Wisconsin Historical Collections, Volume VI (1872)

              life and services of hon benjamin f hopkins by hon david atwood read before the society nov 15 1870 mr president and gentlemen of the state historical society : men die but their deeds live after them it is7 the mission of this society to keep a record of such things as go to make up a perfect history of the state ; and there is no one thing that will do more in this direction than to keep a record of the lives and deeds of prominent men who have resided in the state — men whose characters and actions have been identified with the public interests it is with a view to aiding in making this record as perfect as possible that i accede to the request of this society to prepare a paper on the life character and services of our late distinguished fellow citizen and active co-worker hon benjamin franklin hopkins whose death on the firet day of january 1870 caused general mourning throughout the state and was an especial affliction to the people of madison with whom he had so long resided and by whom he was so highly respected and esteemed in the brief paper that i may present it cannot be expected that i shall par ticularly interest those who were familiar with the subject of it while in life but it may prove of some interest to those who come after us and are in search of historical events stricken down in the prime of life just as he had reached a position that he was so well qualified to fill and that promised great usefulness in the futurer the death of mr hopkins was a sad event to the people of the state yet when we con sider " that life is long which answers life's great end