Nettie Sanford Chapin facts for kids

Nettie Sanford Chapin (born Henrietta Maria Skiff; March 28, 1830 – August 20, 1901) was an important American woman in the 1800s. She was a teacher, historian, writer, and even published her own newspaper. Nettie was also a strong supporter of women's right to vote and an activist.

Nettie Chapin mostly wrote non-fiction. She often wrote about the history of Iowa. She also published several small books herself. For a few winters, she lived in Washington, D.C.. During this time, she wrote about the social life and important people in the capital city. In 1875, she started The Ladies Bureau. This was the first newspaper published west of Chicago by a woman. Chapin also led the National Committee of the National Equal Rights Party.

Early Life and Education

Henrietta Maria Skiff, who everyone called "Nettie," was born in Portage County, Ohio, on March 28, 1830. Her parents were Stephen and Lucy Bierce Skiff. Nettie had several brothers and sisters.

In August 1856, Nettie and her father's family moved to Iowa. They settled in Malaka Township, Jasper County, Iowa. Nettie and her father even named the township.

Career Highlights

Teaching and Activism in Iowa

Nettie taught school in Newton, Iowa in the fall of 1856 and the following winter. One time, while going to be tested for teaching, she got lost in a snowstorm on the prairie. Her horse, pulling a small sled, wandered for about four hours. Finally, it found a fence along a farm. When she met the county examiner, he said, "I guess you will do; pretty plucky girl anyhow." She then received her teaching certificate.

During the American Civil War, Nettie helped start the first group in her area to send supplies to Union soldiers. In Newton, she was the first secretary of the local United States Sanitary Commission in 1862.

On September 24, 1863, she married Daniel Sanford. He had lived in California before. They moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, in December 1864. They had two children, Philip and May.

In 1865, Chapin was president of the Marshall County Orphans' Home Society. This group raised money for an Orphans' Home state fair. That same year, she also gave talks about women's right to vote.

Writing and Publishing Ventures

In December 1867, Nettie published her first book. It was a history of Marshall County, Iowa. It was a small book, and she paid $750 to have it printed. Even though it had some mistakes, people liked it and it sold well.

In 1870, there was a lot of talk about women's right to vote. Nettie was chosen as a vice president for the state organization. She gave speeches on the topic, and some newspapers made fun of her. However, other women who supported the movement called a meeting. Nettie was made president of their society.

In January 1873, her husband, Daniel Sanford, passed away after a long illness.

In 1874, Chapin published two more pamphlets: "History of Jasper County" and "The History of Polk County." In October 1875, she started publishing The Ladies Bureau. This was the first newspaper published west of Chicago by a woman. Later, its name was changed to The Woman's Kingdom.

Life in California and Washington D.C.

In the fall of 1877, Nettie went to California because her daughter was not well. In 1878, in Los Angeles, she started publishing the San Gabriel Valley News. After losing money on it, she returned to Marshalltown with very little money.

For many years, she worked as a special writer for newspapers. From 1871 to 1872, she wrote about nine towns and villages in Iowa for newspapers outside the state. In 1878, she worked as a private secretary in Chicago and wrote for Iowa newspapers.

In December 1879, Chapin moved to Washington D.C. She got a job in the United States Department of the Treasury. While in Washington, she wrote for several newspapers, including the Davenport Gazette and The Des Moines Register. She also wrote for The Annals of Iowa, a historical publication. In 1882, she was a vice-president for Iowa at the James A. Garfield memorial fair in Washington D.C. In May 1886, she left her job and returned to Iowa.

Return to Iowa and Continued Work

On June 17, 1886, she married Edwin N. Chapin. He was an editor and publisher of the Marshall County Times. The wedding took place at her mother's farm in Jasper County. Edwin was well-known as an early journalist in Iowa.

On May 16, 1887, in Des Moines, Iowa, Nettie Chapin led the National Committee of the National Equal Rights Party. This party chose Belva Ann Lockwood for President and Alfred H. Love for Vice-president. The party supported women's right to vote and other ideas. That same year, she published a book called Life at the National Capital. She was also chosen as a delegate by the Woman's Relief Corps (W.R.C.) to their meeting in St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1888, the National Woman's Press Association made her a vice-president for Iowa. She had been a founding member and treasurer of this group since 1883. In 1890, she wrote The Iowa Cranks. This book was about an unpopular idea at the time. She published it using her husband's name, but it still sold well.

In 1891, Nettie was chosen as a delegate to the meeting of the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) in Detroit, Michigan. In 1892, she became the state president for Iowa for the Ladies of the G.A.R. She also served in other local groups. In 1893, she started publishing The Pioneer. This was a monthly paper about Marshall County history. This was her last publishing project, apart from writing for other newspapers.

Chapin represented Iowa at the National American Woman Suffrage Association meeting in 1893. For many years, she was also involved with the Iowa branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

Later Years and Legacy

Nettie lived quietly in her later years as her health began to fail. She passed away in Marshalltown, Iowa, on August 20, 1901, due to heart problems. She was buried at Riverside Cemetery in that city. Her obituary (a notice of her death) in the Evening Times Republican newspaper said that "Probably no other Marshalltown woman attained such prominence as did she in her prime and some of her literary ventures, particularly those of a historical nature and referring to pioneer days in Iowa, will live forever." This means her work, especially her historical writings about early Iowa, would be remembered for a long time.

Her Published Works

Books

• Central Iowa farms and herds (1873)
• Pioneer Life in Iowa: Early Sketches of Polk County, from 1842 to 1860 (1874)
• American Court Gossip: Or, Life at the National Capitol (1887)
• Iowa Cranks; or, The beauties of prohibition, a political novel (1890)

Pamphlets

• "History of Jasper County" (1874)
• "The History of Polk County"