Nellie Chapman THE PEOPLE OF NEVADA COUNTY   EXPLORE FURTHER Becoming California, stories from California Gold Rush History Nellie Elizabeth Pooler Chapman was born in l847 in Maine. She traveled to Nevada City through the Isthmus of Panama in l854. When she was fourteen she married Dr. C.W. Chapman at the Red Castle in Nevada City. Dr. Chapman was a local dentist. Nellie assisted her husband in his dental office for many years. She later wanted to become a dentist. Her husband said that Nellie was qualified and she started treating patients. Nellie was also a very talented writer and composer. She would often read her poetry at the Elks Lodge in Nevada City. Nellie Pooler Chapman became one of the first woman dentists in the western United States. She was a truly talented and remarkable woman. Today her dental tools are displayed at the University of California. Her great granddaughter, Deborah Chapman Luckinbill, is a teacher in the Nevada City School District. Deborah was also married in the Red Castle and lives in Nellie’s historic home near Nevada City.
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