Cooper family

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Four brothers of the Cooper family were early immigrants to Santa Cruz County. The Coopers' Santa Cruz store was on the north side of what is now one-block-long Cooper Street. The store hosted the community's earliest public library. From The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (2005 book), p174:

"The four Cooper brothers came to Santa Cruz County in the early 1850s, and all engaged in merchandising; Thomas S. (1827-1893) and James A. (1822-1878) in Watsonville; John L. and William F. (1823-1894) in Santa Cruz. The Cooper family came from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. They were related to author James Fenimore Cooper and, further back on the family tree, descendants of James Cooper of Stratford-on-Avon, who arrived in America in 1680. John Cooper, known as 'Fatty,' was 'a good-natured if somewhat straight-laced man.' William was known as a friend to the mission Indians and in 1876-78 was the first mayor under the reorganized municipal government. The two brothers opened their general store in Santa Cruz in 1850 with goods transported across the plains by William. The store was a one-story structure with green shutters. The chief feature of its interior was 'a huge box stove,' and 'around the stove the topics of the day were discussed, especially politics.'”