W. T. Chapman

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)

W. T. Chapman is a historical marker in Dripping Springs, Hays County, dedicated in 2018. It is one of 124 historical markers documented in Hays County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 184 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.1923, -98.0928 near Dripping Springs. The nearest cataloged historic site is The Marshall-Chapman Home (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Dripping Springs Academy, First Baptist Church of Dripping Springs, and Wallace Family Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507020107. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.