On 1 June 1900 Irving R. Chape, a 41 year old carpenter who had been married for 9 years lived with his family in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Martha, his wife, was 44, and the children were Clarence E., 8, Mary O., 7, Verna, 5, and Percy V., 3. ®9923 On 15 April 1910 Irving was a 54 year old carpenter who lived in a home he owned on Sixth Street in Bayfield, Wisconsin. He had been married for 19 years to Martha, age 54, and Clarence, 18, Mary O., 17, Verna, 15, and Percy V., 13, lived with them. ®9924 On 1 January 1920 I. R. Chape, was a 61 year old commercial fisherman living in Port Wing, Wisconsin with his wife, Martha, 64, and single daughter Olive, 26. ®10255
“Irving fished from Port Wing, Wisconsin, but also had a base of operations on Manitou Island. An article in the local newspaper stated that in 1909, the fishing fleet was modernizing, with 17 gasoline boats. I. R. Chape left for Bark Bay to begin pond [sic] net fishing. The paper said, ‘Mr. Chape is entering the fishing business heavily this year using about 7 nets. Mr. Chape has the only pond [sic] net stake driver on Chequamegon Bay that is run by power. It was built by Mr. Chape and is operated by a gasoline engine. Mr. Chape now drives his stakes at one half of what it cost him before.’ Irving bought a great deal of land, probably to use for farming, between 1886 and 1891, in Bayfield. On 10 April 1886 he bought 149.8 acres and on 9 Nov. 1891 he bought another 160 acres. One week after that, Martha, using her maiden name Etsell, purchased another tract of land, 153.25 acres.” ®7003