When troops were called for, he enlisted in Company E, Sixtieth Illinois Regiment of Infantry, mustered into service at Anna, Illinois. Enlisting as a private, he was promoted to non-commissioned ranks until June 1863, when he was commissioned a lieutenant. He was captured once, but was soon returned to service and was wounded at the battle of Dallas, Georgia, May 30, 1864. In later life, he would receive a pension for these wounds. He was discharged at Atlanta, Georgia, September 23, 1864.
When he returned to civilian life, Mr. Copeland resumed journalistic efforts in his hometown, and eventually became the editor and publisher of the Johnson County Journal, his first independent venture.
His first marriage occurred on January 15, 1865, at Vienna, Illinois, when Miss Louisa Washburn became his bride. Miss Washburn was born in Metropolis, Illinois, September 4, 1847.
In May, 1874, James came to Marion, and procured a lease, or rather a permit, to revive the dormant newspaper the “Flag.” This he proceeded to do and then changed the name to “The Marion Monitor.”
On the 30th day of May, 1875, the offices of “The Egyptian Press” and “Marion Monitor” were consumed by fire, both a total loss. “The Marion Monitor” was reestablished at once by James P. Copeland and George W. Young, who were assisted by liberal contributions from various Republicans throughout the County. James P. Copeland continued to be editor and publisher, and the paper continued to be, as it had been from the start, soundly Republican, while “The Egyptian Press” was soundly Democratic.
James served as Postmaster of the Marion, Illinois post office from 1880 to 1885.
In 1886, Thomas J. Helton started a paper called “The Marion Independent,” which was merged with “The Marion Monitor” in the same year. The name was then changed to “The Leader,” with James P. Copeland editor and manager. This new company continued the publication of “The Leader” for about one year, when it became the property of Oliver J. Page, who, after running the paper about a year, sold the same to Arthur Roberts and Thomas M. Mitchell.
On February 22, 1896, Mrs. Louisa Copeland died. She was the mother of three children: Benjamin F., Addie and Ida. Mrs. Copeland was active in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In October 1896, Mr. Copeland married Mrs. Minnie Lilley Brooks. She was the daughter of Boston Lilley, of Union county, Illinois, a successful farmer of that district and for twelve years a teacher in the public schools. Minnie Lilley was born April 22, 1873, in Union County. She was married May 4, 1900, to Mr. William L. Books, of Union county, Illinois and had one son by her first marriage: Raymond Harrison Brooks born February 4, 1891.
There had been several attempts to publish a daily paper in Marion, Illinois, the first was by J. P. Copeland, who started “The Daily Leader” in 1900. In February, 1904, James P. Copeland and others, bought “The Marion News” from W. R. Lee, and established a paper called “The Record,” so that there were then three weekly papers in Marion: “The Leader,” “The Egyptian Press” and “The Record.”
In 1901, James P. and Minnie established their Marion Greenhouse business on South Court Street, an occupation that Minnie would devote her life to until her death. This same year, they built their home at 419 S. Court Street. Minnie furnished the building plan and the home was constructed by W.L. Gill at a cost of $1,200. Gill was the same contractor who designed and built the old City Hall bank building in the northeast corner of the square two years later in 1903. This home would later become part of the back structure for Fox’s Flower Shop. The greenhouses were located just to the south of their home where Fowler Heating/Air is currently located.
Mr. and Mrs. Copeland had one living son, John Wallace Copeland, born December 16, 1902. Their first child, Emory Allen Whittier Copeland, born September 17, 1897, died on January 29, 1899.
In the 1910 census, James aged 65 and Minnie aged 37 are living at 419 S. Court Street with two sons. John Wallace Copeland aged 7 and Raymond H. Brooks, aged 19, from her previous marriage. James is still actively publishing “The Leader” newspaper.
Minnie Copeland was candidate for county superintendent of schools for Williamson County in 1898, and made a splendid run for the office, failing to win at the primaries by a very small majority. She was an advocate of the establishment of a new school building for the cities black children which opened in 1912 as the Douglass School. The school was located across the railroad tracks east of the greenhouses. At Mrs. Copeland’s request it was named the Douglass School in memory of a Black statesman named Fredrick Douglass whose name was so unfamiliar to local residents that the name of the school was usually misspelled with one “s” instead of two.
On February 19, 1914, James P. Copeland passed away at 69. He was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery and his grave is marked with a federal military service marker for his Civil War service. Mr. Copeland was an Odd Fellow, a Pythian Knight, member and officer of the Marion G.A.R. Post 319, and like his wife, an active member of the First Methodist Episcopal church of Marion, and was a member of the board of trustees of that organization.
After James’s death, Minnie needed help with her greenhouse business and advertised as such. The call was answered by John L. Hodaly, a floral designer from Chicago. In 1917, Minnie and John Hodaly got married and John Wallace Copeland who was then 11 years old got sent to Chaddock Military School in Quincy, Illinois. Within a year, Minnie realized her errors, got rid of Hodaly and retrieved her son John from school. The couple officially divorced in February 1921. John Hodaly returned to Chicago and operated a flower shop where, in later years, he was robbed and murdered.
In the 1930 census, Minnie at age 56 is still at the 419 S. Court address. She has two nieces living with her by the names of Minnie Lilley Hudgens, aged 17 and Edith Lurene Hudgens, aged 11. Her son John W. Copeland, aged 26, is a governmental civil engineer and now married to his wife Vivian Copeland, aged 19. They have a daughter name Minnie Lou Copeland, aged 3 months. There are two live-in flower shop helpers named Logan Williams, aged 19 and Elbert M. Williams, aged 16.
During the Depression years, in 1934, Minnie Lilley left that home place for $1,600 and purchased the house at 500 S. Court St. from the estate of Sarah EIrod where she continued operating her flower business.
Minnie died at 72 on December 21, 1944 and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery on December 24th. She was a faithful member of the Methodist church, and taught a class of young women in Sunday school for over twenty years. She was also active in temperance work, and a hearty supporter of the vote for women as well as black rights. She was a member of D.A.R., American Legion Auxiliary, Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Pioneer Daughters and the Marion Woman’s Club. Minnie is strongly suspected by many to be the first woman driver in Marion and perhaps the county and was known to be a capable coal truck driver.
In 1945, the house passed into the hands of her son John Wallace Copeland. John, his wife Vivian and their 3 children then inhabited the house. Vivian also operated a flower shop and had the small shop to the north built for that purpose.
Curt & Nancy Davis purchased the house in 1984 from Vivian Copeland. This historic home may be remembered by some as the “Collectors Choice and the Court Street Tea Room”, owned by Nancy Davis through the 1990’s.
Copeland Street is, of course, named for the Copeland family and serves as a reminder of the work and dedication this family invested into the City of Marion, Illinois before its limits actually even reached that far.
Note: A special thanks to John W. Copeland, Jr. for sharing photos of his grandparents and family.
(Data extracted from 1905 Souvenir History, family records, Federal Census records, Marion City Cemetery Records, Marion City Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 03/07/2013)