1871

The Chapin-McNeil family letters collection includes two letters from the year 1871: one written at the beginning of the year, and the other written at its close. The letters from 1871 illustrate how several women in the Chapin-McNeil family faced similar hardships and struggles. Whereas in the previous year Mary Burt had written about her difficulties starting out as a teacher, in 1871 it is the experienced Angie McNeil who writes of suffering from what today would be seen as burnout in the profession. Angie also comforts Dorcas regarding their common losses in a way that can be imagined that Mary’s family did for her following the death of Thomas. We can also gather from Harriet’s letter that Dorcas has been battling illnesses just as Harriet’s family had done in 1866.

These letters also provide information about major upcoming relocations for several members of the family. Angie, who after stating she would like to keep teaching in Toledo in the original draft of her letter, writes about considering moving to California in her epistle’s final draft. Likewise Harriet Pepple’s letter contains the first mention of Oscar and Katie Chapin moving west to Kansas.