Located between the north and south forks of the Sulphur River, Cooper is the largest settlement in Delta County.

[5] First inhabited by native people, Cooper was founded around 1870, at the same time that Delta County was established.

The first inhabitants of the area that is now the site of Cooper were the Caddo Indians, who settled large portions of eastern Texas as early as 800 CE.

The Caddo were highly advanced, living in large wooden structures, and were skilled farmers.

In 1836, the Republic of Texas officially recognized the region around Cooper as part of Red River County.

People in nearby Ben Franklin, Texas, grew tired of the poor road conditions that connected the region.

In 1868, people in the area petitioned the state government to create a new county located between the north and south forks of the Sulphur River.

By 1896, Cooper's population had passed 1,000 people, and contained two churches, a school, and 21 businesses, including a bank and a hotel.

Texas State Highway 154 begins at the western edge of Cooper and passes through the center of the city, intersecting Farm to Market Road 1528 near the county courthouse.

Farm to Market Road 64 enters the very western portion of Cooper before terminating at State Highway 24.

[30] During the 2010 census, residents self-identified with a variety of ethnic ancestries; the major categories reflecting the settlers of the early to mid-19th century.

People of American descent make up 21% of the population of the city, followed by Irish at 15.2%, English at 7.2%, German at 4.3%, Russian at 2.5%, French at 2.4%, Scottish at 1.5%, French−Canadian at 0.7%, Dutch at 0.5%, Norwegian at 0.5%, Slavic at 0.5%, Palestinian at 0.4%, Austrian at 0.3%, Welsh at 0.3%, Polish at 0.2%, and Italian rounding out at 0.2%.

The county also produced large quantities of livestock, with almost 3,000 cattle and 10,000 hogs grazing on land near Cooper.

The logging industry began to grow in the region, and several mills were constructed, producing furniture and lumber.

In 1886, the Santa Fe Railway built a line through the county, and the shipping of crops and lumber became a major business in Cooper.

During the early 1890s, the livestock industry in Delta County struggled, with the number of hogs being raised dropping to half of what it had been the previous decade.

[36] Patterson Memorial County Library is also located in Cooper, as well as a 15-acre (6.1 ha) municipal park and numerous recreational and community centers,[7] including the historic McKinney Home, the house of Dr. John and May McKinney, which was built in 1912 and later restored by their descendant, the author Susan Albright Hyde.

The council members were (in 2013) mayor pro-tem David Philips, Allen Foster, Amanda L'Esperance, Diane Stegall, and Elmo Robinson.

Delta County, in addition to Cooper, voted for the Democratic Party in every presidential election from its incorporation in 1870 until 1968.

The Delta County judge (in 2013) was Herbert Brookshire and the four commissioners are B. V. Templeton, David Moody, Wayne Poole, and Mark Brantley.

[41] Cooper is also part of Texas' 8th Judicial District, which is served by Judge Robert Newsom.

Around the time the publishing of the Delta Courier ended, the People's Cause newspaper began running weekly.

[47] Texas State Highway 154 (TX 154) intersects the city, passing through the central portion of Cooper.

[15] Only 0.48 miles (0.77 km) of the highway pass through Cooper, traveling through the western edge of the city limits.

[50] Farm to Market Road 64 (FM 64) enters the western portion of Cooper, traveling for a short distance before terminating at TX 154.

Beginning at an intersection with TX 154, the highway travels southward through the city for about 0.6 miles (0.97 km), before exiting and turning westward.

[15] In 1886, the Santa Fe Railroad was constructed to the north of Cooper, through Ben Franklin and Pecan Gap.

Nearly a decade later, in 1895, the Texas Midland Railroad was constructed through Cooper, helping the city's economy to boom.

The extant depot was built in 1913[53] and, the railroad flourished until 1928, when it was sold to the Southern Pacific Corporation due to the region's struggling economy.

[15] Commerce Municipal Airport is currently the closest airfield to Cooper, located approximately 13 miles (21 km) away.