CHAPMAN, Hyrum

1841 - 1928  (86 years)  Submit Photo / Document

 Set As Default Person

• Name	CHAPMAN, Hyrum
  Birth	3 Oct 1841	Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States
  Gender	Male
  WAC	17 Nov 1861	EHOUS
  _TAG	Reviewed on FS
  Death	22 Jan 1928	Bluewater, Cibola, New Mexico, United States
  Burial	23 Jan 1928	Bluewater, Cibola, New Mexico, United States
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I21671	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

  
  

  Father	CHAPMAN, Welcome Sr. ,   b. 24 Jul 1805, Reedsboro, Bennington, Vermont, United States Reedsboro, Bennington, Vermont, United Statesd. 9 Dec 1893, Fountain Green, Sanpete, Utah, United States (Age 88 years)
  Mother	RISLEY, Susan Amelia ,   b. 24 Aug 1807, Madison, Madison, New York, United States Madison, Madison, New York, United Statesd. 18 Feb 1888, Fountain Green, Sanpete, Utah, United States (Age 80 years)
  Family ID	F11673	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	FULLMER, Rhoda Ann ,   b. 15 Mar 1847, Garden Grove, Decatur, Iowa, United States Garden Grove, Decatur, Iowa, United Statesd. 28 Jan 1917, Bluewater, Valencia, New Mexico, United States (Age 69 years)
  Marriage	10 Apr 1871	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
  Family ID	F11872	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jan 2022

  
  

• Photos

  At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

  
  

