Celebrating 135 years

Copperas Cove
Celebrating 135 years
A Copperas Cove Herald special publication • March 28, 2014
| Copperas Cove Birthday 2014
Happy 135th
birthday,
Copperas Cove
Annemarie O’Daniel, left, gives Betty Price a piece
of cake during Copperas Cove’s 130th birthday
celebration in 2009. As of press time, the Copperas
Cove Chamber of Commerce and the city had
yet to finalize plans for this year’s 135th birthday
celebration.
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Copperas Cove Birthday 2014 | A look back at Cove’s past as city turns 135
A
s the city celebrates its 135th birthday, Copperas Cove residents can
look at the past to see how far the
community has come.
In 1935, the “History of Coryell County”
had this to say: “The religious spirit of
the Copperas Cove people is represented
by four church organizations, each with a
large membership: the Baptist, the Methodist, the German Methodist and Christian Church.
“The business structures of the town are
above the average for small towns. Most of
them are constructed of native stone of a
good quality, and some have brick fronts. A
list of the leading businesses of the town
will include the following: Dr. Lee Bivens,
physician; Jim Bell, druggist; Jesse Bell,
grocer; Norman and Schneider, general merchandise; B.S. Hubby, druggist;
Wendland Grain, insurance; and several
other smaller firms. The local newspaper,
the Crony, is in its 14th year, is owned and
published by Mrs. Elizabeth Smylie.
“The public school has an enrollment
of about 250 pupils and a faculty of eight
teachers. A music studio and teacher are
part of the school system. Two buses bring
pupils in from outlying districts.”
The “Handbook of Texas,” 1976, said,
“Copperas Cove, formerly a farming and
ranching center in Coryell County, is a
retirement and military community at the
edge of Fort Hood. Among its 68 businesses in 1970 were mattress manufacturers,
automotive chemicals, concrete, cabinets
and molding.”
That same year, “Vignettes of Coryell
County,” said, “Copperas Cove, a small city
nestled amid the picturesque rolling hills
of Central Texas, has been identified by its
Chamber of Commerce as Central Texas’
fastest growing city.”
This book also said soon after its founding, Copperas Cove “became known as
the greatest livestock shipping center in
this section of the country.” It was called
the “City of Five Hills” for the centennial
edition of its history, Copperas Cove, City
of Five Hills, 1980, and a plaque in the
courthouse at Gatesville calls Copperas
Cove, “the city built for family living.”
“Copperas Cove, a city with a proud
heritage and a bright future is dedicated
to improving the quality of life for its
people,” according to the 1997 “Fort Hood
50th Anniversary” handbook.
“Pleasant neighborhoods are located
throughout the city with many options.
Rural living is also available: wild turkey,
deer, armadillos and roadrunners are
a common sight in the rolling hills surrounding Copperas Cove.”
Today, the city has more than 32,000
residents and maintains strong ties to
Fort Hood as it continues to expand north,
west and south with new commercial and
residential growth expected in the coming
year.
| Copperas Cove Birthday 2014
Stagecoach route once stopped in Ogletree Gap
O
lgetree Gap Park is
mostly fields surrounded by hills, but
two structures rest in
a bowl on the grassy acreage
that hosts several city events.
One is a pavilion and the
other, elder structure has been
credited with helping name the
city.
Built in 1878, the site in the
park has served as a post office,
a stagecoach stop, a ranching
headquarters and even a home,
said Linda Ledger, a Coryell
County Historical Commission
member.
“It is a little stone building
built by a man named Marsden
Olgesby,” Ledger said. “The
stagecoaches would stop there.
I was told that it was on a route
to Fort Gates. For the longest
time, it was called the stagecoach stop.”
Area land owners petitioned
the state to name it a post office
called Cove because of how the
hills surround the fields.
But the name Cove was
already given to a post office
in what is now Evant, Ledger
said.
A year later, they repetitioned to name it Copperas
Cove, which was originally
spelled as Coperas, Ledger
said. Copperas was added because someone thought water
in the area tasted like copper.
In the late 19th century, the
stage stop or post office was no
doubt a hub for the ranchers
who lived in the area, Ledger
said.
As the stage stop, the building was probably among a very
few reasons someone would
stop in Copperas Cove during
the time period.
“Every stagecoach route in
Texas stretched along a series
of stopping points where drivers could hitch on a fresh team
in 10 minutes and be on their
way again,” stated an article
on the Texas Almanac website.
Facilities such as the
Copperas Cove historic site
also provided general mercantile items, food and sometimes
lodging for travelers and local
residents, said Debbie Head, a
spokeswoman with the Texas
Historical Commission.
“Three times a day, passengers could get a hurried meal.
Long-haul stages tended to
run 24 hours a day, but some
stage stops featured overnight
accommodations,” stated the
Texas Almanac website.
“Stagecoach stop fare ranged
from terrible — wormy biscuits and grease-laden meat of
unknown source — to something weary travelers looked
forward to. Meal prices ran
from 40 cents to a dollar in the
late 1850s.”
The stagecoach stop continued to operate until about 1882,
when the railroad was built,
Ledger said. The post office
was moved closer to the rail
station. Downtown was built
later.
A man named Jesse Clements bought the stage stop
and the land from Olgesby. Cle-
Copperas Cove Birthday 2014 | The historic Ogletree Stagestop and Post Office in Copperas Cove is shown in this file photo. The building was once a stagecoach stop.
ments is considered to be Cove’s founder
and used the building as a ranching office.
Years later, it was given to the Walker family, and Barnice (Walker) Ray donated the
land to the city.
“It is probably the oldest known standing building (in the city),” Ledger said.
“The downtown buildings didn’t come
until after 1882, so it is the oldest building
in Copperas Cove.”
The building was renovated by the
Historical Commission for its 100th birthday. The group also helped the site get a
historical marker.
“We thought it was just an acknowledgement of Copperas Cove’s beginning,”
Ledger said. “Communities get their
names from many different ways, and the
first time you see the Copperas Cove name
is the post office.
“We think that it is important, the history of having that little stage stop. We
don’t have a lot of historic buildings, but
we do have that stage stop and it is great.”
| Copperas Cove Birthday 2014
Pioneer Walker Cemetery shrouded in mystery
W
ith more than 100 years of age
engraved in stone, Pioneer
Walker Cemetery is among
one of the oldest burial sites in
Coryell County.
“There isn’t a whole lot known about
it,” said Homer Perryman, the Coryell
County Historical Commission chairman. He added that the marked graves
belong to prominent Killeen-area
families.
The small graveyard is nestled in
the Pioneer addition of the Walker
Subdivision at the end of the Jay Drive
cul-de-sac.
According to city documents, the addition that included the development of
the cul-de-sac was platted in 1998. The
acreage containing the cemetery was
given to Copperas Cove in 2002, states
the Coryell Central Tax Appraisal
District’s website. It is maintained by
the city.
Before the land became a housing
area, it was called Walker Ranch, said
an official with the development com-
pany that built the neighborhood. That
land was deeded to the Walkers probably 100 years ago, he said.
But no Walkers are listed among the
buried whose deaths were marked as
late as 1907. But a few graves are missing headstones. Eight burial markers
can be read, through some have toppled and broken.
“Jesse Moore Clements,” said Bobbie
Thornton, a former historical commission member who did a survey of
several gravesites in Coryell County
between 1978 and 1982 with her mother.
Thornton died Dec. 20, 2012. Clements
is probably the most noteworthy person buried at the site.
His tombstone reads that he was
born in Feb. 4, 1829, and died sometime
in 1900. The month and day are not
discernible.
“He is actually the one who gave
some of the land for the city of
Copperas Cove,” Thornton told the
Herald in 2012.
Clements married Paralee Cosper.
She is buried inside an iron fence
next to his grave site, Thornton said.
She lived from 1818 to 1878. And that
explains why three other Cospers,
including George Price, the son of CH
and Rebecca Cosper, are buried at the
cemetery with larger headstones surrounded by an iron fence.
The oldest person buried at the site
was Jeremiah Crook, born Dec. 8, 1798.
He died Sept. 24, 1883, according to his
headstone, which brandishes the Free
Mason symbol above his name.
“Jeremiah Crook was a preacher,”
Thornton said.
Several rows of neatly clustered
unmarked graves at the cemetery site
make it more interesting. Fort Hood
moved several graves to cemeteries in
Copperas Cove, Killeen and Gatesville
after the post was created, Thornton
said. Fort Hood has a list of all the
graves it moved. “There are a lot of
unknowns from Fort Hood, and that is
why I think they were out there buried
in Walker.”
Copperas Cove Birthday 2014 | Catrina Rawson | Herald file
A fence wraps around gravestones at the Pioneer Walker Cemetery in Copperas Cove.
| Copperas Cove Birthday 2014
AT RIGHT: Taylor Martin, 11, left, and Olivia Enriquez,
11, take part in Cove’s annual polar bear swim.
BELOW: Arthur L. Bryan plays the trumpet during
the opening of the Star Group-Veterans Helping
Veterans building Feb. 27 in Copperas Cove.
Alexander Weber watches his line during Fishing in the Park on Feb. 22 at Copperas Cove City Park.
Copperas Cove Birthday 2014 | The Copperas Cove High School color guard spins flags during the Rabbit Fest Parade in May on Avenue D in Copperas Cove.
