Levi, the namesake of his grandfather and uncle, was born in Baltimore, Maryland and lived in Ward 15 at birth and Ward 17 in 1860. He moved with his parents, Philip Chapin (1805-1887) and Sarah Josephine Wright Chapin (1822-1885), in the 1860s to Pine Meadow, CT. According to one of Levi's daughters, Geta Chapin Norton, Philip and Levi and perhaps more of the family, first traveled to Brattleboro, VT to stay with Philip's brother Levi; however, farm life apparently did not agree with Philip and he left, leaving Levi there so he could learn farming. In Geta's words, "The two Levi's were both temperamental and when Uncle Levi used a whip on my father, he was all through, inheritance or no inheritance! He was not staying with Uncle Levi another minute. . . ." Thus Levi settled in Pine Meadow.
He married Emma C. Gaines in Pine Meadow on November 5, 1874. While living in Pine Meadow (a village within New Hartford), Levi often served as moderator at town meetings and worked for his uncle Hermon Chapin's plane and rule making business in Pine Meadow where he was in charge of the level department. From 1893 to 1896, Levi was the postmaster in the Pine Meadow Post Office. After Emma died, he married Elizabeth Hall while a resident at the Old People's Home on Jefferson Street in Hartford. Oddly, the 1930 census lists all residents there as "inmates." In 1933, Levi was apparently in good health, visited his wife Elizabeth in the infirmary, and dropped dead outside his room.
Interestingly, Levi's children used to refer to him as "The Old Crab."
A family story says that Levi had an African American nanny as a child in Baltimore. The 1850 census lists one Frances Wright living in the household of Levi's parents, Philip and Sarah Wright Chapin. In 1850, Frances is 12 and is identified as Black. In addition, Levi told his daughter Bertha Chapin Viering that he was once visiting Boston as a young man and recognized his nanny and that they had a warm reunion. Could his nanny have been Frances Wright? Also, it is interesting to note that Philip's wife's maiden name was also Wright, but she is identified in the census as White. Perhaps the Wright family were slave owners and Sarah brought Frances with her into the marriage in 1838. After all, Frances was likely born in 1838 as well.
He married Emma C. Gaines in Pine Meadow on November 5, 1874. While living in Pine Meadow (a village within New Hartford), Levi often served as moderator at town meetings and worked for his uncle Hermon Chapin's plane and rule making business in Pine Meadow where he was in charge of the level department. From 1893 to 1896, Levi was the postmaster in the Pine Meadow Post Office. After Emma died, he married Elizabeth Hall while a resident at the Old People's Home on Jefferson Street in Hartford. Oddly, the 1930 census lists all residents there as "inmates." In 1933, Levi was apparently in good health, visited his wife Elizabeth in the infirmary, and dropped dead outside his room.
Interestingly, Levi's children used to refer to him as "The Old Crab."
A family story says that Levi had an African American nanny as a child in Baltimore. The 1850 census lists one Frances Wright living in the household of Levi's parents, Philip and Sarah Wright Chapin. In 1850, Frances is 12 and is identified as Black. In addition, Levi told his daughter Bertha Chapin Viering that he was once visiting Boston as a young man and recognized his nanny and that they had a warm reunion. Could his nanny have been Frances Wright? Also, it is interesting to note that Philip's wife's maiden name was also Wright, but she is identified in the census as White. Perhaps the Wright family were slave owners and Sarah brought Frances with her into the marriage in 1838. After all, Frances was likely born in 1838 as well.
Levi, the namesake of his grandfather and uncle, was born in Baltimore, Maryland and lived in Ward 15 at birth and Ward 17 in 1860. He moved with his parents, Philip Chapin (1805-1887) and Sarah Josephine Wright Chapin (1822-1885), in the 1860s to Pine Meadow, CT. According to one of Levi's daughters, Geta Chapin Norton, Philip and Levi and perhaps more of the family, first traveled to Brattleboro, VT to stay with Philip's brother Levi; however, farm life apparently did not agree with Philip and he left, leaving Levi there so he could learn farming. In Geta's words, "The two Levi's were both temperamental and when Uncle Levi used a whip on my father, he was all through, inheritance or no inheritance! He was not staying with Uncle Levi another minute. . . ." Thus Levi settled in Pine Meadow.
He married Emma C. Gaines in Pine Meadow on November 5, 1874. While living in Pine Meadow (a village within New Hartford), Levi often served as moderator at town meetings and worked for his uncle Hermon Chapin's plane and rule making business in Pine Meadow where he was in charge of the level department. From 1893 to 1896, Levi was the postmaster in the Pine Meadow Post Office. After Emma died, he married Elizabeth Hall while a resident at the Old People's Home on Jefferson Street in Hartford. Oddly, the 1930 census lists all residents there as "inmates." In 1933, Levi was apparently in good health, visited his wife Elizabeth in the infirmary, and dropped dead outside his room.
Interestingly, Levi's children used to refer to him as "The Old Crab."
A family story says that Levi had an African American nanny as a child in Baltimore. The 1850 census lists one Frances Wright living in the household of Levi's parents, Philip and Sarah Wright Chapin. In 1850, Frances is 12 and is identified as Black. In addition, Levi told his daughter Bertha Chapin Viering that he was once visiting Boston as a young man and recognized his nanny and that they had a warm reunion. Could his nanny have been Frances Wright? Also, it is interesting to note that Philip's wife's maiden name was also Wright, but she is identified in the census as White. Perhaps the Wright family were slave owners and Sarah brought Frances with her into the marriage in 1838. After all, Frances was likely born in 1838 as well.
He married Emma C. Gaines in Pine Meadow on November 5, 1874. While living in Pine Meadow (a village within New Hartford), Levi often served as moderator at town meetings and worked for his uncle Hermon Chapin's plane and rule making business in Pine Meadow where he was in charge of the level department. From 1893 to 1896, Levi was the postmaster in the Pine Meadow Post Office. After Emma died, he married Elizabeth Hall while a resident at the Old People's Home on Jefferson Street in Hartford. Oddly, the 1930 census lists all residents there as "inmates." In 1933, Levi was apparently in good health, visited his wife Elizabeth in the infirmary, and dropped dead outside his room.
Interestingly, Levi's children used to refer to him as "The Old Crab."
A family story says that Levi had an African American nanny as a child in Baltimore. The 1850 census lists one Frances Wright living in the household of Levi's parents, Philip and Sarah Wright Chapin. In 1850, Frances is 12 and is identified as Black. In addition, Levi told his daughter Bertha Chapin Viering that he was once visiting Boston as a young man and recognized his nanny and that they had a warm reunion. Could his nanny have been Frances Wright? Also, it is interesting to note that Philip's wife's maiden name was also Wright, but she is identified in the census as White. Perhaps the Wright family were slave owners and Sarah brought Frances with her into the marriage in 1838. After all, Frances was likely born in 1838 as well.
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