San Diego County
Biographies
GEORGE D. COPELAND,
of San Diego, was born in Waddington, St. Lawrence County, New York, May 15, 1833. His parents were natives of Vermont. There were four children, three of whom are surviving, and the subject of this sketch was the youngest. At the age of four years he moved with his parents to Goshen, Indiana, at that time a log-house town, and his father opened a shop and manufactured hollow-ware. George D. was favored with an academic education at the La Grange Collegiate Institute at Ontario, La Grange County, and then went to the State National Law School at Poughkeepsie, New York, Professor Fowler then being principal. He took the law course and received his certificate in 1854, and then returned to Goshen, but began the practice of law at Wakarusa, Elkhart County.
He was married at Goshen, in September, 1857, to Miss Harriet A. Latta, a native of Goshen, Indiana. Mr. Copeland then returned to Goshen in 1858 and remained in the practice of law until 1871. In 1861, when the internal revenue was first established, Mr. Copeland received the appointment of United States Assistant Assessor for the term of one year, and he was then promoted to United States Assessor with eleven assistants. He was appointed by President Lincoln and held the position through the term until the office was abolished in 1871 and the business put in the hands of collectors. His offices were at Goshen and his district embraced eight counties of Indiana. In 1871 he visited California, coming out by the second train over the Central Pacific road. He visited San Francisco and vicinity, and in 1872 brought out his family and settled at Sacramento, remaining about one year, engaged in importing and selling wagons. He brought the first carload of Studebaker wagons to the State. In the winter of 1873, in poor health, he retired from the business and came to San Diego, buying a ranch near Sweetwater, and for seven years employed himself in an out-of-door life, attending to his ranch, and fully regained his health. He was then appointed Postmaster of San Diego in 1881, and that making life in town necessary he sold his ranch and moved his family to town, and held the position through the term of four years.
In May, 1886, he organized the San Diego Flume Company and was appointed president, holding the position until 1888, when, owing to a large private interest, he resigned. He was a large investor in the electric street railroad, owning the entire road and plant, which he operated for one year, starting in same connection the Westinghouse system of incandescent light, and wiring and supplying the city. Meantime he sold his railroad interests with the plant and franchise to the San Diego Cable Railroad Company, who are now arranging for a cable railway.
Mr. Copeland's electric plant has a capacity of 1,500 lights, sixteen-candle power each, and was the first incandescent light in the city. He began lighting December 15, 1888, and has received very satisfactory support.
Mr. Copeland's first wife lived but a few years, leaving one son, J. S. Copeland, who is now District Attorney of San Diego. Mr. Copeland was married a second time, at Goshen, Indiana, on August 30, 1869, to Miss Alice M. Austin, a native of Middlebury, Vermont. They have one child, nineteen years of age, a student at the Pacific Beach College.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 387
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
GEORGE A. SELWYN,
the pioneer butcher of San Diego, was born at Sheffield, England, February 24, 1842. His parents are natives of England. There were three children, but the subject is the only one surviving. He came to America with his mother, while an infant, and at the age of eight years they emigrated to San Bernardino, by ox-wagon, overland. He then made San Bernardino his headquarters, but spent much of his time prospecting and trading in mines. In 1865 he came to San Diego and bought a ranch of 1,000 acres at San Buena Ventura, and started cattle-raising. He started also the butcher business in 1874, with Charles Gasson, which continued two years, then devoted one year to sheep-raising, and in 1877 again started in the butcher business, under the firm name of Selwyn & Co. At present their stand is on Fifth street, between F and G, known as Washington Market.
In 1881 the firm changed to Selwyn & Allison, which is continued to the present time. He still carries on his ranch, and is doing a large dairy business, selling his milk in town. In meats they are doing a wholesale and retail business, supplying the country and most of the city markets.
He is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, and the United Workmen.
In 1867 he was married in Old Town, to Miss Lucy Fisher, a native of Texas, though of German descent. He was again married at San Diego, in 1882, to Miss Jennie Rice, a native of Kentucky. He is the happy father of five children.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 387-388
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler