Community Spotlight: Bucyrus Historical Society to host Cemetery Walk honoring influential Hopley family

BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Bucyrus Historical Society will host its annual Cemetery Walk on Sunday, June 22, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Oakwood Cemetery. This year’s event will focus on the highly influential Hopley family, whose impact extended from Bucyrus to state, national, and even international levels.

Randy Fischer of the Bucyrus Historical Society noted that the Hopley family’s contributions are largely unknown to many today, despite their significant historical footprint.

“Everybody knows Hopley Avenue, but they don’t really know why that got to be named Hopley Avenue,” Fischer said. “The Hopleys were arguably one of the most influential families in town, and their reach went to not only Bucyrus, but to the state and to the country, and even internationally.”

The family patriarch, John Pratt Hopley, was born in England and came to the United States in the 1840s. After settling in Bucyrus, he served as Superintendent of Schools before becoming an attorney and real estate dealer. During the Civil War, he worked as a clerk for Secretary of State Salmon P. Chase in Washington D.C. Upon his return to Bucyrus, he founded The Bucyrus Journal newspaper, which had a strong Republican political leaning. John Pratt Hopley and his wife, Georgiana, were prominent proponents of the temperance movement. In 1904, they were featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer for their 55th wedding anniversary.

Among their nine children, two notable figures will be highlighted. Georgiana Hopley, known as Georgia, was an early female journalist who represented Ohio at an international exposition in the late 1800s. She later worked for President Warren G. Harding, advocating for the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and for prohibition. She became the country’s first female prohibition agent, appointed by President Harding.

John E. Hopley, another son, started The Evening Telegraph newspaper in Bucyrus. He studied law with Jacob Scroggs, whose family’s former home now houses the Bucyrus Historical Society museum. John E. Hopley was appointed by two U.S. presidents as counsel to both England and Norway. He was also instrumental in the development of the Lincoln Highway, serving as the head council for the Ohio portion of the route. In 1912, he published “The History of Crawford County.”

The cemetery walk will delve into the lives of all the Hopley children, exploring both their successes and challenges, including family scandals and intermarriages with other prominent local families. Randy Fischer will portray Frank Hopley, who was instrumental in establishing the local golf course. A colorful stone monument at the golf course, containing stones from countries where Frank Hopley was involved, serves as a tribute to him.

Attendees can expect to be educated and entertained by actors from the Bucyrus Little Theatre, who will portray members of the Hopley family in period costumes. Golf carts will be available for those who require assistance with mobility.

The Hopley family’s influence spanned from the Civil War era to nearly World War II. Their former mansion stood at the current site of the gas station at Hopley and Walnut avenues until its demolition in the early 1960s.

The Bucyrus Historical Society is partnering with the Bucyrus Little Theatre for this event and hopes to continue the collaboration.

Further details about the upcoming Bucyrus Historical Society events will be announced later this summer, including information about their annual historical day in July.