Coppin, Matt

Matthew Coppin, born near Eugene, Oregon, on the last day of December, 1868, became a noted viticulturist through his close, scientific study of vineyard problems in Fresno County, California. His father, Charles Coppin, crossed the plains with ox teams to farm in Oregon, married Hettie D. Shell, and later moved his family to Chico, California, in 1874. Matthew was reared in California from the age of six, completed his education at the Woodman Academy in Chico, and drove teams into the mountains when he was only twelve years old. He arrived in Fresno in 1889 during the great California boom to work in the vineyards and soon began operating independently.

After managing rented lands in the Wolters Colony for a decade despite low raisin prices, Matthew purchased a ten-acre vineyard on National Avenue in 1901 and planted Sultanas and Thompson Seedless raisins. He became an active member of the California Associated Raisin Company and supported various early societies dedicated to advancing the interests of local ranchmen. On October 30, 1892, he married Emma Anderson, a native of San Francisco, and together they raised one daughter named Ruth. Beyond his agricultural pursuits, Matthew served his community as a trustee of the Wolters school district and as clerk of the school board.