The Cooper Family

Patriarch: Mayor Cooper

The Cooper family is a human family that has used intelligence, social savvy and money to become one of the most influential families in Higsi. They are also one of the founding families of the town.

History

While the first settlers in Higsi were Ezekiel Butler and his brother-in-law John McComb, the Cooper family arrived just a few months later and are considered one of the founding families of the town. Jebediah Cooper came to the iron-mining settlement in the early spring of 1817. Seeing the quick-growing operation happening along the Watauga River, Jeb and his two sons, Edgar and Eugene built a short dam across the river and a large gristmill on the shore.

Eugene opened a General Store while Jeb and Edgar ran the mill. In January of 1820, the community became known as Cooper’s Mill, and Horace joined Ezekiel and John on the first town council in those early years. Nothing happened in the town without their approval, and the power and influence that was established in those early years never waned for the Cooper and Butler families.

When Ezekial’s son, Thomas, became the first town chairman in 1834, Eugene served as deputy chairman. In 1837, when Thomas passed away from tuberculosis, Eugene became the first Mayor. As the town grew, Eugene’s son Floyd became the first sheriff. When Johnson County was organized, Horace Cooper was the first county executive. The first teacher at Cobb’s Creek Seminary was Delores Cooper, and the Cooper name has been all over prominent positions in town ever since.

Today, the Coopers continue to remain influential around Higsi. Much like the Butlers and McCombs, the Cooper family has buildings and streets all over town named after family members. The current Mayor is a Cooper, as is the fire chief. Most of the farmland east of town is actually owned by the Cooper family, rented or leased to locals to farm. It’s a bit of a racket - the farmers pay the Coopers to use the land to grow the wheat they then pay the Coopers to grind at their mill and then pay the Coopers a percentage to sell at their store.

That same land will be worth millions if the TVA dams the Watauga and has to purchase it to flood the town. Perhaps that’s why a Cooper was also on the committee that identified Carden’s Bluff as a potential dam site for the Holston River Power Company.

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