West Hopkinton was once a thriving village with many businesses such as several mills including the Kingsbury & Davis Machine Company, a
creamery, grocery store and a number of working farms. West Hopkinton had its own post office which opened on May 29, 1857; a small railroad depot on the original
Contoocook River Railroad line, the
Rowell's Covered Bridge and
New Henniker Bridge. As a result of increased flooding in the
Northeast in the early 20th century, plans for the Hopkinton-Everett Dams were developed, with the Hopkinton Dam being built south of West Hopkinton on the
Contoocook River and the Everett Dam on the
Piscataquog River in the town of
Weare. The dams were completed in 1962. The resulting flood control lands are connected by an artificial channel that crosses the height of land between the two river valleys. ==References==