Mr Herbert Fuller Chaffee, 46, was born on November 20, 1865 at Sharon, Litchfield County, Connecticut, the son of Eben Whitney Chaffee and his wife Amanda Fuller Chaffee. Members of the Chaffee family had lived in Sharon since the Revolutionary War.
Herbert was educated in the common schools in Sharon, a seminary in New York, and the Williston Seminary, a scientific school in Easthampton, Massachusetts. He graduated from the latter school in 1885. In 1887 he was living in Ellsworth, CT and in that year he entered Oberlin College in Oberlin OH where he studied at the Conservatory of Music. He enrolled for 2 years but probably moved to North Dakota to help run the family firm as he did not graduate.
While at Oberlin he met his future wife Carrie Constance Toogood of Manchester, Iowa. They were married on December 21, 1887 and a son was born on 28 September 1888 in Amenia, ND.
Herbert's father came from Litchfield Co., CT and came to Dakota in 1875 where he founded the bonanza-farming business "Amenia" -- Amenia-Sharon Land Co (organized with bondholders of the Union Pacific Rail Road) which had its headquarters in Amenia ND. Herbert Chaffee eventually became the chief executive officer of the family business which, at its greatest extent, controlled 42,000 acres of prime farmland, 34 grain elevators, a grain-trading firm, and three company towns with dozens of smaller company-owned businesses. Its holdings were worth perhaps $150 million in today's dollars. H. F. Chaffee, who routinely worked a 72-hour week, felt that this was only the beginning. He had developed sophisticated management systems and was constantly expanding the operation.
He continued in business in North Dakota, purchasing the interests of the remaining investors of the Amenia & Sharon Land Company in 1893.
"Through his sound scientific and business judgment he established a farm business that is unique and stands today as a memorial of his faith in the future of his adopted state and his unswerving fidelity to high ideals." (Lonsberry 1917).
Chaffee was a Republican and a member of the Congregational Church.
Chaffee and his wife had been on a European trip and boarded the Titanic at Southampton, travelling in first class (cabin E-31). They were returning to their home in Amenia, Cass County, North Dakota.
Herbert died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified.
After Chaffee's death, remaining family members ran the firm jointly but continually disagreed on business strategy. In 1922 the company was dissolved and its assets distributed. Very little of its holdings remain in family hands today.
Comment and discuss
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Did Carrie Constance Toogood, wife of Herbert Fuller Chaffee, remarried after the death of her husband on the Titanic? Thanks. Charles
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Carrie Constance Toogood Chaffee remained unmarried until her death on 4 July 1931 in Amenia, North Dakota. The Cassleton Reporter (Cassleton, North Dakota) reported on its front page "Mrs. H. F. CHAFFEE DIES AT AMENIA." Mrs. Chaffee had been sick for a number of months.
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It seems I am late realizing that the family stories from my Great-Grandmother, Carrie Toogood Chaffee, might be of interest to the Titanic community. Carrie, a first class passenger travelling with her husband, Herbert Fuller Chaffee, made away from the Titanic on Lifeboat 4. As the last full-size lifeboat to pull away, the boat had quite an adventure, following along with lifeboat 14 searching for survivors. I have been working on an "historical fiction" account of her journey, based on the formal testimonies and family stories, and finding the research just goes on and on, deeper and deeper. So in honor of the 100th anniversary, I am going to attempt to post an account of part of her experience, for all to share. The work has helped me find closure for my extended family over the loss of our beloved Great-grandfather, Herbert. For all those who remember, may we find peace and inspiration in the end. Prologue for this chapter: The evening before this chapter...
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Forward of Lightoller on the officer’s promenade, Quartermaster Arthur John Bright and Able Seaman William A. Lucas were setting the falls from the empty Lifeboat No. 2 davits to Collapsible Lifeboat ‘D’. A crowd of steerage passengers were making their way up from the forward well deck by way of the officer’s deck stairs, coming on to the officer’s promenade deck next to the collapsible lifeboat’s bow. Perkis stepped back from the gunwale holding the falls tail not quite hand taut as angry shouting broke out on the officer’s promenade deck about twenty feet behind Lightoller’s back. Unfamiliar voices at Collapsible ‘D’ shouting “Ay!” “Hey!” and English voices shouting “Get back, you!” and an American shouting, “What the hell do you think you are up to!” Perkis could see a couple of men attempting to commandeer Collapsible Lifeboat ‘D’ and he could make out the voices of Bright and first-class passengers Ryerson and Duquemin shouting them...
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As she looked forward up Titanic’s side, she noticed Titanic’s bow had settled further into the ocean and that the water was over the forward well deck and just below the bridge. From behind her, out of the corner of her eye she noticed a light breaking across the water not thirty feet aft on the ship’s port side. The forward gangway door leading into the first class dining area on ‘D’ deck had been opened. The door opened from the aftward side and swung out so that the door blocked her view of anyone who might be standing there or looking out. Carrie blinked several times and looked around the boat, first looking forward at McCarthy and then aft at Foley, and then around at the other women. “Well,” she said, “Don’t you think we should get under way?” Up on the boat deck, Ryerson, Duquemin, Bright, and Lucas had locked arms around Collapsible Lifeboat ‘D’ along with several other passengers and crew. Lightoller had regained control of the...
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Perkis rubbed his hands together, made loose the aft falls tail, and got it under his right foot. He got to the aft davit winch and brought the davit up so that the falls came in to about four feet of the deck, letting the tail slip out under his foot. He made the tail fast again, got up on the edge of the deck, took hold of the davit with his left hand, and leaned out over the empty space to fetch the lifeline with his right hand. He called down to the boat. “Mind the lifeline below!” “Aye,” Foley called back. The lifeline was reeved to the davit span with a small eye, and the forward tip of the Titanic caused the rope to slide toward the bow. Perkis looked up at the span, shook the lifeline twice to pull it tight to the aft davit, and got it to hook up over the davit tip. He looked down at the lifeboat below, and took a long slow breath. “Easy,” he whispered to himself. He looked down again and creased his forehead as he gauged the distance. “She’s just below...
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Still standing at the aft falls, Perkis’ shoulders slowly sagged just briefly. He looked down, took a deep breath, and straightened himself up. Still holding the ropes with his left hand, he rubbed his chin with his right. He looked up and looked at all the women, who were listening now with their full attention. He looked down again, took another deep breath, and looked up again. He let go the ropes, rubbed his hands together, and squared his shoulders as best he could. “Titanic is taking on water,” he said, “and she’ll not be going much further. “Murdoch, First Officer Murdock . . . . they, uhmmm. They say . . . Murdoch says he was told she should stay afloat some time. Maybe twenty-four hours. He says we have word from the Marconi, that would be the wireless telegraph, says, Murdoch says, that we have word there’s a ship on the way, maybe a couple, and we should be loaded up and off to New York by morning.” “We are to cast off and stand by and look for more...
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Having upload issues, more to come . . . I will add later. I attempted an attachment also, see if that works.
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Hi Robert, Great article. There is a bit on Carrie in the new Titanic book, On a Sea of Glass from an interview she did. Best Mike
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I would like to read more of your story,it is very interesting thank you for the download link.
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I bought the home Herbert had built for his wife in amenia in 2005 ,i sold it in 2014 . It's still a very nice house today. Sad deal the family business fell apart. Herbert and carries headstone at the amenia cemetery is amazing. Good job telling they're story . Sure gets rid of all the rumors of what people think happened
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