Samuel Hopkins; born in Cork, Ireland came to Toronto in 1831 with his parents and joined the army at 16. While stationed in Port Maitland, Ontario he met and married Joanne Jones with son Fred arriving two years later.

In 1849, Samuel Hopkins left his family in Dunnville when "Gold Fever" broke out in California. He'd met some men that were planning a trip to where the gold rush was taking place and took six months to reach California by foot and stake his claim. Samuel only managed to work in the mines for a short time before he fell ill and had to abandon his plan.

In 1851, the Hopkins family settled in Port Colborne where Samuel ran a thriving tug boat service, acquired the McNeal Hotel, The Imperial Bank on Main Street and a building that was called the "Hopkins Block", eventually even getting into politics and became reeve of the village. He enjoyed the social parties that would come about in the town. After Joanne’s death, he married Catherine Thomas who took him for a lot of money through the courts after leaving him.

Samuel Hopkins died due to an ongoing illness in 1899.