PHOTO BY DAVID LOWE Rex and Linda Johnson recently donated Cooper Springs land to the city of Lampasas. Cooper Springs, along with the oaks, pecan trees and white-tailed deer that fill the site, now belongs to the city of Lampasas, and donors Rex and Linda Johnson couldn't be happier.

The Lampasas City Council recently approved an agreement with the Johnsons for the transfer to city ownership of 16.23 acres across Hackberry Street from Campbell Park. The Cooper Springs land will be developed into a public nature and recreation area.

"I think it will be good, not only for the citizens, but I also think it will attract people to Lampasas," Johnson said.

Cooper Springs will become the third spring in Lampasas, along with Hanna Springs and Hancock Springs, open to the public.

"It gives you some historical areas that I think people might be interested in," Johnson said.

Cooper Springs is named for the Cooper family, who lived in the Lampasas area in the 1870s. A flood in 1873 destroyed much of the area around Hanna Springs, and the Galveston News reported that Lampasas used Cooper Springs temporarily as a secondary source of water.

The Coopers deeded the property in 1878 to John Hanna, and a resort hotel was built on the land near Hanna Springs.

The Johnsons acquired the Cooper Springs property, along with the land where Hanna Springs and Hanna Springs Intermediate School, in 1992 from former Lampasas Mayor Henry Campbell, trustee for the Lula Key Campbell Management Trust.

When exploring the land, the Johnsons found a variety of headstones -- some dating back to the 1890s -- scattered across the southern section of the property. After researching the headstones, the couple learned the markers do not point to any graves on the land. More likely, they were discarded by a headstone manufacturer.

When construction is complete, access to the park will be available on Hackberry Street, where a permanent sign will be located. The recently donated land will be named "Rex and Linda Johnson Park."

"Now that was [city officials'] idea," Johnson said of the name for the park. "That was not our idea."

Mrs. Johnson became interested in opening the Cooper Springs land to the public several years ago, when members of Preservation Lampasas broached the idea of a bird-watching area and butterfly garden. Businessman Harrell Clary set up a model of such a site on his ranch for the group to view.

"It was just a great place for getting out in nature and enjoying the birds and butterflies," Mrs. Johnson said.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service representatives later toured Cooper Springs, prepared an inventory of flora and fauna, and developed a plan to present to Preservation Lampasas for developing a butterfly sanctuary. Because cattle and deer had overgrazed the property, the officials said the group would have to build a high game fence in order to protect plants that provide bird and butterfly habitats.

The cost of fencing the entire property delayed plans for a bird and butterfly area, but Mrs. Johnson still hopes Cooper Springs one day will attract bird watchers.

"They're people who can really take advantage of it once it's set up for them to get in," she said.

The recently approved memorandum of understanding ap- proved by the City Council calls for brush clearing to begin this month. Cooper Springs, which occupies about 1,000 square feet, has become heavily silted, but the Johnsons believe it might flow again if city crews cut away overgrowth in the marshy area.

"With some selective clearing, it can be an attractive area," Mrs. Johnson said.

A metal historical sign will mark the location of the spring.

At former City Councilman Fred Cummings' suggestion, a half-mile running trail will connect with the jogging path in Campbell Park to give visitors a total one-mile exercise route.

The Johnsons also have given the city an easement on a lot they own off Third Street. The couple hope the easement can be used in the future to connect the trails at Campbell Park and Cooper Springs to Sulphur Creek and Hancock Springs.

Because the park is close to Hanna Springs Intermediate School, Mrs. Johnson -- a former kindergarten teacher -- hopes teachers can incorporate nature walks into their science lessons.

"Kids love that and, unfortunately, parents today often don't have the time just to take their children out for a nature walk," Mrs. Johnson said.

The Cooper Springs land, with a mixture of wooded and open areas, features a variety of plant and animal life, including deer, raccoons, possums, nutria, Turk's cap, honey mesquite, chinaberry and gum trees, and Japanese privet.

"We think it will be a real asset for the citizens, young and old," Johnson said.