Historical museum reopens after pandemic

By Phil Cobb | June 8, 2021 |

TRINITY COBB/THE FORUM
The Hopkins Historical Society Museum previously housed The Hopkins Journal. From the years 1875-1977, the letterpress was used to print the newspaper.

HOPKINS, Mo. — The Hopkins Historical Society Museum has reopened its doors after a yearlong closure due to the COVID-19 health crisis.

“I think everyone was so glad to be able to go and do things,” said Anna Cross, historian of the Hopkins Historical Society.

Cross and her husband Russell, former editors of The Hopkins Journal, established The Hopkins Historical Society Museum in 1998 in the building that previously housed the town newspaper.

The Crosses also compiled the book “A Time Capsule of Hopkins History.” The book contains Hopkins events documented from the 1890s to 2002 that were recorded in The Hopkins Journal. It is available at the museum.

The museum houses a range of pieces that document the history of Hopkins and its residents. It regularly receives new pieces, donated by those who wish to preserve and remember the past.

Genealogies, obituaries, newspapers and yearbooks are among the museum’s contents. It also contains newspaper equipment from The Hopkins Journal, donated by the Crosses. Pieces of furniture from old businesses in Hopkins and other antiques are on display, including a chair and table from the former Hopkins drug store and a wooden cash register from Mutti Hardware Company.

On May 4, the Hopkins Historical Society met to discuss its future plans for collecting, researching and displaying pieces of Hopkins history.

The museum has undergone recent improvements, including the painting of its exterior and the addition of carpet to its interior. It continues to preserve and exhibit the history of Hopkins.

The museum will be open from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays or by appointment throughout the summer and fall.

It will also be open from 7 to 9 p.m. all three nights of the Hopkins picnic, Aug. 5-7.

TRINITY COBB/THE FORUM
The Model 5 Linotype, donated by Russell and Anna Cross, used to print The Hopkins Journal. It was purchased in 1927 and used for 70 years, until it became obsolete.

TRINITY COBB/THE FORUM
Old class photos, including a picture of the first graduating class in Hopkins, are displayed at The Hopkins Historical Society Museum.