• Notes

  Some of this information for this story was given by Lynn C. Chapman of Hamilton, Virginia. Lynn Chapman is a great-grandson of Hyrum. Other information is. from journals of people who lived during the lifetime and in the area in which Hyrum lived. Hyrum was the second son and sixth child of Welcome and Susan Amelia Risley Chapman. Hyrum was born October 3,1841 in Nauvoo, Illinois. Hyrum frequently spoke to his children and grandchildren of seeing the Prophet Joseph Smith as he made his last ride at the head of the Nauvoo Legion. Hyrum would have been about three years old at the time of the prophet’s martyrdom. As the Saints were driven out of their homes in Nauvoo by the hostile mobs, Welcome and Susan Amelia packed up some of their belongings, took their five children and crossed the Mississippi River into another unknown place. This was the first move for Hyrum, but not for his parents, sisters Rossetta and Amelia; and older brother, Joseph. His baby brother, Levi was less than a year old at the time. The family spent time with the other saints in various places until they reached Winter Quarters. Welcome and his family remained in Winter Quarters until 1848. During that time a baby sister, Fedielia, was born into the family. In the summer of 1848, Welcome, Susan Amelia, and their six living children joined with the Heber C Kimball Company, crossed the plains of the United States into the Utah Territory and into the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. In October 1849, another baby brother, Welcome Junior entered into the family. In the spring or summer of 1850, the family was on the move again. This time they arrived in the new, small settlement of Manti, one hundred thirty miles south of Salt Lake Valley. Hyrum is listed as a boy of nine years on the 1850 Federal Census in Manti, Sanpete County, State of Deseret. School in a log cabin in Manti began in September of 1850. Pres. Brigham Young was very adamant that children be educated. Jesse Fox was the teacher. Perhaps Hyrum attended this school with other pioneer children and a few Indians. Black Hawk, an Indian boy, lived with Jesse Fox and he attended this school. Hyrum probably knew Black Hawk at that time. Some times the Indians, including Chief Walker, attended church with the Mormons. A number of the friendly Indians were baptized by Isaac Morley. Hyrum lived in Manti when the stone fort was built in 1852. Small dwellings were built in a square for protection against hostile Indians who frequently came into Manti.. (This fort was built on what is now Main Street and First North.) The Chapman family probably lived in one of these small dwellings. Prior to this time the saints had been living near quarry hill. President Brigham Young told the people to move closer to the city creek so they would have water nearby. Of course, there was no electricity to provide light, nor glass for windows. The windows could be covered with canvas or burlap to give some protection from the cold at night. Hyrum’s mother, as other mothers did, burned rags soaked in oil or fat to give some light in their dwellings. The women saved mutton tallow until they had enough to make candles, that gave more light. In the spring of 1854, a little of the land was broken up and wheat was planted. In the fall just when it looked as if the settlers would have a good crop of wheat, the grasshoppers came in droves so thick they darkened the air. They destroyed the crops and laid their eggs. Again it was a hard winter with little food for the pioneers. The following spring, wheat was again planted, but the grasshopper eggs hatched and again they destroyed the crops. By the time Hyrum was about fourteen years old, in the spring of 1856, provisions were still very scarce. When summer came that year, pigweed sprang up in abundance on the south side of quarry hill (now temple hill). A Scandinavian, Hans Denison, wrote, “It (pigweed) was cut each morning, cleaned, boiled and served with a little meat and potatoes. The weed had never grown there before nor has it grown there since.” Hyrum is listed on the 1860 Federal Census of Manti, Sanpete County, as being nineteen years old and living at home with his parents. As a young man he learned the stone cutting trade along with his brothers and they were very good at stone cutting. Isolated settlers in Manti lived in constant fear of the Indians who would come into the valley and steal the cattle and any crops that might be growing there. Pres. Young said it was better to feed the Indians than to fight them. However, peace was not to be. Renegade Indians banded together under now Chief Black Hawk and the warriors were roaming the whole area of central Utah. They were killing men, women and children, stealing cattle and any thing else they wanted. For more than four years, raiding and killing were the Indians’ pastime. During the first year, 1865/1866, it was estimated the Indians drove off more than 2,000 head of cattle and horses and killed between thirty and forty white settlers. The Nauvoo Legion made Manti their headquarters. Manti was the center of activity against the Indians. Hyrum, and probably his brothers, were veterans of the Walker War and the Black Hawk Wars. Dr. A. L. Neff, Professor of History at the University of Utah wrote, “Black Hawk and his minions worked havoc during the four years that they were plundering and killing. The fact is all the more surprising when it is recalled that the warriors never exceeded three hundred in number and the struggle began and ended with perhaps thirty militants (Indians).” “This Indian, who terrorized the frontier so persistently, was not a time-honored chieftain, but a disaffected renegade of lowly station who flouted acknowledged tribal leadership and gathered around him malcontents and various roving bands (to) initiate independent marauding enterprises.” During the fifteen year period the Chapmans lived in Manti, Hyrum’s father was the spiritual leader of the area. Welcome was continually working with the Indian chieftains, trying to make peace for the saints as well as to perform his religious duties. Mother Susan Amelia was also active in the church. She served as a counselor to the Relief Society President in Manti and most likely was hostess to the General Authorities when they visited the area. In October of 1865, Hyrum’s father was called to work on the building of the Salt Lake Temple. It is not known whether part of the family moved shorty after this time, but Welcome’s Children were still being born in Manti until 1869. Family tradition tells us that Welcome and seven of his sons worked as stone cutters on the Salt Lake Temple at the same time. Hyrum met and later married Rhoda Ann Fullmer, April 10, 1871, in Salt Lake City. He was twenty-nine years of age. Together they had three daughters and five sons: Rhoda Susan, Hyrum David, Welcome Octavious, Eugene Throop, Zera Marvin, Winnie (born in Park City in 1883)or Winnie (born in St. John in 1885), Minnie Belle, and Don Archibald. Hyrum was called in 1884 to move his family to St. John, Apache County, Arizona to cut stone on the St. Johns’ Stake Academy. Hyrum and his family lived in St. John for eleven years. As part of his work, Hyrum cut the stones on the table, caps and sills on the Academy. In the fall of 1895, Hyrum moved his family to Bluewater, New Mexico. He and his family were among the first Later-day Saints to settle this valley. He called Bluewater his home until the time of his death. His wife Rhoda Ann died January 28,1917 and is buried in Bluewater. As a veteran of the Walker and Black Hawk Indian Wars, Hyrum drew a government pension for his service in the wars. In his older years, he qualified and spent many of the winter months at the Old Soldier’s Home in Los Angeles, California. In the summer months, he spent time with his children in Utah and did ordinance work in the Salt Lake Temple. At the time of his death he was visiting his children in Bluewater, New Mexico. On January 22, 1928 he died as the result of a stroke and was buried by the side of his wife Rhoda Ann in Bluewater, Valencia, New Mexico. Hyrum Chapman Life Sketch A Short Sketch Of Hyrum Chapman's Life Hyrum Chapman was the third son and sixth child of Welcome Chapman and Susan Amelia Risley. Hyrum was born in Nauvoo, Illinois, October 3, 1841. His father, Welcome Chapman, was born July 24, 1805 and was living in the State of Vermont when news went far and wide of advent of the Gospel and the new Prophet. Welcome on hearing this strange story went on horse back to hunt the Prophet and learn the facts about the story. On finding the Prophet in western New York, he stayed with him two weeks, listening to his wonderful story of the New Gospel. He was converted and baptized into the Church and returned for his wife and family which consisted of two children. They immediately made plans to leave there own home and cast their lot with the members of the Church. With his wife and two children and household equipment they traveled by team to New York, where the Church headquarters were at that time. He remained with the church during their trials and persecutions, being a member of the Prophet's Body Guard throughout his life. Hyrum, at this time was a mere child, but he distinctly remembered having seen the Prophet Joseph Smith as he made his last ride at the head of the Nauvoo Legion, and frequently spoke of it. Welcome Chapman came to Utah in the fall of 1848, in the company of Heber C Kimball. He became the second President of Sampete County, succeeding Isaac Morley, which position he occupied for seven or eight years, after which he returned to Salt Lake to work in the Temple which he followed continually until the building was up to the Square. He then returned to Manti for a few years, assisting with the inside work on the Temple until it was completed and dedicated. He died and was buried in Manti, Utah, by the side of his wife, Susan A. Chapman. Hyrum Chapman, third son of Welcome Chapman and Susan Immigrated to Salt Lake Valley with his parents. He married Fullmer in the 29th year of his life, and to this union was daughters and five sons. Four sons and two of the daughters living. As a young man he learned the stone cutter's trade and worked on the Salt Lake Temple several years, and followed that trade most of his life. The table, caps, and sille in the St. Johns' Stake Academy building are a part of his work. He migrated from Salt Lake into St. Johns, Arizona in 1884, where he lived for eleven years, moving from A. Risley, Rhoda Ann born three are still there with his family in the fall of 1895, to Bluewater, New Mexico, being one of the first Latter Day Saints Families who settled in that Valley which was his home until the time of his death. From his marriage were born 47 Grand-children, and at the time of his death there were 10 Great-Grand-Children. He was a veteran of the Black Hawk and Walker Indian Wars and drew a pension from the Government for that service. The last few years of his life he spent at the Old Soldier's Home in Los Angeles, California. Just the winter months were spent in California. And the summer months were spent in Utah with his children. He also spent some of his time working in the Salt Lake Temple. At the time of his death he was visiting his children in New Mexico. Died from a Stroke. He died January 22, 1928 in Bluewater, New Mexico and was buried by the side of his wife Rhoda Ann Fullmer.