Joseph Chauncey Clapham

Joseph Chauncey Clapham was born March 29, 1857 near Westerville, Ohio. His parents were Joseph and Candace Clapham. His father was born in Yorkshire England in 1815 and came to America with his parents when very young. Chauncey grew to manhood, was educated in the public school system and later taught school in that area. While still a young man he moved to Mitchell, South Dakota and tried to sell windmills to the farmers but was unsuccessful and took up teaching again.

In 1885, he met and married Mary Elizabeth Seaton Worthington, a young widow. Mary was born in Chicago in 1855 and had worked in her father’s printing office. His last office was in Cambridge, Illinois, where he published a newspaper. Therefore she was a well educated lady, she knew the publishing business well and as long as she lived she continued to use her dictionary to learn new words.

After a few years, they purchased land and farmed there several years before moving to Missouri. A cousin lived in Northern Missouri, one time Chauncey visited him, J. L. Clapham of Ravanna and saw the good crops and tall corn that grew in that area. He at once returned to South Dakota, sold his land and moved to Missouri and purchased a farm. The Chauncey Clapham family moved to Trail Creek Township, Missouri, from South Dakota, in 1902. Farm machinery and stock were shipped by rail to Cainsville, Missouri, about 4 miles from the new farm. This land was on the Cainsville Mt. Moriah road and in the Ross School District.

He was a successful farmer and enjoyed this way of life, always managing well and keeping accounts of all business of his farm. In Missouri, he was able to enlarge his farm by raising of stock and farm products. As most farmers in that day he and Mary had a large vegetable garden, chickens and all types of fruit. At his death, he had ninety head of young mules. Few farmers milked many cows or sold cream but he found this a paying venture. He had young sons to help with the work at this time.

He was always interested in education and served on school boards and always voted for better schools. Three times he was elected justice of the peace of Trail Creek Township. He and Mary always supported the Banner Church and other worth while projects. Three of his five children were graduated from the Cainsville High School; Candace, Charles and Frank. Candace and Frank became public school teachers.

In 1914, he and Mary planned to turn the farm over to the two eldest sons who were married and they would move to Columbia, Missouri, where the three youngest children would attend college. His death in August 1914, prevented this project.

Among the improvements on the farm were two large barns painted white and a silo.

Mary worked very hard during these years. Cooking and caring for her own family and extra hired men also. I remember going into her home many time and seeing many sweet rolls and loaves of bread raising to be baked. She always had a white tablecloth on her table and on wash days I have seen her hanging clothes on the lines in the late afternoon. This home was the most refined home I was ever in.

The five children who grew to adults in Missouri were Benjamin who married Sylvia Lisa, Robert Married Neola Crais of Missouri, Candace married Harry Johnson of Des Moines in Gillette, Wyoming in March 1921, Charles married Blanch Tanner in Gillette in August 1921, Francis Joseph married Emelia Sherwood of California in Berkley, in 1922. Of all these five children, and their spouses, I am the only one still alive. Mary passed away October 1936, in Gillette, Wyoming. Chauncey and Mary are buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery at Cainsville, Missouri. Of this interesting family, only one Grandson remains in this area. Francis Joseph Clapham and his family live at Gilman City, Missouri.

I am most fortunate to have been a member of this well educated and prominent family. Gratefully submitted

By Mrs. Charles Clapham

I have heard Mary tell of a severe blizzard in the Dakota area in 1889, the year ben was a baby. Chauncey the young father was teaching a rural school that year, a few miles from their home. The blizzard came rushing in one afternoon before school was out. Most parents were aware of the danger of these storms and soon went to the school house after their children. Chauncey stayed at the school until the last child had been taken home then he wondered if his own little family was safe. Most people had lived in this rough county to respect this kind of weather. Chauncey had walked to school and by the time he could start home the storm had grown in intensity and was unsafe to be walking alone in it. He kept wondering if Mary and little Ben were inside the house when the cold winds came and if they had enough fuel to keep warm. He knew there was a wire fence near the school building that ran straight to near his house. If he could only find that fence he could follow it home.

The cold wind was blowing the snow until visibility was almost nil. Until one has experienced one of these western blizzards one can not realize the discomfort and danger of them. He did find the fence near the school building - thank god. He struggled to hold onto the fence and hurried as fast as possible, all the time worrying about his family.

At last he arrived home, and was so relieved to find them safe and warm inside.

Mary had not lived in this harsh country to know these storms. Chauncey after finding them safe, instructed her how to survive in such a storm. He told Mary to never never step outside for any reason in one of these storms. If necessary to burn the furniture.

Mary said the next morning deep snow and drifts were all over the land and the sun came up so very cold, and clear and bright and beautiful – a beautiful scene but many people were found frozen, some within a few feet of their home.