Vermilion county Illinois, WILLIAM COPELAND ==================================================================== Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Joy Fisher ==================================================================== p. 259-260 WILLIAM COPELAND is the son of Samuel, whose father was likewise named Samuel, a native of Ireland, having been born near Dublin. He, with his brother, Robert, came to the United States when .young men and located at Philadelphia, Pa. From there the brother went to South Carolina, and has not since been heard from by our subject. The grandfather married near Philadelphia, and after a few years removed to Galia County, Ohio, the subject's father being then a little boy. The journey was made on pack horses. The father and older brothers, Isaac and Robert, were carried in a basket lashed to a horse. That journey was made about 1805, many years previous to the building of any railroads. Even road wagons were not in general use at that time. Sleds were used in all seasons of the year. The only wagons in use in those parts were such as were known as truck wagons, the wheels of which were made of a piece, perhaps six inches, sawed off the end of a round log and a hole bored in the center for the axle, which was also wood. The wheels were held on the axle by wooden linch-pins, in fact the entire wagon was made of wood. The grandparents located among the hills and heavy timber and there made a farm on which they reared their family of eight children, of whom our subject's father was the third child and only survivor. The children were: Robert, Isaac, Samuel, James, Hamilton, Mary A. Jane, and Mahala. The grandparents spent their last days on the Ohio farm. The parents of our subject were married in Galia County, Ohio, the mother being Elizabeth, daughter of William Ham, of German ancestry and early settlers of Ohio. Like the grandparents, the parents of our subject reared a large family consisting of eleven children: William H., George W., Perry, Mary A., Nancy, Malinda, Andrew, Delila, Clarinda, Emily, and Elizabeth. The four elder were born in Ohio. In 1827, the parents of the subject of this sketch, with their family, removed to this county and made the journey on a keel-boat down the Ohio and up the Wabash to Perrysville, Ind. The father made the boat for the journey and brought the household goods and also salt. Out of the profit on that load of salt he made a start in life. He sold it at Perrysville, where he hired a man with a team to haul his goods and family seven miles northwest of Danville, where he entered eighty acres, part timber and part prairie. His first house was made by laying a pole from one tree to another about ten feet apart on a fork in either tree, against which poles and rails were leaned on each side for a roof. In that tent they lived until they could build a log house, and in this house the family was chiefly reared. After getting the eighty acres in a good state of cultivation he would buy more land as he could, until he had increased his farm to a considerable extent. On that farm the worthy mother spent her last days. The father makes his home with our subject during- the winter and with • his daughter, Elizabeth, now Mrs. Milton Lamb, of Danville, in the summer. The father of William H. is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, in which faith his mother died. In the wilds of Illinois educational advantages were very limited, and the school which our subject attended at twelve years of age was called a "subscription school." Each family would board the teacher in proportion to the number of puplis. The school-house was built of round logs, puncheon floor and slab doors. The window was made with greased paper pasted over the hole cut in a log. The seats were also made of puncheon. The school term only lasted about three months of the year, these being the winter months, when the work on the farm was retarded by cold weather. The next step of importance was the marriage of our subject to Miss Rachael Sterns. Her parents were Zara and Mary (Smalley) Sterns. They too were pioneers in this county and came from near Clarkesville, Ohio, and were among the very earliest settlers. They died at an advanced age near Williamsport, Ind. By his first marriage there were ten children: Mary married James Wilson and died in 1860. Mr. Wilson enlisted in the war and was killed at the battle of Chickasaw. Their only surviving child, William H., was reared by our subject for whom he was named; Nancy, now Mrs. W. H. Duncan lives in this county; E. H.; Almeda is married to Frank Johns and died about 1875; Eli lives in Missouri; Andrew Z ; an infant son; Elizabeth now Mrs. John B. Chambers; George; Harmon; and Charles, who died at the age of four years. Mrs. Copeland died Jan. 27, 1831, a worthy member of the Baptist Church in which faith she lived. Our subject was married a second time to Elizabeth Kirkhart, September, 1885. Her parents were also early settlers here and came from Whitsell County, Va., in which State they were born. Her mother, Ann (Courtney) Kirkhart, died when Mrs. Copeland was about eight years old. Her father, John died a few years later, thus leaving her an orphan in early life. Previous to her marriage with the subject of this sketch Mrs. Copeland had been married to Stephen Lamb, who died in 1882. William Copeland is a member of the Baptist Church, while his wife is a member of the United Brethern Church. He has held the offices in this county of Supervisor, twelve years; School Director, twenty years; Road Commissioner, three years. His politics are strictly Republican. His industrious habits have been crowned by a splendid property in the village of Potomac, where he lives. He owns a large, well furnished frame house and three lots, finely planted with shade and fruit trees. The house has all modern conveniences, and testifies to the neatness and taste of its owners. He also owns another residence and a large business house in the village. Beside these, a fine farm of 440 acres in this county where he lived for many years, and here his family was reared. He has given each of his children at their marriage $2,500 and still has a competency remaining to keep himself and wife as long as they live. His present prosperous condition speaks well for his good management and frugality, for when first married, in 1841, he was destitute of means. Mr. Copeland is one of those worthy pioneers, who is now living a life of peaceful retirement.