Coppage - Llewellyn Glen
LLEWELLYN GLEN COPPAGE
Source: Bowen, A. W. History of Montgomery county, Indiana. Indianapolis, IN: p. 1001
The name of Llewellyn Glen Coppage has been carried throughout the US through his famous hats, the "Ben Hur Brand," which he has long manufactured at Crawfordsville and for which there is a great demand, for in this, his specific line of endeavor, as in everything else, he has sought to do honest and conscientious work, having been trained in his youth to do well whatever is worth doing at all, and this is one of the secrets of his large and ever growing success, which he deserves in every way. He is a booster for the city of Crawfordsville and has done much for its permanent development. Mr. Coppage was born July 25, 1876 in Hillsboro, Indiana and he is a son of Llewellyn J. and Mary E. Revercomb Coppage. Mr. Coppage of this review, received a good common school education in and near Crawfordsville. When 11 he joined a theatrical troupe with which he remained some time, during which period he picked up a musical education and later had charge of the Coppage Orchestra, a well known organization in its day which for several years played for all local social and public functions, also furnished the music for two years in the old Nutt House dining room. He later had charge of an orchestra at what is now Mudlavia, then went to Michigan City, Indiana and taught music for two years with much success. While there he purchased a dry cleaning and hat manufacturing business. He later went to Danbury, Conn where he learned thoroughly the hat manufacturing business. That city is the center of the hat manufacturing industry in America, at least one of the principal, and Mr. Coppage still goes there once a year for the purpose of keeping fully abreast of the times in his chosen field of endeavor, and he thus keeps up with modern styles and methods of manufacture. He understands every phase of the manufacturing of hats and is recognized as one of the best in his line, and because of the superior quality of his products there has long been a great demand for them. He established his present business in Crawfordsville in 1906, his plant, which is well and modernly equipped, having a capacity of from 12-15 dozen hats, the "Ben Hur Brand," which has been very popular for the past six years all over the country. He has also been very successful in the cleaning business and he purchased the Dema-Gilbert Block in 1910, a splendid, substantial 3-story building, with large floor space and with a commodiuos addition in the rear. Mr. Coppage is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and is Past Chancellor of K of P. He is now colonel of the 4th Regt of the Indiana Patriarchs Millitant is past chief patriarch of Bethesda Encampment, NO. 15 is also past grand of Crawfordsville Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is also a member of the Rebekahs, Tribe of Ben-Hur, and he has the "Decoration of Chivalry," a high Odd Fellow distinction. He has long been very active and prominent in fraternal circles and is widely known throughout the state. he is a member of the State and national Dyers and Cleaners Association in which he takes a great deal of interest. Mr. Coppage was married Sept 30, 1902 to Bessie Mina Ryan, a lady of culture and representative of a fine family of Michigan City, Indiana. - typed by kbz