Copperas Cove

City of Copperas Cove, Texas

City of Copperas Cove, Texas

The downtown area of the City of Copperas Cove, Texas. Photograph by Viceroy Bob.
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Copperas Cove, once spelled Coperas Cove, is at the intersection of U.S. Highway 190 and Farm Road 116, twenty-four miles southwest of Gatesville in southern Coryell County. In the 1870s the community centered around a small store about two miles southwest of the present townsite. Late that decade residents of the community applied for a post office under the name Cove, but postal authorities rejected the name because a Texas post office by that name already existed. The name Coperas Cove was then submitted, inspired by the mineral taste of the water in a nearby spring. The Coperas Cove post office was established in March 1879 with Marsden Ogletree as postmaster.

A feeder route of the Chisholm Trail passed through Coperas Cove, making the cattle industry of primary importance to the local economy. When the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railway built its track across the southern corner of Coryell County in 1882, residents of Coperas Cove moved their community two miles to the northeast in order to take better advantage of the rail service. By 1884 the town had a steam gristmill-cotton gin, five general stores, a hotel, and 150 residents. By the mid-1890s the population had risen to 300, and residents had voted to form their own school district. Although cattle production continued to be important to the local economy, area farmers began to devote more of their resources to the production of cotton, small grains, and feed crops, and by 1900 farming was the dominant occupation.

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Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Belongs to

Copperas Cove is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Copperas Cove is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • [Coperas-]
  • (Ogletree)

Location

Latitude: 31.11720240
Longitude: -97.91393800

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

Yes

Population Count, 2021 View more »

37,041