Advertisement

Advertisement

John P Chatfield

Birth
Kirtland, Lake County, Ohio, USA
Death
11 Oct 1908 (aged 82)
Stevensville, Ravalli County, Montana, USA
Burial
Stevensville, Ravalli County, Montana, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
8th of 8 children of ISAAC CHATFIELD & SABRA BEEBE
Occupation: Farmer, mountain man, miner, saloonkeeper

Married (1): MARY BARKER(?) (a Native American) may not have married
One known child:
1. Benjamin William CHATFIELD
b. 1865, Montana - aft 1887

Married (2): abt 1883, Mrs. BARKER, Stevensville, Ravalli Co., Montana

=========
CENSUS 1860
RESIDENCE: Upper Umatilla, Wasco, Oregon
John Chatfield 34 Abt. 1826 Ohio Male
CENSUS 1870
RESIDENCE: Bitter Root Valley, Missoula, Montana Territory
John Chatfield 44 Abt. 1826 Ohio Male (Farmer)
Fred Josh 15 Abt. 1855 Illinois Male
W Y Brown 23 Abt. 1847 Ohio Male
CENSUS 1880
RESIDENCE: Bitter Root Valley, Missoula, Montana
John Chalfield 54 Abt. 1826 Ohio Head (Single, keeps saloon)
Benj. W. Chalfield 16 Abt. 1864 Montana Territory Son
CENSUS 1900
RESIDENCE: Township 9, Ravalli, Montana;
John Chatfield 74 Nov 1845 Ohio Head (Widow)
=========
Montana, County Marriages
(Note: record is for son)
Name: William Benjamin Chatfield
Gender: Male
Race: One Half Indian (Native American)
Age: 22
Birth Date: 1865
Birth Place: Bitter Root Valley, Montana
Marriage Date: 19 Sep 1887
Marriage Place: Philipsburg, Deer Lodge, Montana
Father: John Chatfield
Mother: Mary Chatfield
Spouse: Ida Beatrice Teabean
[Ida Beatrice Bulger]
Gender: Female
Race: Multiple
Age: 22
Birth Date: 1865
Birth Place: Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio
Father: Patrick Bulger
Mother: Hannah Bulger
=========
Letter from John Chatfield to his father (Isaac Chatfield living in Stark Co., Illinois), postmarked from San Francisco
Mary's River O.T. April 10, 1849
Dear Father & Mother,
It is now upwards of two years since I left home and have been unable to hear from or about you until a few weeks since I received a letter from Olive Lake (dated Feb. 1848) which brought me the agreeable news of your good health up to the date of her kind letter. For which very acceptable letter you will please give Miss Olive my thanks and best wishes. Since I left home I have been favored with excellent health, have met with no serious accidents, endured a few hardships, met with some whole sonled fellows, and some to the contrary, but have not made my fortune yet. However, my prospects are at this time somewhat flattering as I am preparing to go to the California Gold Mines, where gold is very easily obtained. As for Oregon I shall only say that it possesses some important advantages, but all the disadvantages of a new country and is at this time thrown into great confusion by the discovery of the Gold Mines. All things considered if I should give my opinion relative to emigrating to this country it would be (for all those that desire to enjoy this life to the best advantage) to stay at home, especially old people.

As regard California if the best information I can get of that Country is correct, it is a poor, sickly, sterile country and only valuable for it's gold mines which are very extensive and rich. Gold has even found on all the streams along the Sierra Nevada of California Mountains as far as have been explored, which is from 800 to 1000 miles. And so rich or plenty that it is not very uncommon for a man to obtain $200 worth in a single day and an average days work is said to be from 2 to 4 ounces.

I.C. Avery (?) of this place and formerly of Stark County Ill, dug about $1400. in seven days. The above is the fair side of the picture of the Gold mines and I need hardly tell you that there is another side, such as hardships, privations, sickness and the worst of society. There is a tale circulating here about a young man that had been rather an unsuccessful candidate for matrimony among the girls of Oregon who went to the mines and when digging one day had the good fortune to find a 24 pound lump of Gold. After looking at it for a moment he was heard to exclaim a wife now by G_d...

My intention now is to go to the mines this spring, remain there from 12 to 18 months and then return home if my health is spared. Elmira, widow of the late Parker Ward was married a few day since to Dr Saffron of Oregon City.

The first part of the road to Oregon as far as Ft Laramie is very good, but the balance of the way it is as bad as can be and traveled with wagons. The first winter I saw in Oregon was very mild but the second one was so cold as to be rather sever upon the stock as it is never fed in this country--There was considerable snow that laid about three weeks--However the friends of Oregon say it was a very, extraordinary winter but I fear these extraordinarys occur too often.

