Welcome to the City of Coupland

The City of Coupland is a Type B General-law Municipality under Sec. 5.002 of the State of Texas Local Government Code. The only regular services offered by the City at this time are road maintenance and administration of its Subdivision Ordinance. Tax assessment and collection is done by Williamson County by agreement. Occasional special projects and actions in response to citizen inquiries are likely to continue to occur. The City shares a small office space with Williamson County Emergency Services District #10 in the Coupland Fire Station but does not maintain regular office hours. There is a Mayor, five Aldermen, and a City Secretary who was appointed by the City Council. All positions are voluntary and unpaid. The office of Marshal was abolished by ordinance shortly after the formation of the initial City Council. The primary constituents of the City are persons residing within the city limits. A secondary constituency are persons residing within the Extra-territorial jurisdiction of the City.

The regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen for the City of Coupland is held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM at the Coupland Fire Station.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF COUPLAND
In 1859, Morgan C. Hamilton bought land on which the village of Coupland would eventually be built.  Mr. Hamilton had acquired large blocks of land along Brushy Creek from Shiloh to Rice’s Crossing.  After serving his term in Congress, he moved from Texas to New York and passed away in 1883.  His estate was left to the five children of his deceased sister.  One of her sons was Theodore Van Buren Coupland.  His inheritance of land and cattle on Brushy Creek in Central Texas motivated him to move to Texas with his wife and son.

In 1887, the Taylor, Bastrop, and Austin Railway bought a one hundred foot right-of-way from Mr. Coupland.  Two Taylor men formed a corporation, The Coupland City Company, whose purpose was to subdivide and sell land in the newly formed town of Coupland.  On May 12, 1887, the first public sale of lots was held.

John Goetz, Sr. purchased the first lots.  He also operated the first post office, a general store, and was the secretary for the Coupland City Corporation.  Even though the town never incorporated, it flourished and many new people purchased land and moved their families to the area.  Many of the new residents were from Switzerland and Germany.

Coupland continued its unincorporated existence until a few years ago when some of its citizens became aware of surrounding cities’ extra territorial jurisdictions becoming very close.  A town hall meeting was held and citizens voted to begin the incorporation process so that “Coupland could remain Coupland.”  An incorporation committee was formed and immediately began the arduous work and ultimate planning of ways to raise funds, engaging an attorney for help in the incorporation process, outlining a proposed city limit, and hiring a surveyor.  The work was completed and the vote to incorporate was included on the ballot in the General Election of November 2012.  Citizens voted overwhelmingly to incorporate.  Coupland became incorporated during its 125 year anniversary.  City officials were elected in May of 2013. — Barbara Piper, June 2014

“Coupland City” was initially platted out in thirty-six blocks west of the railroad right-of-way and eighteen blocks east of it. Subsequent additions (Polzin Addition, Muery Addition, O.C. Pfluger Addition, among others) added more blocks at different sections of the town. At its peak in the 1920s and 30s, Coupland boasted numerous business, including several general grocery stores, a drug store (pharmacy), its own doctor and dentist, a meat market, 2 full service garages/gas stations, a bank, a post office, a railroad freight station and passenger depot, two cotton gins, two lumber yards, a hardware and furniture store, its own local electric power company, its own local telephone exchange, a trucking company, 2 segregated churches, 2 segregated schools, plus several saloons, boarding houses, and meeting halls. After WW2, the businesses slowly disappeared one by one until you have what you see today — a unique tiny town where personal liberty is still cherished. — Max Marosko, August 2014