Description
Collection contains diaries, correspondence, and legal and administrative records of the Chapman family from 1769 to 1936,
especially William Wesley Chapman (1823-1906).
Background
William Wesley Chapman (1823-1906) was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and practiced law in Winchester, Illinois, from 1848
to 1888 and was also a farmer. In April 1854, he married Anna Clarkson (1821-1908) who was born in Clinton, Tennessee, and
raised in Illinois; the couple had three children who survived to adulthood: Eva Chapman Graves (1855-1911), Albert L. Chapman
(1857-1938), and Celinda Jo "Gypsy" Chapman Clardy (1863-1929). William Wesley Chapman traveled to California in search of
gold in 1849, returning to Illinois in 1850. In 1888, William Wesley and Anna Chapman moved to Wichita, Kansas, then later
to Holdenville, Oklahoma, where they both died.
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.