Born in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, on November 25, 1830, the son of Paul and Beulah Chapin. In 1856 he came with his parents to Marshall County, Iowa, and settled on a homestead there. In 1858 he was married to Ellen Hudson and the young couple moved to Union township, Hardin County, the next year, where Mr. Chapin built a log cabin on the land he secured, in which his two children, Henry C. and Jennie A., were born. He had very little of this world's goods and he and his wife suffered the privations and made the sacrifices usual to pioneer life. Until the fall of 1876 they lived on this homestead, then moved to the farm just west of Union on which the family lived for more than thirty years, then moved to Union. While careful in business matters, he was liberal to those less fortunate to such an extent that he became widely popular because of his many liberal and kindly actions. He was connected with every movement for the betterment of the town of Union and the surrounding country. His activities were not confined alone to farming, but in 1883 he, with others, organized the Citizens Bank, and he became its president, which position he held until 1909. In politics Mr. Chapin was a Republican. In 1874 he was elected to the state Legislature from this district. For six years he served as a member of the board of supervisors of Hardin County. He was a charter member of Industry Lodge No. 225, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.