Today we’d like to introduce you to Philip LaBerge.
Hi Philip, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Photo: Phil LaBerge, President of the Coppell Historical Society
in front of a banner called “Coppell on the Move.”
I grew up with a love for history. Not that I knew it as a child, but my father’s deep interest in history, genealogy and the French language rubbed off on me. He just happened be a PhD physicist, too. While I earned a degree in Civil Engineering and spent my career estimating and managing large construction projects, it wasn’t until I retired that I discovered that my true purpose and passion in life mirrored my father’s. Two years after retiring, I purchased the house that was built by my ancestor, Robert Laberge, in a small town on the Saint Lawrence River ten minutes from Québec City, Canada. The house, which is 365 years old, was in the family for 12 generations prior to me purchasing it. Called Maison Laberge, it is one of the oldest houses in North America owned by the same family, and it is now owned by somebody from Texas! Because it was dedicated as a historic monument by the Ministry of Culture, as a non-Canadian I had to get a special exception granted in order to purchase it. The renovation work that I did on the house had to be reviewed and approved by the Ministry which was challenging but well worth the effort. The house is one of a kind.
I had no idea that it would lead my wife and I on such a wonderful adventure where we developed close friendships with our neighbors and a profound understanding of the history of the area. It truly has been the adventure of a lifetime, “L’adventure d’une vie.”
Today, there are over 5,000 people living in North America with the name Laberge or Labarge and they are all descendants of my ancestor who built the house. Like making a pilgrimage, many travel long distances to see their ancestral home. In warmer months, relatives from all over pull into our driveway unannounced, walk up to the house and say, “Hello” or “Bonjour,” and tell us where they are from. They tell unique stories describing their branch of the family’s journey across Canada or down into the States. Without exception, they express joy at being able to stand in the same place where our ancestor once stood and share our common bond.
At home in Coppell, Texas, which is located 10 minutes north of DFW International Airport, I have been a long-time member of the Coppell Historical Society. In August of 2025, I took over as its president. While some believe that everything that could be discovered historically about the town has already been discovered, it has been my goal to discover and preserve historical facts about the town not known since it took its name in 1888. My driving belief in uncovering and preserving history was expressed by poet laureate Maya Angelou when she said,
“You can’t really know where you are going
until you know where you have been.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My greatest challenge as president of our historical society has been the aging and loss of our older longtime members. At the same time, I have struggled to get new people to attend our lectures and events. The TV, internet and social media are distractions which have made it increasingly difficult to get people involved in our historical society and attend our events. My goal is to make history relevant and interesting and draw people together to share their stories and interest in local history.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When I designed our historical society website, I wanted to include as much content as possible which would tell the history of Coppell. That included oral histories, papers, articles, videos and our collection of over 1,500 old photos. I worked with our late past president, Wheelice ‘Pete’ Wilson, to document, tag and upload the photos. Now that those photos have been found and indexed by search engines like Google, simply using a search engine or asking AI about a name, place or item in the photo archives brings you to the website.
What matters most to you? Why?
Sharing experiences, telling stories and developing friendships drives me to go to new places, explore history and meet new people. I love having friends around the world.
Henry David Thoreau once said,
“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance;
they make the latitudes and longitudes.”
During the pandemic, rental cars became insanely expensive. My wife and I used that as an excuse to drive one of our cars each year up to Canada in the Spring and then back again in the Fall. Each time, we have taken a different route to see friends, family and interesting places along the way. In the Spring of 2023, we drove 1,900 miles from Coppell, Texas up to the Great Lakes and then north to the small French speaking town of Coppell, Ontario. Coppell, Texas was named after a wealthy railroad investor from New York named George Coppell who invested in the Cotton Belt Route built through the town in 1888. In 1914, his son Herbert, who worked for his father’s firm, invested in a railroad line that was built from the Great Lakes north to Hearst, Ontario. One of the last stops on that railroad line was named after him.
We started our journey at Coppell Town Center with a bon voyage ceremony attended by our mayor, the Canadian General Consul and a couple of Canadian friends.
As the first visitors from Coppell, Texas to ever visit Coppell, Ontario, we were welcomed by the local residents and members of their historical society.as well as a reporter with the Canadian Broadcast Corporation. See: “A Visitor from Coppell, Texas.”
It was a journey well worth the effort, not only because of all of the things we learned about our two communities separated by such a great distance, but also because of the friendships that we made with the people that we met.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Photos taken by Phil LaBerge
