Copperas Cove ( ) is a city located in central

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

at the southern corner of Coryell County with smaller portions in

Lampasas Lampasas ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lampasas County, Texas, United States. Its population was 7,291 at the 2020 census. Lampasas is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan statistical area. History For his ...

and

Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

counties. Founded in 1879 as a small ranching and farming community, today the city is the largest in Coryell County, with 36,670 at

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

. The city's economy is closely linked to nearby

Fort Cavazos Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...

(formerly known as Fort Hood), making it part of the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The first evidence of human habitation in the Five Hills area dates back to at least 4,000 BC. Artifacts, such as skeletal remains, arrowheads, and other stone tools, have been found along local creek beds and valley floors. These first residents were nomadic hunters, traveling in small groups following migrating buffalo herds. When the Spanish came to Texas, a small Plains tribe known as the

Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe from Oklahoma and Texas. Their Tonkawa language, now extinct language, extinct, is a linguistic isolate. Today, Tonkawa people are enrolled in the Federally recognized tribes, federally recognized Tonkawa ...

inhabited the area. The powerful

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

controlled a vast stretch of land to the north and west, making Coryell County a hostile battleground as settlers moved into the area. In 1825,

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

provided Stephen F. Austin with a land grant encompassing a large area including present-day Copperas Cove. Starting in the 1830s, the first European settlers came into the Five Hills region; however, the area lacked stability until after the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Substantial settlement did not arrive until the development of the cattle industry during the 1870s, when a feeder route of the

Chisholm Trail The Chisholm Trail ( ) was a stock trail and wagon route used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in southern Texas, across the Red River into Indian Territory, and northward to rail stops in Kansas. The trail cons ...

was cut through the region. Settlement centered around a local general store about two miles southwest of present-day downtown. In 1878, residents applied for a post office under the name "Cove", so chosen for the site's sheltered location. However "Cove" was already taken by a nearby community (now called Evant). Inspired by the taste of nearby spring water, residents amended the name to "

Copperas Iron(II) sulfate or ferrous sulfate (British English: sulphate instead of sulfate) denotes a range of salts with the formula Fe SO4·''x''H2O. These compounds exist most commonly as the heptahydrate (''x'' = 7), but several values for ...

Cove" (officially in 1901). The post office was established in March 1879, with Marsden Ogletree as the town's first postmaster. The original building remains today and is the site of the Ogletree Gap Heritage Festival. Copperas Cove's fortunes were greatly improved when, in 1882, the

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (GC&SF) was chartered in Texas in 1873 to build a railroad from Galveston, Texas, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. By 1886, it had built from Galveston to a junction in Temple, Texas, which was founded by the co ...

expanded into the region. Local resident Jesse M. Clements lobbied to obtain train service and provided the railroad company with the necessary right-of-way about two miles northeast of town. Residents soon moved to a new set of streets laid out by the company's engineer, E.F. Batte. The train depot at Copperas Cove served as the shipping point for farmers and ranchers in the area between Cowhouse Creek and the

Lampasas River The Lampasas River ( ) is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It originates near the city of Hamilton and travels southeast for about 84 miles through Lampasas, Burnet, and Bell Counties in central Texas. After the first 75 miles it enters St ...

. Businesses opened to provide services for these area residents, including a steam gristmill-cotton gin, three hotels, a barber shop, and an opera house. Many of the town's early buildings remain to this day, focusing around the block of Avenue D between Main Street and 1st Street. By 1900, the population had reached 475, and residents voted to form their own school district. A private bank opened in 1906, and residents elected Jouett Allin their first mayor in 1913. The town continued to prosper over the coming years, depending largely on local agriculture, of which

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

played a dominant role. Copperas Cove reached a then-peak population of 600 in 1929, but entered a state of decline with the onset of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. During the 1930s, the local bank failed, several businesses closed, and many people left to look for work in other areas. By 1940, only 356 people remained. In 1942, Copperas Cove received new life when the US government located Camp Hood next to the struggling community. By the time the cantonment was upgraded to

Fort Hood Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...

in 1950, the town had over a thousand residents. The population continued to increase rapidly, reaching almost 5,000 in 1960 and more than doubling each of the next two decades, eventually coming to the present count of 32,032 at the 2010 census. During this period, the city limits greatly expanded, encompassing acres of newly built tract housing with upgraded roads and services. The establishment of the fort drastically altered the character of the city. Soldiers from across the country would bring their families and settle in Copperas Cove, often remaining after concluding their military service. In addition to diversifying the ethnic and religious composition of the city, Fort Hood altered the local economy. Since much of the area farmland was acquired by the federal government, businesses within Copperas Cove now largely provide services for Fort Hood soldiers and their families.McLaughlin, Patrick D. and Jerry K. Smith. ''Copperas Cove City of Five Hills: A Centennial History''. Burnet, TX: Eakin Press, 1980. In 2023, Fort Hood was renamed Fort Cavazos.

