Hopkins Journal Is 48 Years Old
Was Established in 1875 by Pierce & Lucas
Items From Old Files
W. L. Moorhead Has Been In Charge Of the Paper Since 1893—One of the Oldest Papers in County
The Hopkins Journal will be 48 years old on January 1. The Journal was established by James M. Pierce and A. G. Lucas. Mr. Pierce later established the Iowa Homestead at Des Moines and died a few years ago.

W. L. Moorhead, the present editor of the Journal, has been in charge since 1893. Besides editing the Journal, Mr. Moorhead is postmaster of Hopkins, and also claims to have some farming experience. Mr. Moorhead was also post master at Hopkins during the Taft administration

The Journal is one of the oldest papers published in the county, the Nodaway Democrat which was succeeded by the Democrat-Forum having been established in 1869. It is also one of the best papers published in this section.

The following is from Monday's Bedford Times-Republican:
Bro. W. L. Moorhead in last week's issue of the Hopkins Journal put up many questions for his readers to answer. Among them he asked if anyone could tell when the first issue of the Journal was published and who was the publishers. After reading the article it dawned on us that we had the old files of the Journal in our office, so we proceeded to "dig them up," and we publish below a few items taken from that paper dated Nov. 17, 1883, just 40 years ago last Saturday, and among the items we wish to call special attention to the market report and ask our readers to compare the prices today:

Mrs. Al Clutter visited Creston and Bedford the first of the week.

A lady in this city complains that herself and her "step-husband" don't get along well together. (Who was she, Deacon?)

Mrs. Ed Donlin started on Tuesday for Peoria, Ill., and will visit friends in Chicago before her return.

Mr. Chet Herbert has bought a farm northeast of town and is putting up a house on it.

Echoes from the cyclone of last spring begin to reach us around by way of the east, through the medium of the stereotype plates of miscellaneous matter that are sold to printers. We find the following among the "plate" matter of one of our exchanges: "A letter was received at the New York post office the other day from Burlington Junction, Mo., the envelope of which was badly defaced and bruised. It bore the official endorsement: 'A cyclone struck this town last night. All the mails saved, but in this condition'."

Prof. Chaney has mailed a copy of the school laws to the clerk of each school district in the county.

Mr. George Worley now wears the Marshall's star in Hopkins.

The cows having done all the damage possible during the summer campaign, will this week be put into winter quarters. The campaign has been quite effective for the "enemy" has not left a whole sidewalk in town.

Mrs. Charles Allen fell while coming down stairs from the Odd Fellows hall on Thursday evening and sprained her ankle quite severely.

The Hopkins markets, corrected as we go to press, are as follows: Green apples, 75 c; butter, 15 c; bacon, 12 ½ c; hams, 15 c; shoulders, 10 c; chickens, $1.75 and $2; eggs, 15c; potatoes, 40c; wheat, 80c; rye, 30c; corn, old, 31c; new, 25c and 27 c; oats, 18c; butcher stock, $2.00 and $2.50; steers, $3.50 and $4.50; stock cattle, $3.00 and $3.50; hogs, fat, 13.25 and $3.75; hogs, stock, $3 and $3.50; sheep, $1.50 and $2.00. (Remember this was 40 years ago Saturday. —Ed.)

A few of those in business 40 years ago: -- Frayne & Jeffers, furniture and hardware; Healy, Felt & White, lumber; C. S. Martin & Co.; Donlin Bros.; Seamen & Saylor; Dr. Gerards, drugs; A. H. Gray, Central hotel; A. V. Stewart, blacksmith; T. W. Porter, drugs; Dr. Hughes, drugs; Bank of Hopkins, W. Downing, president, C. W. Taylor, cashier; J. F. Randolph, undertaker; E. C. Wolfers, general merchandise; Watson & Wray, implements; Thomas Hepburn, harness.

February 1879:

Items taken from the Hopkins Journal of February 15th, 1879, 44 years ago.

The Hopkins Journal commenced its fifth volume last week. The proprietors of the Journal are to be congratulated on its success. No town in Missouri of the size of Hopkins can boast of a better paper than the Journal. It is a credit to the place and its publishers.---Maryville Republican Saturday, Feb. 22, 1879

The St. Louis and Omaha road advertises for proposals for grading the roadbed from Maryville to Council Bluffs. The work will be let by March 1st. --- Hopkins Journal, Feb. 15, 1879

Nine and three-fourths cents per bushel is what 1,700 bushels of corn brought at a public sale in Worth county last week.---Hopkins Journal, Feb. 15, 1879

The Maryville Republican's power press is now run by foot power. --- Hopkins Journal, Feb. 15, 1879

Four thousand two hundred and fifteen Valentines passed through the Creston post office last week. Gracious. What a quantity of gush. --- Hopkins Journal, Feb. 15, 1879

The condition of the Hopkins grain and stock market last evening was: corn, 20 to 21 cents; oats, 17 to 17 1.3 cents; wheat 65 to 85; hogs, $3.00 per hundred. – Hopkins Journal, March 29, 1879

Daily Democrat-Forum and Maryville Tribune (Maryville, Missouri) Tuesday, November 20, 1923, p. 1, 8