ABOVE: Noah Miller, 4, sits with his black lab, Princess, during a free shot clinic Feb. 17.
AT LEFT: Betty Price, president of the Copperas
Cove Chamber of Commerce, dishes up pancakes
for veterans on Nov. 8 at H-E-B in Copperas Cove.
10 | Copperas Cove Birthday 2014
Construction continues at the Five Hills shopping center in Copperas Cove. The center, which opened in 2013, is a mix of restaurants, financial centers, health and
beauty businesses and an H-E-B Plus grocery store. There’s room for more new business to open this year.
With economic growth, Cove’s future looks even brighter
W
ith the Five Hills shopping center overflowing with fast-food
joints, financial centers, health
and beauty businesses and
the H-E-B Plus anchor store that opened
in February 2013, there are a plethora
of shopping opportunities in Copperas
Cove.
Copperas Cove welcomed Panda Express, Navy Federal Credit Union, and
many new stores to the center in 2013.
Construction started in 2013 on a muchanticipated Chick-fil-A, which opened Feb.
20.
Polo Enriquez, executive director of the
Copperas Cove Economic Development
Corporation, said Five Hills will continue
to expand as more businesses see the benefits of coming to Cove.
“Endeavor Real Estate Group, the
owners of Five Hills, will purchase the
remaining acreage known as Phase II and
continue its aggressive marketing efforts,”
Enriquez said.
The city approved sale of the final plat
in November, which means the remaining
portion of Robert Griffin III Boulevard
will be dedicated to the city and Endeavor
can sell portions of it. Utilities are already
installed on the remaining 50 acres.
The type of tenants will be determined
by market demand although no new retailers or other businesses are expected to
build in Phase II until 2015.
Five Hills was one of many projects in
2013 for the Cove EDC, which approved a
nearly $5.4 million budget for fiscal year
2014. Funds for capital projects included
nearly $1.9 million for the construction
of the Narrows Business and Technology
Park, a 72-acre subdivision, for which construction began in the fall of 2013.
The development, which is Cove’s first
shovel-ready site of this kind, will be
completed by mid-year and ready to accept
Copperas Cove Birthday 2014 | 11
Catrina Rawson | Herald
Chick-fil-A customers pick up free meals after camping out at the restaurant overnight during its grand opening Feb. 20 in the Five Hills shopping center in Cove.
tenants that fit the target industry profiles,
Enriquez said.
“These tenants will mostly fall into the
category of ‘primary job creators.’ Their
products and services will enhance the
economy of the community by bringing
new wealth and opportunities,” he said.
One of the EDC’s “pet projects” in the
year ahead is the Copperas Cove Entrepreneur Center for which $43,000 was set
aside in the budget to operate. Cove EDC is
exploring the use of a building, currently
under lease by the city, to create a business
incubator that would give business owners
a place to work with shared resources, consulting and staffing for a certain period of
time. The FY 2014 budget allocated about
$43,000 for the lease and utilities.
Enriquez said, “2014 will be the year the
Copperas Cove EDC board of directors
will finally realize the dream of creating
a place where fledging businesses can get
their start.”
Business growth on the west end of the
city also continues, although at a slower
rate. Dental and medical offices dot U.S.
Highway 190 along with Cove Fitness
in the strip mall called Cove Summit.
Construction crews broke ground on an
8,000-square-foot strip center at 1009 W. U.S.
Highway 190 in August.
Cove Fitness is in the final stages of
building its new facility, Cove Fitness
Express, which will offer fitness around
the clock.
The new facility, located in front of Cove
Fitness, is set to open by early April and
will offer tanning and day spa amenities,
said Ownder Denise Doyle.
Public hearings were held in 2013 to
change the name of U.S. 190 once the bypass is completed this spring.
While some fear less traffic on the major
thoroughfare means fewer customers
for businesses along it, Enriquez said he
expects the opposite.
“For three years, I have been telling the
merchants located on U.S. Highway 190
that lessening the amount of congestion
will be good for business ... because getting
in and out of the parking lots of those
businesses will be easier and safer than
before,” he said. “Our future is bright and
getting brighter.”
12 | Copperas Cove Birthday 2014
Marsha Petruska fills up her jug with vintage vanilla cream at the Wild Bill’s Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Co. during Rabbit Fest in May at Copperas Cove City Park.
Tourism means big business in Copperas Cove
T
ourism is big business, and
Copperas Cove continues to drive
Coryell County’s share.
Visitors spent $865 billion on
tourism in the U.S. in 2012 with $6 billion
spent in Texas. That translates to $60 million in Coryell County, said Mourad Sebti,
an economics professor at Central Texas
College. “For every dollar spent, $1.88 is
the induced effect of direct purchases a
traveler makes,” he said.
The Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce conducts five major events annually
and added Zombie Fest in 2013. Officials
estimated 200 zombies participated and another 400 to 500 people attended. Chamber
President Betty Price said it cost less than
$500 to execute the event.
“Tourism is an industry. It doesn’t just
produce a product you can see,” Price said.
“Everyone is involved in tourism with
things as simple as restaurant referrals
from our hotel front desk clerks to shopping referrals that will bring visitors back
to our area even after the event.”
For the Great American Bicycle Race,
which grows every year, 227 hotel rooms
were rented at an approximate cost of $125
each; 856 participated, an increase of 50
riders over last year.
Price said this year’s race welcomed
riders from eight states. From hotel sales
alone, $23,875 was spent directly and
$53,345 indirectly. The chamber budgets
$7,000 to execute the event.
“By shear volume, the bicycle race is
a true tourism event that showcases our
community,” Price said.
The Megan Babb Memorial Classic bicycle race each January attracts about 300
riders, pedaling an estimated $16,600 into
Cove in direct spending and more than
$31,000 was pumped in indirect spending.
Rabbit Fest each May is the city’s largest tourist draw, with a budget of $60,000
to $65,000. An estimated 15,000 to 18,000
people attend. A low estimate that each
attendee spends $10 results in $180,000
in direct spending and $338,400 indirect
spending.
The annual Krist Kindl Markt saw fewer
people in 2013 amid cold temperatures that
canceled the carnival and entertainment.
Sebti said at a sales tax rate of 8.25 percent, Coryell County returned $3.5 million
to the state, keeping $700,000.
“Copperas Cove continues to be the flag
carrier in Coryell County when it comes to
tourism and that’s good for the economy,”
he said.
Copperas Cove Birthday 2014 | 13
ABOVE: Riders get ready
for the Megan Babb
Memorial Road Race
in January in Copperas
Cove. The annual race
draws many tourists to
the city, as do several
other races each year.
AT LEFT: Zombies
walk the streets during
Copperas Cove’s first
Zombie Walk and Fall
Festival in October.
14 | Copperas Cove Birthday 2014
Bypass projects ease traffic as area population grows
S
tate Highway 9 opened in late
February and the U.S. Highway
190 bypass project is slated to open
within the next 30 to 60 days.
Although the 3.14-mile Highway 9 project opened six months behind schedule, it
came in under budget by $7,000.
Texas Department of Transportation
spokesman Ken Roberts said a few things
slowed the project down, including its
location.
“We had to move a lot of dirt and the
rock surfaces were a little more difficult
to deal with than we had anticipated,” he
said. “It will be part of a newly designated
highway across Fort Hood which also took
additional time to comply with federal
guidelines.”
The project, which broke ground in early
2011, was scheduled to be completed by the
end of summer 2013 at an estimated cost
of $39 million. However, the final cost was
just $37 million, Roberts said.
The 5.2-mile U.S. 190 bypass project is
more than three-quarters complete with
less than 60 days left before the originally
scheduled completion date. The $47 million project broke ground in July 2011.
The bypass will become the new U.S.
Highway 190 and take traffic around
Copperas Cove, from east of the Five Hills
Shopping Center to west of Farm-to-Market 2657.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is expected
to be held in April or May to officially open
the highway, Roberts said.
Copperas Cove spokesman Kevin Keller
said the new highway should be an economic boost to the community.
Residents complained about not being
able to access Highway 190 when leaving
a local business or restaurant except in
areas where a traffic light is posted.
“We look forward to easing the traffic
congestion on Highway 190, allowing for
easier access to local businesses, especially during peak times,” Keller said.
Once the U.S. 190 bypass is completed
and opened for travel, the existing roadway will be named Business 190.
Some businesses are already using the
Business 190 address and receiving mail,
said Johnny Castro, a U.S. Postal Service
spokesman.
The addresses in the postal service’s
data base will be automatically updated
and businesses and residents can notify
personal correspondents at their convenience.
Plans are already underway to beautify the newly named Business 190, said
Copperas Cove Councilwoman Marty
Smith.
“We will work with businesses to help
spruce up and fix up. We plan to take the
island out and make more of a landscape
and beautify the area,” she said.
The beautification project will be funded
by a $210,000 grant awarded to Keep
Copperas Cove Beautiful for beautifying a
TxDOT right of way.
Silvia Rhoads, city recycling coordinator, said the project is a joint effort.
“KCCB, the city and TxDOT will work
closely together to ensure the beautification meets all requirements by TxDOT. An
exact project has yet to be determined,”
she said.
Copperas Cove Birthday 2014 | 15
Bryan Correira | Herald
Sgt. Jessie Hurst of the 1st Cavalry Division’s Horse Cavalry Detachment, prepares to cut a ribbon to officially open State Highway 9 on Feb. 20 in Copperas Cove.