Past generations traveled the same streets as we do, labored on farms, in the mills, or ran a business in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, they raised their families…had their hopes and dreams…they were making a life for themselves, but also forming a future for us.
Whether you are new to town, or always called Hopkinton, Rhode Island home, there is something of interest for everyone.
The HHA was formed at a time when the only to communicate was with a landline, a typewriter or snail mail. Modern technology enables the HHA to reach out to the community and beyond. The perception of historical associations has changed in the last twenty five years. No longer are they viewed as a group of “older folks rummaging through old dusty files. It is so much more than that.
Through the years, the HHA has brought the long, forgotten history out of attics and storage boxes into the light of present day. While one of our members worked at the Town Clerk’s office, she actively read all of Hopkinton’s old records and also discovered old records containing valuable information that could not be found elsewhere.
Adding to that research, old area newspapers have been read, with information pertinent to Hopkinton being extracted and categorized by subject matter. This project has allowed the HHA to offer our members and visitors a comprehensive collection of records, unique to our association.
The Hopkinton Historical Association is a fun group and a vital part of Hopkinton’s history.
Our town’s history dates back to March 14th, 1757, when 42 square miles of the northwestern portion of Westerly officially became the town of Hopkinton. It was named in honor of then Governor Stephen Hopkins, who played a significant role in assisting our town to gain our independence.
Hopkinton has gone through many transitions in its 260+ years. In the beginning, agriculture, fulling mills, grist mills and blacksmiths were the primary small businesses.
The Industrial Revolution in 1790 changed the town, as large mills were built along the rivers and mill villages became organized. The town prospered for over 100 years. But by 1910, the mills had closed or burned and dairy farming was the principal occupation until that too faded away and Hopkinton became the residential town it is today.
Join us to learn about the history that is seen…and most importantly what is not. Whether it is information on relatives that lived long ago, of the history of the town in general, the Hopkinton Historical Association is the place to find it.
Find out how our ancestors dealt with rising taxes. Discover how our town was affected by the wars, even though those were being fought far from our town. Read about old medical practices and the medicines that claimed to cure whatever ailment one might have. Or why our town started licensing dogs as far back as 1865? Learn about old time farming methods and the small animal that raised such havoc with livestock. Or the chaos caused on our streets when the horseless carriage was no longer a novelty. Find out how history has had its share of inconsistencies, twists and turns and why those directly affect our town today.
“Preserving the Past for the Future”
