In 1835, the Hopewell Cumberland Presbyterian Church was established in a one-room log structure adjacent to the Hopewell cemetery. A community arose with many businesses including blacksmith shops, general stores, gristmill, cotton gin, barber shop, gas station, theater, gymnasium, café, hotel, and a doctor's office. Farming and logging supported the area; local sawmills received the logs cut from virgin timber harvested in the Black River bottoms. Cord was officially established on 21 September 1880 when the post office was opened, named after the Reverend John W. McCord family. The Oak Ridge Methodist Church and the Cord Baptist Church were established in the early 1900s. The first school was called Magnolia Springs. In 1879, a subscription school located in the hand-hewn log church on the Hopewell church property was opened. Around 1885, a wood framed structure was built to replace the log school, creating school district #48. In 1904 the school was damaged by a tornado, so classes were transferred to a two-story wood framed building located at the intersection of Old WPA and Elgin Roads. School was held at this location until 1936, when Cord High School was built by the WPA. In 1951, Cord High School was consolidated with Charlotte. Popular Cord organizations were the singing school, 4-H Club, the Woodmen of the World Lodge #442, the Cord Community Fairs, and Cord High School ball teams.