Hoopeston

By Carol Hicks, Jean Minick and Nora Gholson

Hoopeston is the second-largest rural town in northern Vermilion County. It was founded in 1871 but was not incorporated until 1874. The area was originally settled as three towns: Hoopeston, North Hoopeston, and Leeds. Today, it has the distinction of being the only town by this name in the United States. Big Ten basketball coach Thad Matta, a former graduate of Hoopeston High School, and Frank Gustine, who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates when he turned 19 in 1939, are both local legends. Jean Hixson earned her pilot's license at 18 years of age and went on to serve with the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II and was a member of the NASA's Mercury 13 astronaut program in 1961. Hoopeston is the home of the National Sweetcorn Festival and the National Sweetheart Pageant, a stepping-stone to the Miss America Pageant. To date, nine young women who have competed in Hoopeston's National Sweetheart Pageant have gone on to win the Miss America Pageant.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Jun 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781439652121

Carol Hicks

Carol Hicks, Jean Minick, and Nora Gholson are members of the Hoopeston Historical Society. Together, they compiled this collection of postcards and photographs from their personal collections, local media, library archives, and through members of the community to tell the story of Hoopeston and its 143 years of history.

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INTRODUCTION

Hoopeston had its early beginnings in 1871. It was laid out at the junction of two railroads, the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes Railroad and the Lafayette & Bloomington Railroad. Developers saw the advantages the railroads presented and began laying out sections of Hoopeston to build a village.

Three small villages were marked off by three different groups. The first, Hoopeston, was laid out by Thomas Hoopes and comprised 18 acres of land on the southeast corner of the railroad junction owned by two men named Davis and Satterthewait. The second village, North Hoopeston, was laid out by the Thompson brothers on the northeast section of the junction. And the last village was laid out on the southwest corner of the railroad junction and comprised 160 acres of land; it became known as Leeds and was owned by Snell, Taylor and Co., and a Mr. Mix.

Although 50 acres of the northwest corner were bought by two gentlemen by the name of Moore and Brown, and 10 acres by R. McCracken, those sections did not become a fourth village. Plans by the three men were to convert them into additions to the town.

Hoopeston was named after Thomas Hoopes, who donated the land on which the railroads were built. The moniker was supposedly chosen by the railroad men. Hoopeston was incorporated in 1874, and North Hoopeston and Leeds then became additions as part of the newly incorporated town.

Many photographs of the buildings and businesses have been lost to fires, deterioration, and removal. Those presented in this book show a way of life that revolved around downtown Hoopeston. Everything was located downtown, except a few gas stations, Baer’s Motel, and the trailer parks.

Hoopeston was a wealthy town in its early history, and its name was bandied about in the New York newspapers on several occasions. Once in particular when the mayor of Hoopeston and its aldermen decided not to accept pay for serving the city. This was a great cause for amazement across the country in the early 1900s. Hoopeston, nicknamed the Holy City or White City, supported more than 13 churches of all denominations. It also became famous as a dry town. No saloons were allowed in the city, and Hoopeston remained a dry community until the mid-1930s.

Since Hoopeston was located at the railroad junction, many who drove by on the Dixie Highway, also known as Route 1, did not realize a town existed a mile or so east of the roadway. Early newspapers tell that a gateway was proposed by the Hoopeston Chamber of Commerce and, once approved by the council, was erected at the corner of West Main Street and the Dixie Highway (or Route 1) in 1924. The specific purpose was to guide drivers to downtown Hoopeston. Later, the Hoopeston Chamber of Commerce decided to add some lighting to the gateway and along the roadway leading downtown as an additional incentive to bring people into their growing village. This would help travelers at night find a place to stop and rest. Hoopeston in 1925 had several hotels in the downtown area.

As all towns grow, they develop growing pains. Hoopeston’s included fires and an insufficient water supply to put them out. Most early buildings were built of wood and heated with woodstoves. Woodstoves caused many fires during the early years of Hoopeston’s growth spurt. As these disasters occurred, the town rebuilt using mortar and stone for safer buildings. Once electricity and gas arrived, woodstoves were eliminated, which lessened the risk. It did not totally eliminate fires, but it did cut down on the number in the downtown area.

The problem of water was eventually solved with the addition of a larger water tower to replace the first one located at the end of East Main and Fourth Streets, along with a water works department, sewer and water system, and water mains. The once-dirt streets were bricked over, sidewalks were added, a city hall was built on the corner of Davis (later renamed Seminary) and Market Streets in about 1897, and, eventually, telephone service was added. There were also several hotels, opera houses, nickelodeons, theaters, and more to maintain the good life for the Hoopeston residents.

The town was known to have an active Ku Klux Klan presence in the early 1920s. The Klan not only held parades in downtown Hoopeston but also held rallies at McFerren Park in 1925–1926, according to