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Below is a family biography included in Book of Biographies: Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens, Cortland County, New York published by Biographical Publishing Company in 1898.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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GEORGE N. COPELAND is a retired merchant, banker and capitalist of Homer, Cortland County. He is a gentleman who modestly bears the distinction of being a purely self-made man.

Our subject is a native of Homer, being born in that town April 19, 1821, a son of Joseph Copeland, who was born in Litchfield County, Conn. The father spent his boyhood days in the “Nutmeg” State, but left there in early manhood to go to the Black River district of New York State. While a resident of Northern New York, he enlisted for service in the War of 1812 and secured the title of captain. After the war was over he came down into Cortland County and selected a residence in the town of Cortland. There he spent his life, with the exception of three years passed in Homer. Mr. Copeland married into the famous Litchfield family of Litchfield, Conn., his wife being Miss Clara Litchfield. She accompanied her husband through all his changing fortunes, and died at the age of forty-four. Mr. Copeland died from an injury at the age of sixty-seven. During life the couple were consistent members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Copeland had the distinction of being one of the first Abolitionists in this part of the country, and that too at a day when that belief was fraught with bodily peril to its holder. The children who came to Joseph and Clara (Litchfield) Copeland were: Diana (Douglass), now deceased; Thomas, now living at Clarksville, Iowa; Charles, deceased; George N., our subject; Mary (Taggart); Samantha (Kinney) deceased; and Rhoda (Brown), deceased.

George N. Copeland as a youth attended the schools of Cortland, and at the age of fifteen bought his time from his father and struck out for himself. At the age of twenty he was able to buy a farm in the town of Truxton, Cortland County, on which he farmed until he reached the age of twenty-seven. He then sold his place and moved to Cortland village, where, with a capital of $300.00, backed by an unlimited capacity for work, he started in the grocery and provision business. After three years of moderate success he again embarked in farming, which pursuit he followed for the next two years, returning finally to the grocery business, which he kept up until 1877. During these years Mr. Copeland built up a very heavy trade, his sales often footing up $150,000.00 annually. Just before the war he erected a fine brick block in Cortland, which stands to-day one of the best in the county-seat. The corner space in this block is now used for the banking business of the National Bank of Cortland.

In 1878 Mr. Copeland was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Homer, which proved to be a great success, and was its first president. Soon after this he removed to Homer, which has continued to be his home ever since. He remained in the banking business until 1890, when he withdrew from his position as president, with the intention of going to another large town and organizing another bank, but circumstances arose that modified his plans and detained him in Homer. He still retains his interests in the Homer Bank, of which he is still a director.

In 1841 Mr. Copeland was united in marriage ties with Harriet Wheat, daughter of Hiram Wheat, of Truxton township, now Cuyler, Cortland County, and this union resulted in the birth of three children: Sophronia, the wife of Mr. Tanner, and mother of one child, Louise; Frances M.; and Rose, who married Mr. Mortimer, and has borne him two sons, George and Charles.

Mr. Copeland has always been a prominent member of the Baptist denomination and is an ardent advocate of temperance. He was at one time a Republican in politics, but is now a strong Prohibitionist. His beautiful home, erected on a street in Homer village, opened by him and named after him Copeland Avenue, affords a hospitable welcome to his many friends.

Although Mr. Copeland has practically retired from active business life, still he does quite an amount of business as an investor and capitalist. His mind is just as clear and vigorous as ever, and his judgment on financial and banking affairs is unimpeachable. There are few economic questions with which he is not perfectly familiar, and as a judge of real and prospective values there is no man in this section more acute.

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This family biography is one of numerous biographies included in Book of Biographies: Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens, Cortland County, New York published in 1898. 

View additional Cortland County, New York family biographies here: Cortland County, New York Biographies

View a map of 1897 Cortland County, New York here: Cortland County, New York Map

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