The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1911-03-23
FIRST Superintendent
OF CANYON CANAL
AIva Hopkins Took Charge
Twenty-one Years Ago
Life Sketch.

early settlers ard one of is most
esteemed citizens, is the subject of
an article in the Statesmans S pioneer
department by S. A. Parker and will
be read with interest by En-
met peop' 1t follows:
The story of the fe Of Alva Hop
kins, who has made his home at EN-
NETT for many yeaIs, is full of in
! interest to the people living in the
Lpper portion of the Paye .te valley,
and also to many in different parts
of Idaho who have interests in this
locaH y, tecause of the prominent
position he has occupied in helping
to lay the foundation of the EN-
nett bench irrigation district, which
will soon reach consumation, after a
struggle of % yeals, making it Poss'
BILE 70 place under cultivation 1900
acres of land
Twenty-Five yeats ago this project
vas first thought of. The plan was
formulated in New York city, and
Alva Hopkins, who was then living
there, was Sc ected to come to Idaho
and have supervision of the proect.
He was at the time 81 years old and
boasted Carmel, Purnam county, N.
Y, as his birthp ace. Until coming
to Idaho he had lived all his life in
that good old state, having spent
jseveral years in New York City,
where he was engaged in business.
An investment company, which
was putting up the money, en-
gagged him to take charge of the
work of building the Canyon canal,
with the pos 'tion of superintendent
of construction. The company was
composed of IL business men in
new York, who fled on II,UUU acre
of Emmett bench land, $40 acres
of desert ard, 160 aIres of home
s.ead, 100 of timber and 160 acres
of preemption land. Mr.. Hopkins
and his wife and four children were
all hired by the company at a sal
a~y Of 1920 per month and expenses
This company he tne property Tor
.hree ye@rs, sperd ng s2S,000 upon
I, and then scid out to the Clark
Brothers, oil refiners of jersey City.
They in turn he it fer two years,
spending a large sum of money, thel
turned il o1er to Wall street, and
or two yeaIs more work was con-
tinued
For seven years Hopkins was in
the emp cy CT different companies
Sho were trying to push the project
through. Wall street failed to be
a good paymasteT, so Mr.. Hopkins
attached some of the land and took
up a homestead, until he secured a
block of 235 acres which he dispos-
ed of about two years ago for $27,-
0O0 Members of the family about |
two years ago purchased in the
eastern part of Emmett eight acres
of lard which was cut up into lots |
ard is now known as Hopkins ad-
Iition. This a'so proved to be
yery wise investment, for they have
already sold $4,000 worth of lots.
Mr. Hopkins was married As year
ago to Miss AdeIaid Chase at Pres
ton, Chenanho county, n. Y. He has
had five children, four of whom are
aow living, three sons who live in |
and one who is engaged in
business in New York. When Mr..
Hopkins came to Emmett it was
a very smell place, and the mail wa.
brought f ON Cald vel. on ho setback.
He was ore of the charter members
NJ the Baptist church of Emmett ant
has been one of the deacons for a
long time, but when he arrived the
Methodist church was the ouly one
lolding services. Father Barrett,
who is now living in Emmett, was
pastor.
Mr. Hopkins Is an amusing Incl
lent relative TO church service,
showing the cary customs of the
people Sitting around the stove,
IS he entered the church for thef
irst tnme, were four women,
Who were all smoking corn cob
,ipes which they con inued to do
while the service was in progress.