Geography and climate

Copperas Cove is located in the Limestone Cut Plains of central Texas, within an agglomeration of hills situated between the

and Cowhouse Creek valleys, known as the "Five Hills" area. Copperas Cove's climate is humid subtropical with hot summers, cool winters, and rainy springs. The average high in August is , and the average low in January is . May is the rainiest month. The city lies within

Tornado Alley Tornado Alley, also known as Tornado Valley, is a loosely defined location of the central United States and, in the 21st century, Canada where tornadoes are most frequent. The term was first used in 1952 as the title of a research project to st ...

, and twisters have been known to touch down in the area. Rainfall averages per year, making the land suitable for agriculture without irrigation, though the region is prone to drought. The area's thin layer of topsoil tends to be a light, crumbly

caliche Caliche () is a soil accumulation of soluble calcium carbonate at depth, where it precipitates and binds other materials—such as gravel, sand, clay, and silt. It occurs worldwide, in aridisol and mollisol soil orders—generally in arid or se ...

—capable of sustaining many agricultural plants, but susceptible to depletion and erosion. Before ranchers and farmers began altering the landscape, the area was once part of a vast

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

Bison A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American ...

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

, and

pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American ante ...

grazed on tall native grasses. However, because of

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature ...

, land clearing, and the suppression of wildfires, these native grasses have been mostly replaced by invasive weeds and tough, woody trees, including Texas live oak,

Texas red oak ''Quercus buckleyi'', commonly known as Texas red oak, Buckley's oak, or Spanish oak is a species of flowering plant. It is endemic to the southern Great Plains of the United States (Oklahoma and Texas). Buckley's oak is smaller and more likely ...

, red juniper (red cedar), and

mesquite Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...

. Copperas Cove has a suburban cityscape typical among American small towns developed in the post-World War II era. The majority of commercial activity occurs along the main thoroughfare, US Highway 190. Since most of Copperas Cove has been built after 1950, the extent of the town's walkable, historic downtown is considerably smaller than nearby, less populated communities, such as

or Gatesville. Most residential neighborhoods are low-density, single-family homes. Because of changing economic conditions in recent decades,

intensive farming Intensive agriculture, also known as intensive farming (as opposed to extensive farming), conventional, or industrial agriculture, is a type of agriculture, both of arable farming, crop plants and of Animal husbandry, animals, with higher levels ...

and ranching has largely left the area, making land fairly cheap to develop. After a brief slowdown of development during the 1980s, new subdivisions resumed expansion into the surrounding countryside.

Transportation

The major thoroughfare through town is

Interstate 14 Interstate 14 (I-14), also known as the 14th Amendment Highway, the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway, and the Central Texas Corridor, is an Interstate Highway that is currently located entirely in Central Texas, following US Highway 190 ( ...

U.S. Highway 190 U.S. Route 190 (US 190) is an east–west United States Highway in Louisiana and Texas. Segments of US 190 will be upgraded to Interstate 14 (I-14); the first segment was opened on January 26, 2017. Route description , - , TX , , - , ...

, connecting Cove to

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

in Belton, to the east, and to U.S. Highway 281 in

, to the west. FM 116 runs north through town, connecting the city to Gatesville to the north. Public transportation is provided within the city by HOP, whose buses can be recognized by their teal and purple color. The region is served by the

Killeen Regional Airport Killeen Regional Airport is a small military/commercial joint-use airport that operates alongside Robert Gray Army Airfield. The airport is based inside the south end of the Fort Cavazos Military Reservation (known as West Fort Hood), six ...

(GRK) located a few miles outside of town.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 36,670 people, 12,632 households, and 8,911 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the 2000

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, 29,592 people, 10,273 households, and 8,023 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 11,120 housing units averaged 798.5 per square mile (308.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 65.36% White, 20.43% African American, 0.87% Native American, 2.70% Asian, 0.58% Pacific Islander, 4.98% from other races, and 5.09% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.69% of the population. Of the 10,273 households, 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were not families. About 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.19. In the city, the population was distributed as 32.0% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,869, and for a family was $40,517. Males had a median income of $26,406 versus $22,270 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,995. About 8.1% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Copperas Cove has a council–manager municipal government. Residents elect a mayor and seven council members to three-year terms, with a two-term limit. The city council appoints a city manager, who handles the administrative functions of the municipal government. The current mayor is Dan Yancey. Elected On November 2, 2021, Inaugurated On November 16, 2021. According to the city's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city's various funds had $16.8million in revenues, $26.7million in expenditures, $15.8million in total assets, $2.7million in total liabilities, and $20.0million in investments. City of Copperas Cove 2009 CAFR
Retrieved November 9, 2010 The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:

