Donate

Snapshots in Time

Snapshots in Time, a column exploring the history of Hopkinsville and Christian County through old photographs and artifacts, is published monthly, usually on the third Monday. It is written by Alissa Keller, the executive director of the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County. Explore more Snapshots in Time.

Gone from the streetscape, Holland’s Opera House still tells a Hopkinsville story
Alissa Keller•
Richard Holland constructed and furnished the opera house in grand fashion for $25,000 to $30,000 in 1882. He was 23 years old when it opened to the public.
Hollands post card feature
Buried for more than a century, Civil War artifact unearths Christian County history
Alissa Keller•
In the latest installment of "Snapshots in Time," museum director Alissa Keller explores stories inspired by the 2014 discovery of pieces from an iron fence that surrounded the courthouse Confederate soldiers torched on Dec. 12, 1864, in Hopkinsville.
Christian County Courthouse 1865
A century ago, these 5-foot-long snowshoes carried a lawyer through Hopkinsville
Alissa Keller•
Artifacts like the snowshoes, which date to the 1910s, reveal bigger stories that strike at the "heart of who we are," observes Alissa Keller.
snowshoes
A Hopkinsville Christmas parade to rival all others
Alissa Keller•
This month's "Snapshots in Time" column takes us back to the 1949 Hopkinsville Christmas parade, which featured enormous balloons as the main attraction.
1949-Christmas-Parade004-featured
Auto dealer’s 1922 display tells a colorful story
Alissa Keller•
This month’s “Snapshots in Time” column features a photo hand-picked by Christian County historian William T. Turner.
Snapshots in Time
German POWs filled gap on Christian County farms during WWII
Alissa Keller•
Hundreds of German POWS held at Camp Campbell during World War II were hired out for $2.50 a day to work on local farms.
German POWs on Christian County tobacco farm
High school consolidation in 1959 marked a major change for Christian County students
Alissa Keller•
On Sept. 9, 1959, students from five rural high schools — Pembroke, Crofton, Lacy, Sinking Fork and South Christian — transferred into the new Christian County High School.
CCHS-opens-in-KNE-feature
Tobacco patch scene captures ageless Christian County tradition
Alissa Keller•
A century-old photograph shows how neighboring farmers helped each other harvest and cure Western Kentucky's most valuable and labor-intensive crop.
Tobacco Patch_feature
Generations of minor leaguers secured Hopkinsville’s legacy as a baseball town
Alissa Keller•
In this summertime special edition of Hoptown Chronicle's "Snapshots in Time" column, Alissa Keller explores the many twists and turns of baseball history in Hopkinsville.
Hoptown Hoppers
Hopkinsville’s early fairs were summer extravaganzas
Alissa Keller•
A 100-year-old photo of the Pennyroyal Fair in Hopkinsville shows a large gathering present for horse races and other events centered around agriculture.
Hopkinsville fair
Hopkinsville women take trip of a lifetime
Alissa Keller•
In the most recent "Snapshots in Time" column, Alissa Keller looks into the lives of 10 women who earned a spot on a trip of a lifetime.
1911 women
Easter egg hunt captures spirit of the season — but only for some
Alissa Keller•
A photograph that ran on the front page of the Kentucky New Era on April 6, 1953, illuminates a joyful moment in Hopkinsville's history — but not a inclusive one.
historic easter egg hunt