Cooper, Texas
| Cooper, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
The gazebo on the square in downtown Cooper
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 Location of Cooper, Texas |
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| Coordinates: 33°22′22″N 95°41′21″W / 33.37278°N 95.68917°WCoordinates: 33°22′22″N 95°41′21″W / 33.37278°N 95.68917°W | |
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 Texas
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| County | Delta |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Named for | Leroy Cooper |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Scotty Stegall |
| • City Council |
Council members
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| • Representative | Larry Phillips (R) |
| • TX Senate | Bob Hall (R) |
| • U.S. Congress | John Ratcliffe (R) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2) |
| • Land | 1.4 sq mi (3.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 482 ft (147 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,969 |
| • Density | 1,312.7/sq mi (504.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 75432 |
| Area code(s) | 903 |
| FIPS code | 48-16564 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1354942 |
The city of Cooper /ˈkuːpər/ is the county seat of Delta County, in the U.S. state of Texas. Located between the north and south forks of the Sulphur River, Cooper is the largest settlement within Delta County. As of the U.S. Census of 2010, Cooper had a population of 1,969.
First inhabited by native people, Cooper was founded around 1870, at the same time that Delta County was established. Cooper grew rapidly and it quickly became the center of local events. The city's economy relied primarily on agricultural farming 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 plummeted. 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 currently 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.
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 AD. 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, European disease and attacks from neighboring tribes, as well as attacks from European settlers 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.
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