Kopperl, Texas

Kopperl (pronounced KOP-er-ul) is an unincorporated community in Bosque County, Texas, United States. It lies on the northwestern end of Lake Whitney, and has an estimated population of 225.

History

Kopperl was founded in 1881. Named after Galveston banker and railroad tycoon Moritz Kopperl, the town was established as a regional shipping point along the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway. The population peaked at 329 in 1904 before declining to 225 by the 1970's, a figure it has maintained fairly consistently since. [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/KK/hrk17.html Handbook of Texas Online - KOPPERL, TX ] ]

Shortly after midnight on June 15, 1960, a freak meteorological phenomenon struck the community when a dying thunderstorm collapsed over Kopperl. The storm had rained itself out, and with little to no precipitation to cool the resulting downdrafts, superheated air was expended upon the community in the form of extremely hot wind gusts of up to 75 MPH. The temperature increased rapidly, peaking near 140° Fahrenheit (60° Celsius); twenty degrees above the official all-time high for the state of Texas. The storm, known as "Satan's Storm" by locals, soon became part of local folklore.

Education

Kopperl is served by the Kopperl Independent School District.

References