BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Crawford County History Alliance held a gathering on Wednesday afternoon to rededicate and celebrate the newly restored plaque on the Hopley Monument.

The Project is a part of the Crawford County History Alliance’s Lincoln Highway Beautification Project in celebration of America 250.

The monument, which was built in 1929, highlights and honors John Edward Hopley.

“John Hopley was a huge proponent of the good roads movement and particularly advocated for Crawford County and Bucyrus in particular to be along the Lincoln Highway”, said Elaine Gebhardt-Naples, Project Director for the Crawford County History Alliance.

Longstreth Memorials completed the cleaning of the monument — a process that consisted of sandblasting and cleaning the plaque, stripping the monument of old paint, and repainting it brown. 

The restoration of the monument also consisted of trimming back trees that surrounded and obstructed the view of the monument, a process that was completed by Oberlanders Tree & Landscape. Furthermore, red, white, and blue plantings were placed at the foot of the monument by the Earth, Wind, and Flowers Garden Club.

Gebhardt-Naples also stated that the National Lincoln Highway Conference will take place in Lima, Ohio, next year, prompting many visitors to travel through Bucyrus. 

“Of course, that’s another reason why we want to beautify this stretch of the road but also particularly pay respects for this monument and get it in really good shape,” says Gebhardt-Naples.

The restoration of the Hopley Monument will help preserve local history as well as inform all those who pass by it.

“Preserving historical monuments and plaques is about protecting stone and bronze, but it’s more than that. It’s about safeguarding stories, identities, and memories that help define our communities, and when we restore these landmarks, we honor our past while inspiring future generations to value and learn from it”, said Gebhardt-Naples.

With the conclusion of the restoration of the Hopley Monument, the Crawford County History Alliance will continue to look at other landmarks and their restoration.

The 2026 Hopley Monument plaque restoration was sponsored by the Bucyrus Elks.

Those who wish to help out can reach out to the Crawford County History Alliance and volunteer, or can visit crawfordcountyhistoryalliance.org to donate. 

Stone memorial wall with bronze plaque, flanked by small commemorative tablets and two flagpoles in a flower-filled garden park area
Woman in a blue dress speaks into a microphone at an outdoor event, with a small audience listening beside a flagpole and trees across a sunny park.
Two men at a stone memorial wall; one signs a plaque while the other watches, with red flowers and greenery in the foreground.
Group of people posing in front of a stone memorial with plaques and a flower bed beneath tall trees on a sunny day.