Napier) Chapman.  His parents were both natives of West Virginia, where
their marriage took place. Later they moved into Ohio, where they continued to
reside until 1832, and during that year, located in Iowa. They took up
government land about seven miles west of Iowa City in Johnson county, and spent
their remaining years there.
     Mr. Chapman was reared on his father's farm in Iowa, where he continued to
live until the spring of 1854. He then started to cross the country to Oregon,
traveling behind a team of oxen. This method was slow and consumed six months,
and in the fall they arrived in Douglas county, settling on a donation claim,
which is today a part of the farm upon which Mr. Chapman resides. The original
donation claim contained three hundred and twenty acres, and has never passed
out of Mr. Chapman's hands. He was accompanied across the plains by two
brothers, George Jefferson and Addison A.; the former of these settled with John
H, near Roseburg, and the latter took up a claim in the vicinity of Canyonville.
Another brother, Andrew J., had previously come across in 1853 and settled near
the present home of John H. Chapman.
     Mr. Chapman was joined in marriage with Martha Eells and this union has
been blessed with eight children, as follows: Almarien, Mrs. Riddle, of Wyoming;
George N., a resident of Washington; E. B., who married N. Bailey and resides
near the home farm; Stephen D., who married Mary Halter, and assists his father
with the work of the home farm; Alvina, Mrs. Singleton ; Erne, wife of Stephen
Shrum; Francis L.; and one child who died in infancy.
     Politically Mr. Chapman is a stanch Democrat, and in his religious
inclinations is a member of the Baptist Church. He is influential in his
township, both from his long residence and from his ability to command respect.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2010 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.