Cooper's economy relied heavily on agriculture from its founding until the 1950s, especially on the growing of cash crops. In 1880, cotton, corn, sorghum, and other crops were grown on over of farmland. 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. However, the agricultural business boomed, with the number of farms in the area around Cooper increasing to 1,188, and the value of the farms doubled to $1,400 (equivalent to $, respectively in ) each. The production of cotton tripled, and the poultry industry began to boom. Within the city limits, Cooper housed a hotel, a shoemaker, a grocery store, a wagon maker, feed stores, general stores, drug stores, and several cotton and oat gins. Delta County contained 18 manufacturing establishments, but they only employed 33 people. The average income for someone working in the region was $208 (equivalent to $ respectively in ).