Originally named Marsh Road, Hopkins Road is one of Mentor’s oldest, dating to the early 1800s when it connected various settlement areas in the original township.
This 1857 map shows landmarks at the intersection of Hopkins Road and Jackson Street including the Daniel Hopkins home which still stands on the northeast corner of the intersection.
Across the street, the Mentor Municipal Cemetery was established in 1855 on land he donated. The cemetery expanded several times over the next century, encompassing land north and south of the original property.
Several notable landmarks no longer exist, including a road connecting to Heisley near Hendricks, the Mentor Township Hall (demolished in 1914), and a school.
The inset photo from 1880 is of township men—dressed in capes and political regalia—who voted for James A. Garfield at that hall (Bear in mind that women’s suffrage had not yet been achieved).
A lot has changed since then. One can’t help but wonder what this area will look like in 170 years.