Koppies

Koppies is a small town (railway station) situated near the Renoster River in the Free State province of South Africa. It was originally called "Honing Kopjes" which is Dutch for "honey hills". This was due to there being Bee infestations in the nearby rocky hills, during the building of the railway line in 1904 by General Christiaan de Wet and Dirk Cornelis Lourens, who lived there. General De Wet donated his Farm "Rooipoort" to be set up for under-privileged whites in the form of a few morgen irrigation land, and then a few morgen "dry" land for cultivating maize, etc. By the time the people got out of the war they were very poor, and were supplied with a few eggs and a paraffin lamp/hatcher for the eggs. By demand/pressure of General De Wet, the "Koppies Dam" was constructed to supply water for irrigation, and work to the local people who needed it badly. During the 1960's, the wall of the dam was raised to where it is today. By the time politics got out of hand at the turn of the century, the people decided to take up arms in a rebellion against the ruling government. The decision was made in the old NG-church.