When "Baby Margaret" Appeared in Washington 

"Baby Margaret" was Margaret Chapman, who performed dazzling feats on the roller rink. Margaret was the daughter of E.B. and Elise Chapman, who ran the Armory Rink in Springfield. Chapman built the Armory Rink in 1914, but he was originally associated with the Sans Souci Rink in Springfield, built in 1913 by a company that also owned rinks in St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. 

In early 1915, they paused their involvement in the rink and began touring with their 7-year-old daughter as the attraction. "Baby Margaret" was a hit all over the country. 

By 1916, the tour reached Washington. That summer, an outdoor roller skating rink was erected at the rear of the Danforth Hotel on the square, near the corner of Walnut and High streets, where Brecklin's is today. The rink was still up for the homecoming celebration in late August/early September. Two weeks later, 8-year-old "Baby Margaret" and her mother put on skating shows at the rink in Washington over three nights, drawing large crowds.  

Margaret's mother, Elsie, also took part in the show, challenging audience members to a race.  Everything about the show was tailored for maximum showmanship and maximum ticket sales.  The advertised "fire dance" was most likely Margaret skating with sparklers, colored lights, or ribbons to symbolize fire. 

The tour continued for years until Margaret was at least eleven years old.  At one scheduled 1918 performance in Piqua, Ohio, the town fathers banned her from performing because "she is under age to give the exhibition which was in the nature of work."

The last known performances of Baby Margaret were in November 1919, at the age of eleven, in Paris, Tennessee. 

Research suggests that E.B. Chapman (Ebert Brammer Chapman) and Elsie Neff married August 12, 1908, in Springfield.  In the 1910 census, they lived in Litchfield, Illinois, with E.B.'s brother Charlie, and Margaret is not listed as part of their family.  E.B. then starts the skating rinks in Springfield in 1913 and 1914, and in 1915 the family goes on tour.  At some point during the tour, relatively early, E.B. and Elise split up, leaving the tour "family" as Elise and Margaret.  E.B. registered for the WWI draft in 1917 and lived in Pulaski, Arkansas, working at a shooting gallery. Around 1930, he married Helen Grace, 23 years his junior, and E.B. passed away in 1969 at age 85, living in Lubbock, Texas.

As for Elise and Margaret, all records of them stop after the tour.  Where did they go?  Since a 2-year-old Margaret was not listed in the 1910 census, was that simply an oversight, or was she a hired performer and not really their daughter?

Questions we may never get the answers to.