WILLIAM CHAPMAN

Butte County

Biographies

WILLIAM CHAPMAN

WILLIAM CHAPMAN.--One of the oldest and one of the most successful and reliable ranchers in Butte County, who by energy and perseverance has acquired a competency, and has now retired from active ranch work is William Chapman. He put in his first crop of grain fifty-one years ago. He was born neat Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, January 7, 1843. His parents, Thomas and Mary Ann Chapman, were farmers there. William Chapman was reared on the farm educated in the public schools. When sixteen years and seven months old he enlisted in the English Navy on the warship Immortality. This was the first ship which had rifle bored guns. In time he worked his way up from a sailor to able seaman. He was sent to the West India Islands, and to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was three and one half years on the Immortality in the North American and West India fleets, most of the time in the West India fleet. In 1863 he shipped aboard the American merchant vessel, Kate Prince, sailing from Bermuda around Cape Horn to Acapulco. He then enlisted in the American navy and served on an American man-of-war and came on her to Vallejo, Cal. In June, 1864, he came to Colusa County and worked on a ranch. In 1865 he came to Chico and again worked on a ranch. In 1867 he leased land for one year on Sacramento River and put in his first crop. He then leased the Roger’s place, nine miles below Chico, which he retained for twenty-five years, putting in one thousand acres of grain in a season. He had four eight-mule teams and ran a combined harvester. After leaving the Roger’s place he leased the Ike Bennett place of four hundred acres on Shasta road and also other lands three miles above Chico where he remained thirteen years. In 1912 he bought his present home place of eleven acres on Shasta Road, two miles north of Chico, setting out a prune orchard which is now bearing, and built the house in which he now lives. He continued ranching, however, going back once more to the Roger’s place of one thousand acres which he leased for five years. His crops were good and in 1916 he put in three hundred acres of barley, getting twenty sacks to the acre, and six hundred fifty acres of wheat which averaged better than seventeen sacks per acre, the largest yield and highest price in his experience. He received thirty-two thousand dollars for his share of the crop and in the fall sold his outfit and quit ranching. He owns a seven-and-one-half acre peach orchard and also a twelve acre prune and almond orchard one half mile east from his residence. He was married near Chico, Butte County, to Mrs. Mary E. (Jellison) Knott, who was born in Boston, Mass. They have two children, William Henry, who assists his father, and Mary Ann, Mrs. Barkley, who lives on one of his ranches. He is one of the oldest Odd Fellows in the county and is a good old fashioned Democrat. Both Mr. and Mrs. Chapman are well liked and much esteemed by all who know them and their many friends rejoice in their good fortune. They are passing their declining years happily in their comfortable home where Mr. Chapman devotes his spare time to horticulture.

Transcribed by Louise E. Shoemaker November 22, 2007.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 513-514, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

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