I've "rescued" a very old family letter which was written by Jane S. C.
CHAPIN of Fostoria, Michigan to Mrs. Caroline M. PICKETT of Ashtabula, Ohio.
The letter is dated Feb 18th 1896 with the 1897 postmark leading me to
believe that it may have actually been 1897 rather than 1896 when the letter
was penned.
The contents of the letter follows:
Letter from J.S. CHAPIN of Fostoria, Michigan
Addressed to Mrs. Caroline M. PICKETT, 41 Prospect St, Ashtabula, Ohio
Postmarked 1897 at Fostoria, Michigan
Dated Feb 18 1896
My Dear Caroline:
Yours of several dates in Dec was gladly received. I found the outline of
the history of your married life extremely interesting and am anxious to
have the conclusion.
I have been suffering from a sort of rheumatic affection of the right hand
which left the fingers especially very stiff clumsy and unmanageable with a
pen, also somewhat tremulous; and the conditions have been so annoying that
I have had little comfort of my writing table for the last three months. I
have managed to keep up my private correspondence, after a slip-shod
fashion, but my heavier work has accumulated until I fairly smothered and I
know I must forthwith make a break by sheer will power and energy.
My nephew O. A. CHAPPELL DDS, MD, Elgin, Ill. Is preparing a Genealogical
History of the New England or Northern CHAPPELL's for publication and is
depending largely on one for assistance. I have now on my hands five
outline biographies and a 366 paged volume covering the life of Mrs. Eliza
CHAPPELL PORTER, a digest of which is required of me. Also, the CHAPIN
Family Reunion has through its historian for '97 requested me to give the
several links by which my husbands line was connected with Deacon Samuel
CHAPIN one of the founders of Springfield, Mass, the American Nation and the
American family of CHAPIN's.
You never would imagine how much letter writing is involved in these
researches. I have been for more than a year digging and delving in other
centuries, and the earlier decades of the current one; until I am getting to
feel really historical, ancient, and even musty. You will not be surprised
when I tell you that the CHAPPELL line runs back to the DESCHAPELLES of
Cannes France; and the CHAPIN line to the same land.
It was spelled as we spell the name now, but pronounced Shapeen; and the
other, Shapelle. Both families were Hugenots, French Protestants and were
driven into England when the Edict of Nantes issued by Henry IV of France
was repealed or revoked in 1679 was it?
Well this will scarcely interest you. Your life has indeed been varied; and
I should think void of monotony. It was 13 years after I began teaching
that I finished my last school room work being done in the intermediate
Department of the Fourth Ward School of Portage Wis. Before the graded
system was instituted there. And my advantage had been so narrow and meager
that through all those thirteen years I carried on in dwelling consciousness
of being a fraud, a humbug, &c &c. The fancy had a good foundation it is
true; and yet after all it was largely due to morbid mental conditions
caused by ill health. I think that as long as ministers and teachers live
they carry in this own hearts and lives a perpetual reward of their labors.
I am glad that for even six years you know the joy of having a home of your
own with grounds to improve. It is getting into a nearness of natures heart
that is healthful alike to soul and body. But how very sad it was that Mr.
PICKETT should sink all his savings and the PICKETT Family Home be swallowed
up in that one mill. But is an old, old story, after all.
We remember the fierce bitterness of the sectional feeling of those times,
the wonder is how a Northern man could ever get the position Mr. PICKETT
secured in Memphis; much more how he could had it so long.
Yes, yes, I honor the graves, now and forever! That very power of infusing
their own enthusiasm into and through and through almost every soul, with
which they came in contact, was the secret of their almost unparalleled
success. And without the same power in some measure or degree no teacher
can succeed.
I have seen ? so wrought upon by the Father of Augustus CASTLE's rendition
of Bernardo del Carpio that every vestige of color would forsake his face
and his whole frame tremble like an aspen; when every word and even
punctuation mark of the recitation must have been as familiar to him as the
syllables of his own name. And the absorption was genuine too; and not
assumed. I have a personal knowledge of the feeling of exaltation they
managed to put into pupils, of even the very lowest attainments. I have a
vision this minute of a youngster with a pile of class books under his arm;
yellow curls, almost touching his shoulders; collar, a la Byron; feet
treading on air; head in the clouds, and "eyes in five phrensy rolling". It
looks like William WAKEFIELD. Thus over and over we live again the
beautiful years agone!
Well I cannot write much of a letter today; but will try to make amends next
time. I have been for two years and more conducting the education of three
granddaughters aged nearly ten eight and six who never attended school and I
have only had the interval between morning and afternoon lessons; and the
hour afterward to write these pages.
I want the rest of the story; also, who your daughters married and where
they live; Who Cornelia married, and if she has children. With much love to
yourself and kind regards to Mr. PICKETT I remain Faithfully Yours,
Jane S. C. CHAPIN
Note - Our children have not been out of reach of schools. The mortal dread
in Father Mother and Grandmother of the evils of promiscuous association
with other children is at the bottom of it. We use the same text books and
methods of instruction used in the schools but keep far ahead.
Based on limited research I was able to locate the family of Aaron &
Caroline A. PICKET in the 1880 census of Ashtabula, OH as follows:
Aaron PICKET, age 54, born OH, Teaching School, parents born MA
Caroline A. PICKET, wife, age 54, born OH, Teaching School, Mother born CT
Hattie B. PICKET, dau, age 19, born WI, at School
Lina F. PICKET, dau, age 14, born WI, at School
Mary C. PICKET, dau, age 7, born OH
Louis COUNT, other, age 24, born Canada, a Servant, parents born Canada
I also was able to locate the author's nephew referenced in the letter as O.
A. CHAPPELL of Elgin, IL. He is recorded in the 1900 census living in
Elgin, IL with records providing the following information:
Ora D. CHAPPELL, age 38, born Feb 1862, married 2 years, born WI, parents
born OH/MI, a Dentist
Nellie CHAPPELL, wife, age 36, born Mar 1864, married 2 years, 2 children/2
living, born IL, parents born NY/IL
Ora M. CHAPPELL, son, age 13, born Feb 1887, born IL, parents born WI/IL, at
School
Rollo M. CHAPPELL, son age 10, born Oct 1889, born IL, parents born WI/IL,
at School
In 1910 he was still living in Elgin, IL rooming in a house by himself with
census records providing the following information:
Ora A. CHAPPELL, age 48, married 23 years, born WI, parents born OH/MI, a
Dentist
In 1920 I find his son Ora living in Elgin, IL with census records providing
the following information:
Ora CHAPPELL, age 30, born IL, parents born WI/IL, a Dentist
Grace CHAPPELL, wife, age 29, born IL, parents born Denmark
I am hoping to locate someone from one of these families so that this
wonderful old letter can be returned to the rightful place with family. If
you are a member of one of the families or know someone who might be, please
contact me.
Thanks,
Shelley