You will give my best wishes to Dr Nan and all inquiring friends and especially much joy to E. McNaught Esq - - -
Adieu
John Chatfield
=========
Letter contributed by Joyce Clark Miller
8th of 8 children of ISAAC CHATFIELD & SABRA BEEBE
Occupation: Farmer, mountain man, miner, saloonkeeper

Married (1): MARY BARKER(?) (a Native American) may not have married
One known child:
1. Benjamin William CHATFIELD
b. 1865, Montana - aft 1887

Married (2): abt 1883, Mrs. BARKER, Stevensville, Ravalli Co., Montana

=========
CENSUS 1860
RESIDENCE: Upper Umatilla, Wasco, Oregon
John Chatfield 34 Abt. 1826 Ohio Male
CENSUS 1870
RESIDENCE: Bitter Root Valley, Missoula, Montana Territory
John Chatfield 44 Abt. 1826 Ohio Male (Farmer)
Fred Josh 15 Abt. 1855 Illinois Male
W Y Brown 23 Abt. 1847 Ohio Male
CENSUS 1880
RESIDENCE: Bitter Root Valley, Missoula, Montana
John Chalfield 54 Abt. 1826 Ohio Head (Single, keeps saloon)
Benj. W. Chalfield 16 Abt. 1864 Montana Territory Son
CENSUS 1900
RESIDENCE: Township 9, Ravalli, Montana;
John Chatfield 74 Nov 1845 Ohio Head (Widow)
=========
Montana, County Marriages
(Note: record is for son)
Name: William Benjamin Chatfield
Gender: Male
Race: One Half Indian (Native American)
Age: 22
Birth Date: 1865
Birth Place: Bitter Root Valley, Montana
Marriage Date: 19 Sep 1887
Marriage Place: Philipsburg, Deer Lodge, Montana
Father: John Chatfield
Mother: Mary Chatfield
Spouse: Ida Beatrice Teabean
[Ida Beatrice Bulger]
Gender: Female
Race: Multiple
Age: 22
Birth Date: 1865
Birth Place: Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio
Father: Patrick Bulger
Mother: Hannah Bulger
=========
Letter from John Chatfield to his father (Isaac Chatfield living in Stark Co., Illinois), postmarked from San Francisco
Mary's River O.T. April 10, 1849
Dear Father & Mother,
It is now upwards of two years since I left home and have been unable to hear from or about you until a few weeks since I received a letter from Olive Lake (dated Feb. 1848) which brought me the agreeable news of your good health up to the date of her kind letter. For which very acceptable letter you will please give Miss Olive my thanks and best wishes. Since I left home I have been favored with excellent health, have met with no serious accidents, endured a few hardships, met with some whole sonled fellows, and some to the contrary, but have not made my fortune yet. However, my prospects are at this time somewhat flattering as I am preparing to go to the California Gold Mines, where gold is very easily obtained. As for Oregon I shall only say that it possesses some important advantages, but all the disadvantages of a new country and is at this time thrown into great confusion by the discovery of the Gold Mines. All things considered if I should give my opinion relative to emigrating to this country it would be (for all those that desire to enjoy this life to the best advantage) to stay at home, especially old people.

As regard California if the best information I can get of that Country is correct, it is a poor, sickly, sterile country and only valuable for it's gold mines which are very extensive and rich. Gold has even found on all the streams along the Sierra Nevada of California Mountains as far as have been explored, which is from 800 to 1000 miles. And so rich or plenty that it is not very uncommon for a man to obtain $200 worth in a single day and an average days work is said to be from 2 to 4 ounces.

I.C. Avery (?) of this place and formerly of Stark County Ill, dug about $1400. in seven days. The above is the fair side of the picture of the Gold mines and I need hardly tell you that there is another side, such as hardships, privations, sickness and the worst of society. There is a tale circulating here about a young man that had been rather an unsuccessful candidate for matrimony among the girls of Oregon who went to the mines and when digging one day had the good fortune to find a 24 pound lump of Gold. After looking at it for a moment he was heard to exclaim a wife now by G_d...

My intention now is to go to the mines this spring, remain there from 12 to 18 months and then return home if my health is spared. Elmira, widow of the late Parker Ward was married a few day since to Dr Saffron of Oregon City.

The first part of the road to Oregon as far as Ft Laramie is very good, but the balance of the way it is as bad as can be and traveled with wagons. The first winter I saw in Oregon was very mild but the second one was so cold as to be rather sever upon the stock as it is never fed in this country--There was considerable snow that laid about three weeks--However the friends of Oregon say it was a very, extraordinary winter but I fear these extraordinarys occur too often.

You will give my best wishes to Dr Nan and all inquiring friends and especially much joy to E. McNaught Esq - - -
Adieu
John Chatfield
=========
Letter contributed by Joyce Clark Miller

Gravesite Details

no headstone found; there are a number of unreadable and/or broken markers in cemetery. Possible that John Chatfield's marker is one of those.



Sponsored by Ancestry

Advertisement