Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 818
GILES T. HOPKINS

The Northwestern Railway Company shops at Missouri Valley, Iowa, employ a large number of men, and among the several foremen employed in the shops is G. T. HOPKINS, who has been foreman of the blacksmith department since 1882. Born and reared in Pennsylvania, he lived in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada before finally locating in Missouri Valley in 1880. He has been in continuous service in the railroad shops here for the past thirty-five years.

G. T. HOPKINS, a son of Scotch parentage, was born in Brookville, Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, June 17, 1857. He received his education in the schools of his home town in Pennsylvania and before reaching his majority started to learn the blacksmith trade. When he was twenty years of age he left home and found work in Ohio in a blacksmith shop. From Ohio he went to Michigan, and still later to Wisconsin, following his trade in both states. Before finally coming to Missouri Valley, he was working for a lumber company in Canada. He arrived in this city December 24, 1879, and on January 8, 1880, he began to work for the Northwestern Railway Company in their shops in this city. His ability as a blacksmith was soon recognized and on July 1, 1882, he was made foreman of the blacksmith department, a position which he has since held. He now has twenty-seven men under his charge in the shops.

Mr. HOPKINS was married on October 12, 1887, to Hattie J. HEFFORD, of Harrison county. Her mother is now living in Logan. To this union one daughter has been born, Ruby, who graduated from Ames College in 1913, and was married, in 1914, to Rex E. Edgecomb, a professor of civil engineering in the Oregon State College, of Corvallis, Oregon, where they make their home.

Mr. HOPKINS is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the chapter and council at Missouri Valley and the commandery at Council Bluffs. He also holds his membership in the Knights of Pythias. In politics he has always given his unswerving support to the Republican party, but has never held any position other than that of school board director. He served on the board of education of Missouri Valley for three years. Mr. HOPKINS is a man of good business ability and has investments which yield him a very satisfactory return each year. He owns a well improved farm of one hundred acres about a mile and a quarter from Missouri Valley. He has given his whole career to mechanical work. He was a partner of D. J. Adlum in the boot and shoe business for eight years in Missouri Valley, but continued his position as foreman of the railway shops during that time. Mr. HOPKINS is a man of genial manner and kindly disposition, and has a host of friends in the city where he has made his home so many years.

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