Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas) Page: 57
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KOPPERL COMMUNITY
C26
One of the first settlers in the area of
Kopperl was Captain Gilbert Greer, who
came to Texas in 1837 and moved to the
Brazos Valley near present Kopperl in 1856.
He organized a company of frontier troops for
protection against Indian attacks. In 1861, he
joined "Walker's Division of Eighth Texas
Regiment." Greer was a Bosque County
commissioner when the first courthouse was
built.
The Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad
Company was charted May 28, 1873 and
construction began in 1875. It ran into
financial difficulties in 1879 and was bought
by George Sealy and regorganized under the
same name. The main branch went from
Galveston through Lampasas by 1882. A
branch line was built from Ft. Worth to
Temple in 1881.
The railroad entered Bosque County
northeast two miles from present day
Kopperl. Original plans were to build shops
on the banks of Plowman Creek near the
Brazos River, but it was learned that the
creek would not furnish enough water, and
water from the Brazos was too salty for the
engines.
In April and May of 1881, the Greer
brothers and wives, J.C. and Emily Frazier,
and others whose land the rail line was to
cross sold a right-of-way to the company. Also
in May of 1881, Mr. Sealy bought land from
M.S. Greer and wife, W.R. Greer and G.D.
Greer and wife which was surveyed by
Engineer E.F. Batte into town lots and
named Kopperl in honor of Moritz Kopperly
of Galveston, banker and director of the
railroad company.
The first post office was established Sep-
tember 5, 1881. The first postmaster was A.
Giesler. It is thought that the first post office
was the present home of M.S. and Ruby
Greer. The door with the letter drop is still
in use as a front door.
Moritz Kopperl donated $500 toward a
public school building. On July 1, 1882, for
one dollar and other valuable considerations,
the G.C. and S.F. Railroad Company sold to
M.S. Greer, A.R. Barry, G.D. Greer, N.D.
Kendrick, and Rice Marey, trustees of the
Kopperl Academy, lot 4, block 5. This was the
first public building erected and was used not
only for school, but a meeting place for a
union Sunday school.
In February, 1892, for one dollar and the
erection of a building, the G.C. and S.F.
Railroad Company sold to J.A. Cottingham,
W.D. Eaton, D.M. Finley, and F. Shook,
trustees of the Methodist Church, lot 10
block 29. Two early preachers were Rev.
Strange in 1891 and 1892, and Rev. J.D.
Crockett in 1893. The latter performed the
marriage ceremony of Mr. and Mrs. J.F.
Benson.
Masonic Lodge #292 was charted at Kim-
ball in 1867, but in 1883 it was moved to
Kopperl, and in 1891 its name was changed
to match the location. In 1903, the lodge as
trustee of the Kopperl Baptist Church
bought from the railroad company lots 8 and
9, block 30. A two story building was erected,
the upper story to be used for a meeting place
of the lodge, and lower story for the Baptist
Church. These buildings and a tabernacle
were located in the southeast part of Kopperl
near the cemetery.IMF
Kopperl High School
G.R. Jackson Store
Jackson Home, KoppeKopperl Post Office
Early Baptist Church a
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Kopperl School, built 1913
In 1916, Tom C. Day gave land for a new
Baptist church building which was erected
where it now stands. Mr. Day and George
Lain drew plans. Charlie Waddel was the
main carpenter. Roland and Jessie Day
hauled gravel for the cement work. The walls
were made of concrete blocks, and when the
building burned in 1944, the walls remained
standing, and the new building was rebuilt in
the same walls.
By 1928, a new building was erected across
the railroad tracks by the Methodist Church.
It burned in January, 1942, but the people
rl went to work with a will to rebuild.
In 1931, the Church of Christ began
meeting in Kopperl in a building across the
street from the Methodist church. Among
those meeting were the families of J.G. and
Albert Strickland, O.D. Cox, Turner, Charley
Hughes, Harvey Marshall, C. McKinney,
Josie Bateman, Anita Phinney, and others. In
1944, the members erected a building behind
the bank.
In July, 1913, S.A. Caruthers, R.E. Sanders
and G.R. Jackson, Kopperl school trustees
bought lots 1, 2, and 3, block 5 and erected
a two story brick building. In 1918, trustees,
J.H. Cullenback, W.E. Spurlin, and T.C. Day,
bought additional adjoining land. In the
1930's, adjoining school districts began con-
solidating with the Kopperl district until all
the northeast part of the county was com-
bined including Union Hill (and Auburn),
New Home, Steiner, Hunton (Bodine), Kim-
ball, and Dry Branch (Brazos Point).
In 1932, the present high school building
was erected. In 1940, the 1913 building was
torn down and a gym was built where it stood.
In 1958, an elementary grade class room unit
and a lunchroom were built. Two superinten-
dents of long tenure were T.S. Whitlock and
G.T. Day.
Early business establishments included
Henry Rush Drugs, and Irvin De Cordova, B.
Johnson (father of Lon), G.R. Jackson, and
M.S. Greer, all general merchandise. A ten
.nd Masonic Lodge Hall room hotel was built by Mrs. Sarah Frances
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Bosque County History Book Committee. Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas), book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth91038/m1/73/?q=campbell: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Denton Public Library.