1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

Isaac A. Hopkins, the postmaster of Opolis, Kansas, is one of the old and honored residents of this part of the country, and although most of his interests and citizenship have been in the state of Indiana, yet by virtue of Opolis having served as his center of business he can claim to be a true Kansan of long years' standing. In all particulars he has had a successful and praiseworthy career, and his popularity and worth among his fellow citizens is well attested by his choice to the important office of postmaster, in which he has proved himself useful in many ways to the public and carried on an administration to the satisfaction of all concerned, which means, in the case of a postoffice, every one who receives mail through its agency.

Mr. Hopkins was born in Nelson county, Kentucky, in 1834, so that he is now at the seventieth milestone of his life's career, with many eventful stretches in the course passed over. His parents, George B. and Eda (Anderson) Hopkins, were both natives of Kentucky, and both died in Spencer county, Indiana, whither they moved in 1837.

Mr. Hopkins was reared to manhood on an Indiana farm, and was making good progress in agricultural pursuits when the Civil war came on. He did not delay long after the first calls went out for troops, and on October 9, 1861, enlisted and was enrolled in Company F, Fifty-eighth Indiana Infantry. He served for three years and ten months in the Army of the Tennessee, and in that time took part in many of the most important battles of the rebellion. He participated at Pittsburg Landing, was then in the pursuit of Bragg's army, was in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, in the engagements of the Atlanta campaign, followed by the march to the sea, and thence through the Carolinas and Virginia, and arrived in Washington and took part in the grand review, after which he was sent west to Louisville and mustered out of the ranks, after a long and most creditable service in fighting for his country.

Mr. Hopkins spent about forty years of his life in Spencer county, Indiana, during which time he engaged in farming. In 1876 he came to Crawford county, Kansas, and continued his farming operations on a place near the state line and not far from Opolis. This town has now been his home for several years, although he still owns and conducts his Missouri farm. In 1901 he received his appointment as postmaster of Opolis from President McKinley, and he has been very energetic and efficient in the management of this office, having introduced several improvements in the service.

Mr. Hopkins and his wife are earnest in their Christian faith, and have been prominent members of the Opolis Methodist church for many years. Mr. Hopkins as[sic] a stanch Republican, and has voted for all the presidential candidates of that great party. His first wife was Arminda E. Oskins, who died while he was in the army. Her two children are Mrs. Eda Ann Frakes and George W. Hopkins, the latter being a merchant of Opolis. Mr. Hopkins' present wife was Miss Julia A. Muck, whom he married in Spencer county, Indiana. They have two children, John E. and Clara L. Hopkins.