Sacramento County
Biographies
A. S. HOPKINS
Genealogical records indicate that the
Hopkins family came originally from Wales, but has been identified with
American history ever since the historic landing of the Mayflower. The early
representatives in the new world endured all the hardships incident to the upbuilding of a colony on the stern and rockbound shore of
New England. From the first they were loyal to the land of their adoption.
Intense patriotism characterized each generation, and when the struggle with
the mother country was about to break forth Stephen Hopkins signed the
Declaration of Independence, becoming thereby one of the patriots whose lives
were in constant jeopardy until the final attainment of peace.
During the first half of the nineteenth
century S. F. Hopkins was an influential business man of Vermont, where he
married Harriet Austin and where he owned for years a mercantile establishment
at Cambridge, Lamoille county. Among his children was
a son, A. S., who was born at Cambridge March 21, 1837, and received a fair
education at Georgia, Franklin county, same state. When sixteen years of age he
began to teach school at Cambridge and later followed the same occupation at
Grand Isle, Grand Isle county. The tide of migration
was drifting toward the west and attracting the sons of New England from its
unfertile soil to the rich lands on the frontier. During 1854 Mr. Hopkins
joined others moving to Illinois and settled at Crete, a suburb of Chicago,
where he taught school for four years. With a desire to see more of the vast
and unsettled west he traveled by wagon to Kansas and participated in many of
the skirmishes that marked the exciting period prior to the Civil War.
When the rebellion finally began Mr.
Hopkins had returned to Vermont and was working in a bookstore at Burlington.
There he enlisted at the first call of 1861 for volunteers for three months.
His regiment, the First Vermont Infantry, was ordered to Newport News Va., and
took part in the sanguinary battle of Big Bethel. At the expiration of his time
he was honorably discharged and returned to Vermont. The next important event
in his life was his removal to California in 1862, when he traveled on the ship
Ariel to the Isthmus of Panama and thence proceeded up the Pacific Ocean to San
Francisco, where he landed on the 30th of June. Proceeding to Marin county,
he bought a tract of land and engaged in the dairy business, but in 1863
disposed of the property. Next we find him in the Forest City district, where
he had varied interests in mines, a saw-mill and a dairy, but finally he gave
up all of these activities and turned his attention to teaching school in
Solano county. During 1865 he became a member of the
Maine Prairie Rifles in Solano and was chosen first lieutenant of the
organization. During 1866 and 1867 he served as justice of the peace.
Coming to Sacramento February 4, 1868, Mr.
Hopkins married, April 17 of the same year, Miss Harriet Hewes,
daughter of Jonathan Hewes of Vermont, and a
descendant of Cyrus Hewes, a signer of the declaration
of independence. Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins became the parents of three children,
Stephen I., Grace E., and William. After he came to the capital city Mr.
Hopkins carried on a news-stand and bookstore for ten years, selling out in
1878 to W. A. and C. S. Houghton. Afterward he embarked in the wood and
willow-ware business with U. C. Billingsby, who in
1886 was succeeded by E. C. Hopkins, a brother of the senior partner. The firm
established a growing trade and maintained the confidence of a large number of
customers, who recognized and appreciated their honorable business dealings and
sterling integrity of character.
On the organization of the board of trade
Mr. Hopkins was chosen a director. In 1886, upon the organization of the
Sacramento Improvement Association, he became a director, as he had been a
promoter of the new concern, and his connection continued as a permanent
contribution to the work. The first Immigration Society, organized in 1878,
chose him as its president. When it was separated into the Central and Northern
Society he was retained as president from 1880 until1882. In politics he voted
with the Republican party from the time he attained
his majority until his death, which occurred April 28, 1891. When the county
supervisor, J. A. Mason, died in 1876 Mr. Hopkins was chosen to finish the
unexpired term. In addition he served as a school trustee until 1888. For five
years he was a director of the free library. Fraternally he held membership
with Eureka Lodge No. 4, I. O. O. F., and was past president of the Veterans'
Society of Odd Fellows. In addition he was a member of Sacramento Lodge No. 80,
A. O. U. W., and Unity Lodge No. 2088, K. of H., besides which he held in
memory his service as a Union soldier through congenial meetings with his fellow-members
of Sumner Post No. 3, G. A. R.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 831-832. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.