Cooper is a city in and the county seat of Delta County, Texas, United States. Located between the north and south forks of the Sulphur River, Cooper is the largest settlement in Delta County. At the 2020 United States census, the city had a population of 1,911.
First inhabited by native people, Cooper was founded around 1870, at the same time that Delta County was established. Cooper grew rapidly and quickly became the center of local events. The city's economy relied primarily on agriculture and the shipping of local goods. In the mid-1890s, a railroad line was built through the city, assisting in Cooper's growth. The city continued to grow through the 1910s, and into the early 1920s. In 1926, however, the region's cotton crop failed, devastating the local economy. Many businesses were forced to close, including the railroad, and the city's population declined. Although Cooper began to recover during the mid-1930s, many people who left did not return, and the city never fully recovered. The local economy continued to rely on the growing of cotton as the main economy into the 1960s, until it began to shift to wheat growing in the early 1970s. The population of Cooper has been on a slow decline since the 1970s.
Cooper has no sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city's economy still relies largely on agriculture. Cooper is located on the eastern edge of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex (DFW metroplex), a large, 12-county metropolitan area, one of the most populated in the country.
History
Before establishment
The first inhabitants of the area that is now the site of Cooper were the Caddo Indians, who settled large portions of eastern Texas as early as 800 CE. The Caddo were highly advanced, living in large wooden structures, and were skilled farmers. The first European to visit the area was French explorer François Hervey, who discovered the area around 1750. However, a few decades later, some of the Indians caught European diseases and along with attacks from neighboring Indian tribes, forced the Caddo out of the area around Cooper. Around 1820, Delaware, Quapaw, and Seminole tribes settled in the area. In 1836, the Republic of Texas officially recognized the region around Cooper as part of Red River County. In 1840, Lamar County was formed, absorbing the Cooper area. However, just six years later, the region was designated as part of the newly formed Hopkins County.
After the Civil War, the region around the site of Cooper began to grow and develop. People in nearby Ben Franklin, Texas, grew tired of the poor road conditions that connected the region. In 1868, people in the area petitioned the state government to create a new county located between the north and south forks of the Sulphur River. On July 29, 1870, after two years of debating, the state of Texas granted the request for the new county. Shortly afterwards, the first settlements were built in Cooper and the town was established. The community was named after Leroy Cooper, the chairman of the Texas House Committee on Counties and Boundaries, who helped establish the new county. Cooper was selected as the seat for the county, which was named Delta County due to its triangular shape.
Since establishment
Cooper grew rapidly after being established, with a post office built in the community in 1871. Cooper was incorporated into a town in 1881 and held its first government elections. That same year, Cooper constructed the county courthouse. The town became the main market center for Delta County, and by 1885, Cooper had a population around 300. The Texas Midland Railroad, which ran through Cooper, was chartered in 1892. The railroad helped promote the rapid growth of the town. By 1896, Cooper's population had passed 1,000 people, and contained two churches, a school, and 21 businesses, including a bank and a hotel. The town also had two weekly newspapers. Cooper continued to grow into the early 1900s, especially in the area of agriculture. From the early 1890s to around 1910, farms boomed both in number and in value, with the number of cash crops nearly tripling. The region produced over 70,000 chickens and almost 7,000 pigs yearly. At that time, Cooper reported having 70 businesses, and a population around 2,200. By 2000, the population had dropped by about 50 people and an estimate for 2016 is 1,957 inhabitants. According to statistics from the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (99.31%) is land. About (0.69%) is covered by water.
Cooper is located at an elevation of , a few miles north of Cooper Lake, between the north and south forks of the Sulphur River. It is located about northeast of Dallas and west of Texarkana. Texas State Highway 24 bypasses Cooper to the north; however, Texas State Highway 24 Business splits off and passes through the center of the city. Texas State Highway 154 begins at the western edge of Cooper and passes through the center of the city, intersecting Farm to Market Road 1528 near the county courthouse. Farm to Market Road 64 enters the very western portion of Cooper before terminating at State Highway 24. Nearby highways include Farm to Market Road 1880 and Farm to Market Road 1529. The average temperature in Cooper in January is , and in July it is . Its highest recorded temperature was in 1969, and the lowest recorded temperature was in 1989. The average wettest month is October. The average coolest month is January, while the average hottest month is August.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Cooper had a population of 1,911, down from the 1,969 reported in 2010.
There were 756 households in Cooper, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.2% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 1,460 || 76.4%
|-
| Black or African American || 253 || 13.2%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 11 || 0.6%
|-
| Asian || 23 || 1.2%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 4 || 0.2%
|-
| Some other race || 54 || 2.8%
|-
| Two or more races || 106 || 5.5%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 160 || 8.4%
|}
Religion
thumb|First United Methodist Church in Cooper
The first religious establishment in the region was erected by pioneers from Tennessee in 1847. By 1860, two Methodist Episcopal churches had been built nearby. In 1880, seven churches, which were predominantly Methodist, had been established in Delta County. In 1889, seven Baptist churches that had been established in the region held a meeting as the Delta County Baptist Association. During the early 1980s, 17 churches were in Delta County, two of which were located in Cooper.
2010 census
At the 2010 U.S. census, the population of Cooper was 1,969.
In 2010, the racial make-up of the town was 77.2% White, 14.8% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian and 2.8% from other races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.1% of the population.
