John Smith Chipman (August 10, 1800 – July 27, 1869) was a lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. Chipman was born in Shoreham, Vermont, a son of Barnabas and Polly (Smith) Chipman. He attended the rural schools and graduated from

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

in 1823. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Addison County, Vermont, and Essex County, New York. In 1838, he moved to Centreville in

St. Joseph County, Michigan St. Joseph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan, on the central southern border with Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 60,939. The county seat is Centreville. French colonists in the late 17 ...

, where he held several local offices including serving as a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1842. Chipman was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

from Michigan's 2nd District to the Twenty-ninth Congress, serving from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847. After the end of his term, he moved to Niles in Berrien County, Michigan, and later, in 1850, he moved to

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, where he resumed the practice of law. He moved to

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, in 1869 and lived in retirement there until his death. He is interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in San Jose. He was regarded as a brilliant lawyer and a natural orator. Bingham writes that "listening to one of his speeches was like reading one of Cooper's novels." He was over six feet tall with black hair and a dark complexion, giving rise to his nickname, ''Black Chip''.

Family

In October 1824, Chipman married Frances Larabee. They were the parents of William H. Chipman and Frances C. Chipman.

References

''A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan.''
Coolidge, Orville William. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906. p. 37
''Early history of Michigan, with biographies of state officers, members of Congress, judges and legislators''.
Bingham, S. D. (Stephen D.). Lansing: Thorp & Godfrey, state printers, 1888. pp 170–171 {{DEFAULTSORT:Chipman, John Smith 1800 births 1869 deaths Members of the Michigan House of Representatives People from Shoreham, Vermont Middlebury College alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan 19th-century American politicians People from Centreville, Michigan California Democrats Burials at Oak Hill Memorial Park California lawyers Michigan lawyers New York (state) lawyers Vermont lawyers 19th-century American lawyers