St Johns County FlArchives Biographies.....Hopkins, Charles F. March 14, 1853 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Rayburn http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00025.html#0006128 September 15, 2015, 11:47 pm Source: Vol. II pg.76-77 The Lewis Publishing Co. 1923 Author: History of Florida, Past and Present CHARLES FLOYD HOPKINS. For more than forty years CHARLES FLOYD HOPKINS has been a progressive, and for much of that period, a prominent factor in the business and public activities of St. Augustine. His standing as a citizen is firm and broad, and as a leader of the democratic party his reputation has extended far beyond the limits of the city. Since 1916 he has served in the capacity of postmaster, and in this office has done much to improve the service, at the same time lending his aid to other measures for the advancement of the civic welfare. Postmaster Hopkins was born at St. Augustine, March 14, 1853, and is a son of CHARLES FLOYD and FRANCES (HUMPHREYS) HOPKINS. His father was born in Georgia in 1825, and as a youth entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, from which he was graduated. After coming to Florida he located at St. Augustine, where he took up the vocations of surveyor and civil engineer. He became a member of a military organization at St. Augustine known as St. Augustine Blues, which at the outbreak of the war between the states, joined the Tenth Regiment, Florida Volunteer Infantry, of which Mr. Hopkins eventually rose to be colonel, serving under General ROBERT E. LEE until the close of the four year struggle between the states. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and when he died, at the age of seventy-two years, his community lost one of its valued citizens. Mrs. Hopkins, who was a native of Florida, died when eighty-two years of age. CHARLES FLOYD HOPKINS, Jr., received a public school education. Later he secured employment as a freight clerk with the Florida Central and Peninsula Railway at Jacksonville, and when he left that position it was to enter the real estate business in the same city. Returning to St. Augustine from Jacksonville, he embarked in the same line of effort here, and in 1902 purchased a pineapple farm on the Indian River, which he conducted for some four or five years in conjunction with his realty enterprise. On January 11, 1916, Mr. Hopkins was appointed postmaster of St. Augustine by President Wilson, and this post he has since retained, having discharge the duties of his office in a manner highly gratifying to the people of the city. During his career he has also served as city tax assessor, and as notary public for thirty-five years. As a fraternalist he is likewise well known, having served as exalted ruler of St. Augustine Lodge No. 829, B. P. O. E., and being past chancellor commander of Mizpah Lodge No. 23, K. P. He is a democrat p politically, and his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian Church. He likewise holds membership in the National Association of Postmasters, the State Association of Postmasters and the St. Augustine Historical and Scientific Society. On April 6, 1922, amid impressive ceremonies, there was unveiled a handsome bronze tablet which has been placed on the historic old Post Office Building, largely through the efforts of Postmaster Hopkins. At the top of this tablet appears the Spanish coat-of-arms, so familiar at St. Augustine, and on either side are draped banners, symbolic of the three flags which have floated over the old city. Underneath appears the following inscription: “Spanish Governor General's Palace Original building on site was of logs. Present structure built by GONZALO MENDEZ CARUSO, 1597-1603. Purchased by King of Spain, 1603. As a dwelling for the Governor of Florida at a cost of one thousand ducats. From that time on it was officially recognized and known as the Governor’s Mansion. Under Spanish flag over 200 years. Under British flag 20 years. Under American flag since July 10, 1821.” The unveiling was done by the five-year old granddaughters of Postmaster Hopkins, ISABELLA INGRAHAM and LEONORA HOPKINS. The exercises were presided over by Hon. E. NOBLE CALHOUN, who presented Mr. Hopkins, whom he congratulated upon his public spirit and making such an occasion possible. Mr. Hopkins told how he had been inspired through his love for St. Augustine and its ancient landmarks, relics of the olden days, to place a suitable marker on the post office building, which by tradition is known to have a most interesting history and to date back to the early days of the Spanish occupation. To make the stories of tradition a reality, Mr. Hopkins wrote the American ambassador at Madrid, who referred him to the American consul at Seville, where the authentic information placed upon the tablet was secured from the official records of Old Spain. In speaking of this event a local newspaper, The Evening Record, had the following to say editorially: “Strangely enough St. Augustine opened its winter season, early in November, 1921, with the dedication of the beautiful memorial pedestal and flag-staff in Anderson Circle, and closes the season with another dedication ceremony, this taking place at the unveiling of the tablet on the post office, an event of yesterday. The first ceremonial was made possible through the generosity and public staff in Anderson Circle, and closes the season with another dedication ceremony, this taking place at the unveiling of the tablet on the post office, an event of yesterday. The first ceremonial was made possible through the generosity and public-spiritedness of Dr. ANDREW ANDERSON, who desired to commemorate the bravery of the men from St. Johns County who fought in the World war. Beautiful and appropriate exercises mark the occasion, which was a fitting celebration of Armistice Day, November 11. As for the memorial unveiled yesterday-this represents the work of one man, and the generosity of a number of citizens and business houses. Postmaster Hopkins deserves much credit for what he has done, in securing the massive tablet of bronze, which will withstand the march of time and will mark for always the interesting and quaint old building that in early days housed the Spanish governor-generals who held sway over this province. The idea was well-conceived, and was carried through to a swift and most satisfactory completion, not being permitted to drag on indefinitely, as are so many public projects of this kind. St. Augustine owes a debt of gratitude to all who help her to cherish her traditions, and assist in substantiating valuable historical facts. The World war will in the years to come be but a memory-but the old city so long as it shall endure has the beautiful bronze memorial to the lads who fought and won. The oldest structure in the oldest city was erected in the long ago, when St. Augustine had been founded but a few years, and this exact date is given to those interested in knowing what it is, what it represents, and what it meant in the days gone by. And so is history preserved. All honor to the men who make such valuable contributions to a city’s store of municipal treasures.” On April 23, 1878, CHARLES F. HOPKINS was united in marriage with Miss ISABELLA BARKSDALE GIBBS, who was born at Jacksonville, Florida, and to this union there have been born six children: CHARLES FLOYD, Jr., who married HAZEL KEMP, of Michigan; JULIA W.; ISABELLA GIBBS; FRANCES H., the wife of JAMES D. INGRAHAM, of St. Augustine, Florida, who has two daughters, ISABELLA G. and ELIZABETH BALSER; GEORGE COUPER, who married LEONORA HOURIGAN, of Kentucky, and has one daughter, LEONORA, and one son, GEORGE COUPER, Jr.; and ROBERT KINGSLEY, youngest son, who is a graduate from the Georgia School of Technology in mechanical engineering. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/stjohns/bios/hopkins169bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/flfiles/ File size: 8.2 Kb