From the book History of Walworth County Wisconsin, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, publ. 1912 - Pages 652 - 653 JOHN CHAPIN. No life is more interesting than that of the old pioneer, for in the days when the wilderness of the West was conquered there were men of iron mould, men who were fearless, courageous and self-sacrificing, who were willing to undergo hardships in order that succeeding generations might be benefited. It is doubtful if such a class of people live today. One of these worthy characters was John CHAPIN, one of the first settlers of Bloomfield township, Walworth county, who was prominent in the affairs of the county in its history- making days, and a man whose record should be preserved. He was born March 29, 1790, in the town of Heath, Franklin county, Massachusetts. Family tradition says that he was a descendant of Samuel CHAPIN, who was one of the first settlers of Massachusetts, probably coming from England on the "Mayflower." John CHAPIN grew to manhood in his native state and there he was married in 1813 to Clarissa PATTERSON, who was born in the same town as Mr.. CHAPIN, on September 28, 1793. To this union eleven children were born, nine of whom came to Bloomfield township, this county. The youngest, Mariette, was born in the town of Bloomfield, in February 1841. She grew to womanhood here and married Ezra GIFFORD, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work; he is now deceased and his widow lives in Lake Geneva. William D. CHAPIN was the oldest of the family. The other children were: Jonathan Patterson, John, Jr., Jacob, Clarissa Jane, Belinda, Diantha, Emily, Lyman, and Monroe. Mrs. GIFFORD, mentioned above, is the only member of the family now living. William D. CHAPIN came to Lake Geneva in the spring of 1837 and made a claim in the present town of Bloomfield in the summer of the same year. His brother, John, Jr., came in the fall of the same year. They were thus among the earliest settlers. John CHAPIN moved with his family to the town of Bloomfield in the fall of 1838 and settled on the southeast quarter of section 6. At that time the land hereabout had not been placed on sale by the government. Mr. CHAPIN bought out a squatter's claim to the land, and in the following spring, when the land was placed on the market, entered it from the government. He and his wife were two of the thirteen charter members of what is now the Congregational church in Lake Geneva, then organized as the Presbyterian church. He was a deacon in the church for a great many years and was an influential man in the affairs of his community. The death of John CHAPIN occurred on December 29, 1865, at the age of seventy-five years and nine months. The death of his wife occurred on April 23, 1873, in the seventy-ninth year of her age. Of their children, William D. lived until within ten years of his death in Bloomfield township, where he owned a farm of nearly three hundred acres. His death occurred in Lake Geneva in April 1904. Mrs. Clarissa Jane LEDINGTON, Mrs. Belinda FOSTER, Mrs. Emily WOLDRON, all died in 1881, within six weeks of each other. J. Patterson moved to Nebraska and died there. John settled in Bremer county, Iowa, where he died. Jacob also died in Iowa. Lyman was a soldier in the Civil war in an Iowa regiment and he died in Iowa. Lyman was a soldier in the Civil war in an Iowa regiment and he died in Iowa. Monroe was a soldier in the twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war and he died in Minnesota. John CHAPIN, of this sketch, was a man of courage and bravery, yet loved peace, and he would bear an insult quietly. He was not easily swerved from his course, being a man of strong characteristics, and always defended the right. He was a strict observer of the Sabbath and trained up his large family to respect the Lord's day, and he was a faithful attendant on his church, rain or shine. He bore his full share of the hardships of pioneer life uncomplainingly, and he was well known among the early settlers and highly respected by them. Submitted By: Carol (carolann612@charter.net)