County government

At the county level, Copperas Cove votes for Coryell County Commissioner seats 1, 2, 3, and 4, which are currently held by Jack Wall, Daren Moore, Don Jones, Wyllis Ament, respectively. The County Judge is John E. Firth. Parts of Copperas Cove fall into

and

counties, and are represented by those county officials.

State government

The city votes overwhelmingly Republican in both state and federal elections. Most of Copperas Cove falls within the 59th District of the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

, which is currently represented by Republican Sid Miller.

Brian Birdwell Brian Douglas Birdwell (born November 3, 1961) is an American politician who has served in the Texas Senate for District 22 since 2010. He is a survivor of the September 11, 2001 attacks against The Pentagon. Early life and education Born in Fo ...

of the 22nd District holds the

State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

seat that represents Coryell County.

Federal government

At the federal level, most of Copperas Cove is part of Texas' 31st District, which is currently represented by Republican John Carter. The two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans

John Cornyn John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. ...

and

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 ...

Education

Public school districts

Copperas Cove is served by the Copperas Cove Independent School District, including seven elementary schools, two junior highs, one high school, and an alternative learning center. Among these are: * Elementary: Clements/Hollie Parsons, Fairview/Miss Jewell, Hettie Halstead, House Creek, J.L. Williams/Lovett Ledger, Mae Stevens, Martin Walker * Junior High: Copperas Cove JH, S.C Lee Junior High * High School: Copperas Cove High School * Alternative Education: Crossroads High School

Public high schools

Copperas Cove High School's athletic teams are known as the Bulldawgs (Lady Bulldawgs for women's teams). The school's mascot is "Sparky". In recent years, Copperas Cove has produced many professional athletes, including T.J. Hollowell (

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

and

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

), Vontez Duff (NFL

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

), Charles Tillman (NFL

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

), Sherika Wright ( WNBA

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. One of eight original franchises, it wa ...

) and 2011

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

winner

Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RGIII or RG3, is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, most notably with the Washington Redskins. He ...

, backup quarterback for the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

Economy

According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Annual events and festivals

Rabbit Fest is a four-day arts and crafts festival held on the third weekend of May each year. Festivities include a carnival, midway, parade, chili cook-off, and many other activities. The Ogletree Gap Heritage Festival is held at the city's original town site, the Ogletree Gap Stagecoach and Post Office. It occurs annually on the third weekend of October. Food, arts and crafts, Civil War reenactments, a petting zoo, pony rides, and kids games are available. The Krist Kindl Markt is held on the first weekend of December in downtown Copperas Cove. It is a German-inspired open air Christmas market sponsored by the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Bureau. It typically hosts live music and performances by local groups. There is also a night-time Christmas parade. Begun in 2000, the Copperas Cove Classic Road Race is held mid-January each year. The bike race covers of the city's hilly terrain. The

C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl The C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl (known as the HOT Bowl for short) is the name of an American football bowl game played at three locations in Central Texas since 2001, featuring teams from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJC ...

is hosted by Copperas Cove at Bulldawg Stadium. The first HOT Bowl was held in 2001.

Notable people

-winner and

quarterback * Shaye Haver,

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

1st Lieutenant; born in Copperas Cove * Suzanna Hupp, survivor of the Luby's massacre, former Texas HOR for District 54, and pro-gun activist *

Rashard Odomes Rashard Odomes (born December 21, 1996) is an American basketball player for Hapoel Gilboa Galil in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He plays the guard and forward positions.

(born 1996), basketball player in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* Chester M. Ovnand, was one of the first two American soldiers killed in South Vietnam *

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe was born in Metro Atlanta in January 1960. Due to his father's militar ...

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

frontman; lived in Copperas Cove"Heights winner of 'Cake Wars' latest Central Texans to experience fame"
- ''Killeen Daily Herald'', February 3, 2017 * Charles Tillman, retired

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

and

cornerback

Notes

References

External links

*
Chamber of Commerce

Cove Leader Press

The Hop
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Bell County, Texas Cities in Coryell County, Texas Cities in Lampasas County, Texas Fort Cavazos Populated places established in 1878 Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area