Joseph W. Copeland and Helen Jo Whitsell scrapbook

Collection

Identifier: Coll 1148

Scope and Contents

Scrapbook compiled by Copeland Lumber Company owners Joseph W. Copeland and his daughter, Helen Jo Whitsell, of Portland, Oregon. The scrapbook contains clippings, photographs, correspondence, programs, and ephemera. Some material is loose within the scrapbook. Most materials relate either directly to Joseph W. Copeland, Helen Jo Whitsell, or the Copeland Lumber Company, though some items relating to other topics are included. Many of the photographs, which are in both black and white and in color, depict Joseph W. Copeland and Copeland Lumber Company lumberyards, offices, vehicles, and employees. Some materials reflect Joseph W. Copeland's involvement with Lewis & Clark College.

Dates

Creation: 1911-1992
Creation: Majority of material found within circa 1924-1992

Creator

Copeland, Joseph W., 1886-1978 (Compiler, Person)
Whitsell, Helen Jo, 1938- (Compiler, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Biographical Note

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Joseph W. Copeland was born in 1886 in Sumner, Iowa. In 1912, he came to Portland, Oregon, where his family established Copeland Lumber Company. He became Copeland Lumber Company's president in 1926, and under his leadership, the firm grew to include 83 lumberyards in five states. He married Helen E. Cornwell (1905-2002) in 1936, and the couple had a daughter, Helen Jo Copeland (later Helen Jo Whitsell, born 1938). In 1973, Joseph W. Copeland resigned from the Copeland Lumber Company, turning leadership over to his daughter. Copeland was a lifetime trustee of Lewis & Clark College and a member of the Arlington Club. He died in 1978. Helen Jo Whitsell was named among Working Woman magazine's top 50 women executives in 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1999. In April 1999, she announced that she would sell Copeland Lumber Company's assets. The firm's last 15 lumberyards were sold to Keith Brown Building Materials of Salem, Oregon, in 2000.

Sources: Obituary for Joseph Copeland, Oregonian, March 10, 1924, page 16; "Biz Parade: Veteran Lumberman Decides to Step Down," Oregon Journal, July 3, 1973, page 7; "Family will sell Copeland Lumber," by Fred Leeson, Oregonian, April 22, 1999, page B1; "Copeland's CEO defies naysayers," by Tricia Duryee, Oregonian, May 4, 1999, page C3; "Copeland has buyer for its last 15 outlets," by Boaz Herzog, Oregonian, August 8, 2000, page B1; vital records via Ancestry.com.

Full Extent

0.36 Cubic Feet (1 flat box (13x16))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Scrapbook compiled by Joseph W. Copeland (1886-1978) and his daughter, Helen Jo Whitsell (born 1938) of Portland, Oregon. Contents include clippings, photographs, correspondence, programs, and ephemera. Many of the materials relate to Copeland Lumber Company, which Joseph W. Copeland ran from 1926 to 1973 before turning it over to Whitsell, who ran it until selling its assets in 2000.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Helen Jo Whitsell, February 2001 (Lib. Acc. 24413).

Related Materials

Copeland Lumber Company records at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library are designated Coll 1147.

Processing Information

Collection was processed by Jeffrey A. Hayes in 2026. Processing included placing sheets of acid-free archival paper between pages with photographs and placing some loose materials in folded archival paper or archival jackets for preservation purposes.