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Norman Chatfield in household of Nicholas CHATFIELD, "New York, State Census, 1855"

meroriallibrary.com/CO/1898DenverPB/pages/pbrd1058.htm Written about 1894-5.

NORMAN CHATFIELD. A perusal of the briefest history of the eventful life of the gentleman of whom this article is penned yet brings to any imaginative mind strange pictures of stirring adventures by land and sea; of vicissitudes, hardships, good and bad fortune, not often crowded into the life of one man. A man of real genius, equally at home on the high seas, in the mines and mountains, on the plains or prairies, lakes or rivers, as master of a boat or manager of a mill, his like is rarely seen. At present he is the superintendent of the Kansas mill, owned by the Gold Co in Mining Company. This is a forty-stamp mill, located at Nevadaville, Gilpin County.

The paternal grandfather of our subject, Nicholas CHATFIELD, came from an old agricultural family in Kent, England. Nicholas, Jr., father of Norman CHATFIELD, was likewise a native of Kent, and there learned the tanner's and currier's trade. Coming to America, he started a tannery at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, and later removed it to Canterbury Township, on a creek of the same name. After a busy and successful career, he died in 1881, at the advanced age of fourscore years. His wife, who departed this life in 1880, when in her eighty-third year, was born in Kent, and was a Miss Susan Nye in her maidenhood. Their nine children all grew to maturity, and all but two are still living. Two sons, George and Howard, took part in the Civil war.

Norman Chatfield was born at Cornwall, N. Y., January 20, 1842, and attended the school of Canterbury until he was a lad of fourteen. In 1856 he shipped aboard a sailing vessel at Nantucket and started on a long whaling voyage. They proceeded southward to the Cape of Good Hope, thence to New Zealand, cruised near Kamchatka, spent the summer season in the north and winters further south, and thus passed four years. Young CHATFIELD, who went as a cabin boy, was gradually promoted, was a stroke-oresman (sic), and the third year was made a harpooner. On three different occasions he was dashed out of the boat, the latter being smashed to pieces by the infuriated whale, which the crew were endeavoring to capture. Each time Mr. Chatfield escaped but little the worse for his terrible experience. At length the cargo was unloaded in San Francisco and the crew discharged. In the fall of 1859 our young friend returned home by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Next year he made two trips to London as third mate of the packet ship "Patrick Henry," and in 1861 took a position as mate on the clipper "B. F. Hoxie," which left New York with a cargo of general merchandise, went around the Horn, and reached San Francisco at the end of about four months. Upon landing in the last-named city, Mr. Chatfield became captain of a schooner, the "Dart," plying between Benicia, Mexico and San Francisco. This place he held for a year, and next we find him as second mate on the bark "Catalpa," running to Hong Kong. Following this, he was second mate on the "Elizabeth F. Willetts," which went from the Golden Gate to New York around the Cape of Good Hope, and weighed anchor at her destination February 10, 1863. One of the incidents of the trip was that of being chased by the privateer schooner "Retribution." Owing to the fact that the merchant marine service was so badly crippled by the Civil war then in progress, Mr. Chatfield spent two years sailing on the rivers and bays of the northern Atlantic coast, and this terminated his sea-faring life.

In February, 1865, our subject started from New York for Colorado, proceeding from Atchison by mule teams to Denver, where he landed April 26. That summer he mined and prospected along Clear Creek, and in the autumn took charge of the Stoner stamp mill in Nevada. At the end of a year he became engineer of the Whitcomb mill, where he remained another twelvemonth. His next venture was to lease the Stoner, La Crosse and Pacific National mills, an aggregation of forty-eight stamps. When the season had closed he was made engineer of the Kansas mill, after which he took charge of and operated the Mercer County mine and the American Flag. In 1874 he returned to his old home in the east, and buying the schooner "Jane," sailed on the Hudson River for three years. Having disposed of his ship to good advantage, Mr. Chatfield went to Galveston, Tex., and engaged in lightering cotton outside the harbor and wrecking for the next six months. His family had been living in Chicago during this period, and he now joined them, and for one season ran on the "Jonathan Doane" between Chicago and Buffalo. In the fall of 1879 he returned to Colorado, and for five years was occupied in mining and milling. He then entered the employ of the firm with which he is at present, and for three years was at Hidden Treasure mill in Blackhawk. Afterwards he mined in Nevada until the spring of 1889, when he went to Blackhawk again and took charge of the Cashier mill, remaining there a year. In 1890 he went to Brazoria County, Tex ., and bought a ranch of five hundred acres, about twenty miles from Galveston. In June, 1894, his former employers urged him to return to them and he did so, becoming foreman of the Gilpin mill of Blackhawk during the two months' absence of the superintendent. In September of the same year he became superintendent of the Kansas Mill and is still connected with the same.

Mr. Chatfield was married in Central to Mrs. Sophronia Parker (nee Buzzell), who was born in Vermont, and was a daughter of Aaron B. Buzzell. The four children of this marriage are: Charles, who is in the Blackhawk mill; Norman, Jr., a fine electrician and engineer, now of Denver; William, who is managing the ranch in Texas; and Louisa, who is with her mother and brother on the homestead in Texas. The family located there permanently in 1893, and the son is extensively engaged in stock-raising and general farming.

Some years ago Mr. Chatfield identified himself with the Masonic order in Blackhawk, and belongs to the blue lodge and chapter. He is a member of the Merchants' and Shipmasters' Association of New York City. In politics he is independent.
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USA Census, 1870
Name Norman Chatfield
Event Place Colorado
Gender Male
Age 28
Race White
Birth Year (Estimated) 1841-1842
Birthplace New York
Page Number 4
Norman Chatfield M 28 New York
Sophronia Chatfield F 30 Vermont
Nellie Chatfield F 9 Illinois
Charles Chatfield M 3 Colorado
Norman Chatfield M 1 Illinois
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USA Census, 1880
Name: Norman Chatfield
Event Place: Russell, Gilpin, Colorado
Gender: Male
Age: 38
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Engine Driver
Race (Original): W
Ethnicity: American
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Birthplace: New York
Birth Date: 1842
Spouse's Name: Sophonia Chatfield
Spouse's Birthplace: Vermont
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Page: 56
Page Letter: B
Entry Number: 5431
Affiliate Film Number: T9-0090
GS Film number: 1254090
Digital Folder Number: 004240002
Image Number: 00501
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Self Norman Chatfield M 38 New York
Wife Sophonia Chatfield F 40 Vermont
Son Charles Chatfield M 12 Colorado
Son Norman Chatfield M 10 Illinois
Son William A. Chatfield M 8 Illinois

USA Census, 1900
Name: Norman Chatfield
Event Place: ED 5 Justice Precinct 5 (excl. Alvin town), Brazoria, Texas
Birth Date: Jan 1843
Birthplace: New York
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Race: White
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Years Married: 23
Marriage Year (Estimated): 1877
Page: 23
Sheet Letter: A
Family Number: 434
Reference ID: 3
GS Film number: 1241614
Digital Folder Number: 004111949
Image Number: 00194
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Norman Chatfield M 57 New York
Wife Sophronia Chatfield F 61 Vermont
Son William Chatfield M 28 Illinois
Dau Louise Chatfield F 20 Colorado
Daughter-in-law Mary Chatfield F 19 Alabama
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Norman Chatfield in household of Orr Roland, "USA Census, 1910"
Name: Norman Chatfield
Event Place: Alvin, Brazoria, Texas
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Birthplace: New York
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England