The age distribution was 25.9% under 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64 and 19.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40.2 years. and the median family income was $29,853.
During the 2010 census, residents self-identified with a variety of ethnic ancestries; the major categories reflecting the settlers of the early to mid-19th century. People of American descent make up 21% of the population of the city, followed by Irish at 15.2%, English at 7.2%, German at 4.3%, Russian at 2.5%, French at 2.4%, Scottish at 1.5%, French−Canadian at 0.7%, Dutch at 0.5%, Norwegian at 0.5%, Slavic at 0.5%, Palestinian at 0.4%, Austrian at 0.3%, Welsh at 0.3%, Polish at 0.2%, and Italian rounding out at 0.2%. A total of 818 persons were of "other ancestries".
Economy
thumb|Businesses on Cooper's town square, December 2012
Cooper's economy relied heavily on agriculture from its founding until the 1950s, especially on the growing of cash crops. In 1880, cotton, corn, sorghum and other crops were grown on over of farmland. The county also produced large quantities of livestock, with almost 3,000 cattle and 10,000 hogs grazing on land near Cooper. The logging industry began to grow in the region, and several mills were constructed, producing furniture and lumber. In 1886, the Santa Fe Railway built a line through the county, and the shipping of crops and lumber became a major business in Cooper. During the early 1890s, the livestock industry in Delta County struggled, with the number of hogs being raised dropping to half of what it had been the previous decade. However, the agricultural business boomed, with the number of farms in the area around Cooper increasing to 1,188, and the value of the farms doubled to $1,400 (equivalent to $, respectively in 2022) each. The production of cotton tripled and the poultry industry began to boom. Within the city limits, Cooper had a hotel, a shoemaker, a grocery store, a wagon maker, feed stores, general stores, drug stores and several cotton and oat gins. Delta County contained 18 manufacturing establishments, but they only employed 33 people. The average income for someone working in the region was $208 (equivalent to $ respectively in 2022). The lake is now the most popular tourist attraction in the area. Boating, swimming and fishing are available at Cooper Lake. The main fish stocked in the lake are catfish, largemouth bass and crappie. Along the west and northwest shores of the lake is the Cooper Wildlife Management Area. The park was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and protects four unique habitat types. These are wetland, Blackland Prairie, Upland Post Oak and Bottomland Hardwood. The park contains several hiking trails, as well as birdwatching stations and wildlife viewing areas. The park allows fishing and hunting to visitors if they have a proper license.
Cooper hosts the annual Chiggerfest. The event, held every October, is a social gathering for the region. The two-day event begins with an open-air concert in Historic Cooper Square. Other events include a 5K run/walk and smashing a car. The festival includes numerous street vendors and a children's area. Patterson Memorial County Library is also located in Cooper, as well as a municipal park and numerous recreational and community centers,
Government
Since its incorporation in 1870, Cooper has served as the seat for Delta County. Because of this, Cooper houses the county courthouse, county offices, sheriff, and county library. Cooper has a mayor–council government. The city council is made up of five members who are elected at large.
The first election in Delta County occurred on October 6, 1870, to establish control in the newly formed county. Cooper held its first election in 1881, establishing an aldermanic government. Around that time, the first county courthouse was built in Cooper. Delta County, in addition to Cooper, voted for the Democratic Party in every presidential election from its incorporation in 1870 until 1968. However, the Populist Party won numerous local and county government positions during the 1890s and the early 1900s. In the 1970s, politics in Delta County changed and most of the county began voting for the Republican Party. There are currently only three schools under the jurisdiction of Cooper ISD, all three of which are located within Cooper proper. The schools are Cooper Elementary School, Cooper Junior High School, and Cooper High School.
Media
The first newspaper published in Cooper was the Delta Courier in 1873. The newspaper, published by Bob Michiel, ran weekly until the mid-1890s. Around the time the publishing of the Delta Courier ended, the People's Cause newspaper began running weekly. This eventually stopped running. The Cooper Review began weekly in 1982
Infrastructure
Transportation
thumb|Texas Midland railroad depot, erected in 1913
Texas State Highway 154 (TX 154) intersects the city, passing through the central portion of Cooper. The highway begins at its terminus in the western portion of Cooper. The roadway travels eastward through central Cooper, before bending southeast and exiting the city. TX 154 travels within the Cooper proper for approximately . TX 154 was first constructed through Cooper on September 26, 1935. State Highway 24 bypasses Cooper as a four-lane divided highway. However, TX 24 was rerouted around Cooper and, on January 14, 1991, the long portion of highway was redesignated as Texas State Highway 24 Business.
Farm to Market Road 64 (FM 64) enters the western portion of Cooper, traveling for a short distance before terminating at TX 154. The highway, which was constructed on June 23, 1942, spends approximately within the city. FM 1528, known locally as 1st Street, travels through the center of Cooper. Beginning at an intersection with TX 154, the highway travels southward through the city for about , before exiting and turning westward. The road was constructed on September 28, 1949. Nearby highways include FM 1880, which travels from the edge of the city to a part of the Cooper Lake Wildlife Management Area, FM 128, which ends at an intersection with TX 24 a short distance north of Cooper, and FM 1529, which northward a short distance east of the city. and, the railroad flourished until 1928, when it was sold to the Southern Pacific Corporation due to the region's struggling economy. Currently, the only railroad to pass near Cooper is the Blacklands Railroad.