Hopkins was born near Cortland, Illinois on August 15, 1846.

He married Emma Stolp on September 9, 1873, and they had four children.

[1] He was elected to fill out the congressional term of Reuben Ellwood in 1885 and was re-elected in his own right for eight full terms, serving from 1885 through 1903.

[2] His reelection bid in 1908 was unsuccessful and he returned to practice law in Aurora.

This article about an Illinois politician is a stub.