Coppock

History

John Coppock and Thomas Tucker built a grist mill and saw mill on the Skunk River in 1859. The grist mill was on the north bank of the river about 1/8 mile (1/4 km) east of what is now Locust St. John's son Thomas Coppock built a general store nearby, and the Coppock businesses became a social center for the surrounding area. By 1877, when John Coppock died, the grist mill was a four-story building, and the operation included 360 acres of land, 4 houses and a ferry. Coppock's mill was the site of a battle in 1882 between the Iowa Central Railway and the narrow-gauge Burlington and Western Railway for locations of bridges across the Skunk River. The Burlington and Western was later widened and taken over by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy and the Iowa Central was taken over by the Minneapolis and St. Louis. With the coming of the railroads there was major development around the mill. The town of Coppock was platted in 1882, with 4 city blocks. The two railroads paralleled each other in a broad curve south of the town, each with its own depot, passing siding, stock yard and, water tank. The Burlington and Western also had a coaling station. John Coppock Jr. bought the mill and dam in 1883, and by 1887, the mill was a 40 by 50 foot, six-story building. Ice harvesting became an important winter business in this era, the Burlington and Western built a siding for loading ice. The Burlington and Western also advertised the availability of gravel and unlimited quantities of crushed-stone from Coppock. By the end of the century, Trite's Park and Brown's Park competed for the tourist business, offering swimming, boating, picnic grounds and facilities for group activities. There was even a small steamboat available for charter trips on the river and a…

Geography

Coppock is located on the Skunk River just above its confluence with Crooked Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity