San
Joaquin County
Biographies
SILAS W. HOPKINS, M. D.
An exceedingly able, public-spirited
citizen in every respect is Dr. Silas W. Hopkins, the commander of Hartford
Post, G. A. R., at Lodi, California. He
was born in Forsyth, Taney County, Missouri, on October 24, 1844, and when he
was four years of age his family removed to Polk County, Iowa. His father was major of the Forty-fourth Iowa
Infantry during the Civil War. Silas W.
remained at home to look after the family until Lincoln’s last call for
volunteers in 1864, when he enlisted in the Forty-fourth Iowa Infantry, Company
H; his regiment held outposts and did scouting duty in Tennessee and
Mississippi until the close of the war.
Silas W. was discharged and returned to Iowa and soon entered the
Western College at Marion, Iowa, and later he graduated from Lane’s University
at Lecompton, Kansas. For the next ten
years he taught school in Iowa and Kansas.
In February of 1879 he was graduated from the Louisville Medical
College, then removed to Sarcoxie, Missouri, and practiced his profession for
twenty-five years. During that time he
was chairman of the board of U. S. pension examiners under Presidents Harrison
and McKinley; he was president of the southwestern district Medical Society one
year and for two years served as president of the Jasper County, Missouri,
Medical Society; he was a member of the Curtis Post, G. A. R. of Sarcoxie,
Missouri. He was a speaker of note and
prominent in the political life of his district and introduced Judge Charles
Burton of Missouri at political meetings when the Judge ran for Congress; later
Judge Burton became commander-in-chief of the G. A. R. of the United States and
at the recent G. A. R. Encampment held in Stockton in May, 1921, Judge Burton
was in attendance and renewed his acquaintance with Dr. Hopkins.
Dr. Hopkins located in Lodi in 1902
and began the practice of his profession; at that time Lodi had a population of
1200 people; in 1906 the city was incorporated and Dr. Hopkins was made president
of the board of health, which position he has held ever since; he is also city
health officer, having held that position since 1915. Dr. Hopkins bought two vineyards in the
vicinity of Lodi, but later sold them and invested in city property. In his fraternal affiliations, he is a member
of Lodi Lodge No. 259, I. O. O. F., and for five years was its financial
secretary, and upon his retirement from office was presented with a gold watch
charm by the members of the lodge; he is also a member of the Rebekahs and
Foresters of America. Dr. Hopkins is now
serving his fifth term as commander of Hartford Post No. 155, G. A. R., of
Lodi, California. He was elected a
delegate and attended three national encampments of the G. A. R. held at
Chattanooga, Tennessee, Portland, Oregon, and Indianapolis, Indiana. At the G. A. R. encampment held in Stockton,
California during May, 1921, Dr. Hopkins was elected senior vice-commander of
the Department of California-Nevada and at Riverside in 1922 was elected
commander of Department California-Nevada of the G. A. R. During the World War, Dr. Hopkins was
appointed chairman of the San Joaquin County exemption board, a position he
filled to the general satisfaction of the Government. This was a high honor, of which Dr. Hopkins
is justly proud. Through the influence
of Congressman Charles Curry, a cannon weighing 6600 pounds, used during the
Spanish-American War, was brought from Fort Winfield Scott, San Francisco, and
placed in the Lodi public park on May 13, 1921, at a meeting of the California
G. A. R. and presented to the city of Lodi, the presentation speech being made
by Dr. Hopkins. The Hartford Post of the
G. A. R. of Lodi works in unison with the American Legion in all public
affairs.
The marriage of Dr. Hopkins united
him with Miss Candace A. Sill, a native of Indiana, and they are the parents of
three sons: Albert R., editor of the
Daily Telegram at Havana, Cuba; James Emmett of Lodi, and Dilse,
employed on the Fresno Bee. Mrs.
Hopkins, who passed away on November 25, 1919, was chaplain of the Woman’s
Relief Corps of California and Nevada and was also an active member of the
Rebekahs of Lodi and of the Eastern Star.
Dr. Hopkins is always interested in promoting the highest American civic
ideals, and stands high in the esteem of the community as a neighbor and a
citizen.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
743. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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