Chester William Chapin | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's11th district | |
| In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 | |
| Preceded by | Henry L. Dawes |
| Succeeded by | George D. Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1798-12-16)December 16, 1798 |
| Died | June 10, 1883(1883-06-10) (aged 84) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Signature | .png) |
Chester William Chapin (December 16, 1798 – June 10, 1883) was an American businessman, president of theBoston and Albany Railroad from 1868 to 1878, andU.S. Congressman fromMassachusetts.[1] He was a multimillionaire at his death in 1883, and controlled one of New England’s most important rail lines.[2][3]
Chester W. Chapin was born inLudlow, Massachusetts, to Ephriam and Mary Smith Chapin,[4] the youngest of seven children,[5] and six generations removed from Puritan forebearer,Deacon Samuel Chapin.
The family moved to Chicopee and in 1806 his father died, leaving Chester and his brothers to work their farm. He attended common schools andWestfield Academy,Westfield, Massachusetts. One of his first paying jobs was when local cotton mills were being built, when he earned $1.50 a day.
Chapin quickly went into business for himself, opening a store, and in 1822 was appointed town tax collector, for which he received $80.[6]
Around 1826 he bought an interest in the stage line fromHartford, Connecticut, toBrattleboro, Vermont, and soon held extensive mail and stage contracts. In 1831, when steamboats began to run on the river between Hartford andSpringfield, Massachusetts, he bought an interest, soon became sole proprietor, and for about 15 years controlled all the passenger traffic on that route.
He also became a large or principal owner of the steamship lines betweenNew York City, Hartford, andNew Haven, Connecticut. He later extended his interests into railroads and banking, becoming founder, principal, or president of many companies, including theWestern Railroad, the Agawam (National) Bank, and theConnecticut River Railroad. He was one of the earliest advocates of a bridge over theHudson River atAlbany, New York.[7] He served as president and a director of the Western Railroad Corporation from 1854 to 1867, president of theBoston and Albany Railroad from 1868 to 1878, and a director until 1880.
Before his time in Congress, Chapin served as a delegate of theMassachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1853 and, as aWar Democrat, purchased the uniforms of the10th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry at the outset of theAmerican Civil War.[8] Chapin was elected as aDemocrat to theForty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877), and served on the Committee of Ways And Means.[9]He ran unsuccessfully for reelection in 1876.
Chapin married his first cousin Dorcas [Chapin] on June 1, 1825; they had four children: Abel Dexter, Margaret, Anna, and Chester W.[5]
He died a multimillionaire in Springfield on June 10, 1883, and was interred inSpringfield Cemetery.[3] His son Chester (Abel died in 1878) inherited his estate, despite being himself already a millionaire, and he acquired various homes including a 20,000 acres estate in theCatskills Mountains in New York State, about 100 miles from Manhattan.[3] He died in 1922, leaving an estate of about 5 million dollars.[3][10][11]
Chapin’s great-uncles, Harvey Dexter Chapin and Abijah White Chapin, married Louisa D. Wilcox and Sarah M. Wilcox, cousins of manufacturerBurrage Yale, and members of theYale family.[12][13] Lucy's husband, Eli Wilcox, wasJustice of the Peace and Board director the State bank of Connecticut, and her brother, Dr. Leroy Milton Yale Sr. was aHarvard graduate, fishing ships owner, and father of Dr.Leroy Milton Yale Jr.[14] Chester was also the great-granduncle of Sarah Yale Chapin, daughter of Abijah W., and granddaughter of Col. Harvey.[13][15]
In 1881, Chapin commissioned sculptorAugustus Saint-Gaudens to produce a sculpture of his forefather, Deacon Samuel Chapin; the end result,The Puritan, was not released until 1887, four years after Chester Chapin's death.[16]
TheNew York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company /New England Steamship company (Providence Line) passenger steamerChester W. Chapin of 1899 (served until 1923) was named after him.
He was a working member of the constitutional convention of 1853, held sundry town and city offices, and good-naturedly consented to run for Congress several times when there was no possible chance for one of his part to be elected. He was a war democrat, and largely paid for the uniforms of the City guard when that organization joined the 10th regiment.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts district 11 March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
| People | |
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