HISTORY OF COPPELL, ONTARIO
The city of Coppell, Ontario, Canada was established in 1914 when the Algoma Railroad added a stop there before completing the rail line which began at Sault-St-Marie and terminated in Hearst. There, it intersected the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway which parallels the Trans-Canada Highway today. Coppell is located about 17 miles southwest of the town of Hearst. While the population of Coppell, Ontario was about the same as Coppell, Texas with about 600 residents in the 1950, the population of Coppell, Ontario has gradually declined to only a dozen or so homes today while the population of Coppell, Texas grew rapidly after the building of DFW International Airport. There are about 43,000 residents in Coppell, Texas today.
Coppell, Texas was named after George Coppell who was a wealthy railroad investor. His firm of Maitland & Coppell was located on Wall Street in New York City and he owned several mansions in Tenafly, New Jersey. He was investor in the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad which was build in 1888 and laid tracks through what was then Gibbs, Texas. A railroad depot was built there in 1890 and named after him. Two years later the town changed its name to Coppell. In 1891, the railroad merged and became the St. Louis Southwester Railway Company which was later nicknamed The Cotton Belt Line.
George Coppell became enormously wealthy by consolidating railroads. Before his death in 1901, he was the chairman of the Wisconsin Central Railway. The following is a map of the railroad at the time of his death.
George Coppell had reorganized the Wisconsin Central Railroad after its bankruptcy in 1899. In 1909, controlling interest in the Wisconsin Central was held by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Coppell, Ontario was named after Herbert Coppell, one of George Coppell's sons who worked in his firm. Herbert helped finance the Algoma Central Railway (ACR). Francis Clerque, was the chairman of Algoma Steel and the ACR which built a railroad line from Sault-St-Marie, Ontario north to Hearst, Ontario. It is not surprising Clergue, who was an American from Maine, would seek financing from Maitland, Coppell & Company because George Coppell had been chairman of the Wisconsin Central Railway. The third stop prior to the ACR's terminus in Hearst was named Coppell after Herbert Coppell. In Hearst, the ACR intersected the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway going east/west across Canada. The purpose of the railroad was to haul timber from the north down to Sault-St-Marie and factories on Lake Superior.
In 1995, the Wisconsin Central purchased the ACR. In 2001, the Wisconsin Central was acquired by the Canadian National Railway (CN) and in 2014 service was discontinued from Sault-St-Marie to Hearst. In 2021, Watco Companies purchased the railroad line and committed to operating the tour train from Sault-St-Marie to the Agawa Canyon.
CBC - Radio Canada - ICI Ontario. English Version, French Version
Here is the official the official proclamation made by the City of Coppell, Texas and a letter from the Canadian Consul General in Dallas.
For more information, please read this article: A Tale of Two Cities Named Coppell
Here is a song written about the ACR by Stompin' Tom Connors: "Algoma Central 69"
CBC - Radio Canada - ICI Ontario. English Version, French Version
Here is the official the official proclamation made by the City of Coppell, Texas and a letter from the Canadian Consul General in Dallas.
For more information, please read this article: A Tale of Two Cities Named Coppell
Here is a song written about the ACR by Stompin' Tom Connors: "Algoma Central 69"