W. T. Chapman
Dripping Springs, Hays County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in Georgia, William Thomas Chapman (1835-1917) came to Texas after the Civil War during which he was wounded, incarcerated and released after taking the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. By 1872, he was in the Dripping Springs area. He married widow Martha (Box) Marshall (1835-1924) shortly after the passing of her husband, Burrell J. Marshall. Chapman raised Martha's five children and two of their own. He became the postmaster and stagecoach station operator for the area. Chapman was integral to bringing about the first public works in the settlement. In the 1870s, Chapman likely helped build the first school and was a founding trustee of Hays County School District #10. In July 1872, Chapman provided land for the First Baptist Church, which later burned. Chapman donated two acres in 1881 for the construction of Dripping Springs Academy, which doubled as a school and a church. He built a boarding house and hotel to supplement the complex. Partnering with both A.L. Davis Sr. and Jr., Chapman became a prominent merchant. In 1881, Chapman used Martha's 260 acres inherited from the Marshall estate to create twelve blocks and six streets that would be known as Dripping Springs. He named the main street after their son, Mercer. Homes and new businesses sprouted, leading Chapman to file for additional plats of land in subsequent years. Also active in Confederate veterans' affairs, Chapman helped found Camp Ben McCullouch, serving as adjutant. W.T. Chapman played an active role in the creation and subsequent success of Dripping Springs. He lies buried in Wallace Mountain Cemetery which he and A.L. Davis Sr. established. (2018)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Georgia-born William Thomas Chapman came to the Dripping Springs area after being wounded and captured in the Civil War, and by the 1870s had become the community's postmaster, stagecoach operator, and driving civic force. He gave land for a church, a Baptist congregation, and the Dripping Springs Academy, and in 1881 platted the town itself from his wife Martha's inherited acreage, naming the main street for their son. A merchant and Confederate-veterans organizer, he helped found Camp Ben McCulloch.
Why it matters
Chapman's story shows how a single enterprising settler could conjure a Hill Country town into being, providing its schools, churches, mail, and street grid.
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Related people
- · William Thomas Chapman
- · Martha Box Marshall Chapman
Themes & tags
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