Welcome to the Hopkins County Genealogical Society!
Sulphur Springs, Texas
On behalf of our board and members, we are delighted to have you visit our site, where history comes alive through our extensive resources and community of passionate genealogists. Whether you are just beginning your family history journey or have years of research experience, our society offers valuable tools, including access to a vast library, unique archival materials, and expert guidance. We invite you to explore our online records, participate in our events, and consider joining our society to connect with fellow researchers and support the preservation of Hopkins County’s rich heritage. Membership brings exclusive benefits, and we look forward to welcoming you to our growing community!
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HCGS is proud to be a Partner Society of the Texas State Genealogical Society. Family history basics online class – starting January 2025. TIGR 2025 is June 16-20. |
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Our Holiday Schedule In observance of the Christmas holiday the library will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 24th and 25th. For the New Year holiday the library will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday December 31st and January 1st. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at HCGS. |
Renew Your HCGS Membership: Supporting Genealogy Everywhere!
Your Membership Keeps Genealogy Alive—Near and Far
The holidays are here, and as we prepare for festive times with loved ones, it’s also the perfect time to renew your HCGS membership for 2025. Whether you live here in Hopkins County or are connecting with us from afar, your membership plays a vital role in preserving and sharing the rich history of our community.
2025 promises to be an exciting year for HCGS! We’re embarking on new projects to enhance our collection, making resources more accessible both locally and online. Our website continues to grow as a hub for research, and we’re perfecting Zoom programs so everyone—no matter where they are—can participate in monthly events.
Why Your Membership Matters:
- Local Impact: For our Hopkins County members, your support ensures we can keep our collections and archives available for research, community projects, and events.
- National Connections: For our out-of-state members, your dues help us expand online resources and ensure you remain connected to your Hopkins County roots.
Important Updates for 2025:
- Quarterly Preferences: Starting in 2026, printed quarterlies will only be available for an additional fee. Please indicate on this year’s membership form whether you’d like to receive your quarterly via email or as a printed copy in 2025.
- Military Service Information: To support our partnership with AmeriCorps Retired Senior Volunteer Program, we’re asking all members to indicate if they are active military or veterans on their application form.
Don’t let 2025 pass you by without staying connected to HCGS. Download the 2025 Membership Application today and submit it to continue enjoying our quarterlies, announcements, and exciting genealogy activities!
Get Started Today!
Download the 2025 Membership Application and submit your renewal at your earliest convenience. We accept check or credit card. See our membership page for more details. Let’s make 2025 a year to remember for HCGS!
From Hopkins County History
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Monday, December 1, 1924, page 1 First Monday Is Great Day In Sulphur Springs Today is First Monday in Sulphur Springs and, as usual, lots of folks are in town. The merchants report fine business. The display of farm products on the public square looked like a county fair, as all kinds of Hopkins County home-grown products were there, including load after load of potatoes, hay, cotton, turnips, ribbon cane syrup, shoats, chickens, turkeys, home-grown corn, etc. It is almost impossible to believe that Hopkins County farmers could grow such an abundance of all kinds of crops and stock on a year like this has been, but those on the square today saw for themselves.Sunday, December 7, 1924, page 1 Poultry Association Plans Great Show The Hopkins County Purebred Poultry association met in special meeting Saturday afternoon in the Chamber of Commerce rooms with a fair attendance of members present from all over Hopkins County. The next annual poultry show was discussed and plans made for holding the show some time early in January. A committee, consisting of Eugene Williams, B.H. Moss, Dr. J.J. Johnson, W.W. Evans and J.E. Stribling, was appointed to go before the Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce to present the plans and secure the services of these organizations in making the show a greater success than could otherwise be hoped for.Poultry breeders from over the county report their flocks of birds in good shape. |
Discover the Legacy of Jonathan Knight: A Pioneering American Engineer
The Hopkins County Genealogical Society proudly offers a book by Patrick F. Chase, a long-time member and former board member. This 237-page paperback, filled with full-color pictures, is available for $25. A portion of the proceeds supports our society.
Jonathan Knight 1787-1858 explores the life of an influential American figure. Born in Philadelphia during the drafting of the Constitution, Knight played pivotal roles in early American infrastructure. As a surveyor and commissioner for the Department of War, he developed the National Road, the first U.S. Interstate, stretching from Maryland to Illinois. As Chief Civil Engineer for the B&O Railroad, he helped establish America’s first commercial railroad, impacting the nation’s economic and cultural landscape.
Knight, a self-taught mathematician and civil engineer, was also a devout Quaker and anti-slavery advocate. He and his wife, Ann Heston Knight, raised seven sons. Knight was a farmer, founder of agricultural societies, and an innovator in modern farming techniques. He served in the Pennsylvania State Senate and the 34th U.S. Congress.
Discover why Knightstown, Indiana, a town on the National Road, was named after this remarkable Pennsylvanian.
To purchase, visit our library at 611 N. Davis St., email hcgstx@suddenlinkmail.com for a PayPal invoice plus shipping, or send a check to PO Box 624, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483 (contact us for shipping costs). For more information, call (903) 885-8523.
Back Issues of Hopkins County Heritage
We are now offering for sale ALL of the Hopkins County Heritage back issues on a single flash drive!! (Includes every issue from the beginning in 1984 to June 2017). Each flash drive contains two folders – one folder contains individual issue PDFs and one folder contains a single PDF of the complete set. It is word searchable so that you can easily locate surnames or search terms in any single issue or in the complete set! And travels with you easily to libraries or on research trips!
The cost is $50 (plus $4 for shipping and handling) and can be purchased by contacting the HCGS library.
About The HCGS Research Library
Over 8,000 Titles
The HCGS Research Library houses original county records, maps, family collections, scrapbooks, 1000’s of photographs, and numerous original materials. Note, current Saturday hours – open 2nd Saturday of each month from 9:30am to 1:00pm.
Click here for more details about the HCGS Research Library.
FamilySearch.org Affiliate Library
The HCGS Research Library is an affiliate library of the LDS in Salt Lake City, Utah, which houses millions of digitized restricted records covering most counties in the US as well as worldwide. These restricted images, viewable from our computers, allow our patrons to travel to locations and view many records including court house records such as deeds, wills, probate cases, etc. from the convenience of our HCGS library. Use their catalog to discover what records might be of interest. (FamilySearch Help Center topic 55954 helps to explain how to use their catalog.) And if your county/country of interest has not yet been digitized you can contact FamilySearch to request that they digitize specific films. You may request up to 5 rolls of films in one interaction. For specific details on how to do this by phone, chat, or email go to FamilySearch’s Help Center and view help topic 469883.
Hopkins County Texas Research Guide
Professional genealogist and former Hopkins County resident Cyndi Harlin has graciously shared her Hopkins County Texas Research Guide. This expertly created guide gives numerous tips and areas to explore to help aid your research in Hopkins County. Check out this useful and beautiful booklet by clicking here.