Hoopeston, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Hoopeston is a city in Grant Township
, Vermilion County
, Illinois
, United States
. It is part of the Danville, Illinois
, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,965 at the 2000 census, and 5,602 in 2009.
. The two railroads separated the town into four sections. The latter railroad still exists and is now operated jointly by CSX Transportation
and Union Pacific Railroad
.
In 1890, Greer College was established in Hoopeston, funded by a gift of $40,000 and 500 acres (2 km²) of land from John Greer.
Business and manufacturing in Hoopeston have historically been related to agriculture. In 1875, S. S. McCall established the Illinois Canning Company to can locally-grown vegetables; and this was so successful that in 1878 the Hoopeston Canning Company was established, which later became part of Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. In addition, Silgan Can (formerly American Can) had a factory which manufactured the tin can
s themselves, and an FMC
plant manufactured agricultural machinery.
In honor of its agricultural roots, Hoopeston holds a Sweet Corn Festival each September, starting the Thursday before Labor Day
and ending on Labor Day.
In association with the Sweet Corn Festival, the Miss National Sweetheart Pageant is also held during the week. Runners-up from the Miss America state pageants are eligible to compete for the title of Miss National Sweetheart.
It was also the location of one of several prisoner of war camps housing German
soldiers during World War II
(see German Prisoner of War Camp, Hoopeston, Illinois
).
and Illinois Route 9
about a mile from the north edge of Vermilion County. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of it land.
, there were 5,965 people, 2,297 households, and 1,499 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,913.8 per square mile (738.2/km²). There were 2,520 housing units at an average density of 808.5 per square mile (311.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.79% White, 0.82% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 5.60% from other races
, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.38% of the population.
There were 2,297 households of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.
Age distribution was 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
The median household income was $31,947, and the median family income $39,368. Males had a median income of $31,656 versus $20,474 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,055. About 12.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
The school district has faced increasingly declining enrollment over the past 10 years. The district has also struggled financially in recent years. The school teams are named the "Cornjerker
s", a term describing farm workers who picked corn
prior to the use of mechanized corn picker implements.
Hoopeston Area High School is the alma mater of current Ohio State University
head men's basketball coach Thad Matta
.
Grant Township, Vermilion County, Illinois
Grant Township is a township in Vermilion County, Illinois, USA. At the 2000 census, its population was 6,672.-Geography:Grant Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.04 percent is water.-Cities and towns:* Hoopeston* Rossville...
, Vermilion County
Vermilion County, Illinois
Vermilion County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, between the Indiana border and Champaign County. It was established in 1826 and was the 45th of Illinois' 102 counties...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Danville, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,965 at the 2000 census, and 5,602 in 2009.
History
Hoopeston was laid out in 1871. It was named for Thomas Hoopes, one of the men who offered land for the crossing of two railroads: the Lafayette, Bloomington and Western Railroad and the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes RailroadChicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad
The Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad was a railroad established in 1865 that served various communities along the eastern border of Illinois...
. The two railroads separated the town into four sections. The latter railroad still exists and is now operated jointly by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
.
In 1890, Greer College was established in Hoopeston, funded by a gift of $40,000 and 500 acres (2 km²) of land from John Greer.
Business and manufacturing in Hoopeston have historically been related to agriculture. In 1875, S. S. McCall established the Illinois Canning Company to can locally-grown vegetables; and this was so successful that in 1878 the Hoopeston Canning Company was established, which later became part of Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. In addition, Silgan Can (formerly American Can) had a factory which manufactured the tin can
Tin can
A tin can, tin , steel can, or a can, is a sealed container for the distribution or storage of goods, composed of thin metal. Many cans require opening by cutting the "end" open; others have removable covers. Cans hold diverse contents: foods, beverages, oil, chemicals, etc."Tin" cans are made...
s themselves, and an FMC
FMC Corp.
FMC Corporation is a chemical manufacturing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. FMC employs over 4,800 people world wide, and had gross revenues of US$3.115 billion in 2008.-The Bean Spray Pump Company:...
plant manufactured agricultural machinery.
In honor of its agricultural roots, Hoopeston holds a Sweet Corn Festival each September, starting the Thursday before Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
and ending on Labor Day.
In association with the Sweet Corn Festival, the Miss National Sweetheart Pageant is also held during the week. Runners-up from the Miss America state pageants are eligible to compete for the title of Miss National Sweetheart.
It was also the location of one of several prisoner of war camps housing German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
soldiers during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(see German Prisoner of War Camp, Hoopeston, Illinois
German Prisoner of War Camp, Hoopeston, Illinois
The Prisoner of War Camp in Hoopeston, Illinois, was one of 21 such camps in Illinois created to house prisoners from Nazi Germany during World War II.-Industry:...
).
Geography
Hoopeston is located at the intersection of Illinois Route 1Illinois Route 1
Illinois Route 1 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. Running parallel to the Indiana border, it is also the longest state road, starting on the south side of Chicago as Halsted Street at the intersection with 95th Street, south to a free ferry crossing to Kentucky at Cave-In-Rock on...
and Illinois Route 9
Illinois Route 9
Illinois Route 9 is a cross-state, east–west rural state highway in central Illinois. It runs from the Fort Madison Toll Bridge over the Mississippi River to Iowa in Niota east to State Road 26 at the Indiana border. This is a distance of ....
about a mile from the north edge of Vermilion County. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 5,965 people, 2,297 households, and 1,499 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,913.8 per square mile (738.2/km²). There were 2,520 housing units at an average density of 808.5 per square mile (311.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.79% White, 0.82% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 5.60% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.38% of the population.
There were 2,297 households of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.
Age distribution was 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
The median household income was $31,947, and the median family income $39,368. Males had a median income of $31,656 versus $20,474 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,055. About 12.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
Primary and secondary education
- Hoopeston Area High School
- Hoopeston Area Middle School
- John Greer Grade School (originally known as John Greer College) serves 5th and 6th grade students.
- Honeywell School serves 3rd and 4th grade students.
- Maple Grade School serves kindergarten through 2nd grade students.
The school district has faced increasingly declining enrollment over the past 10 years. The district has also struggled financially in recent years. The school teams are named the "Cornjerker
Cornjerker
In a time before modern machinery, when work was done by hand and horsepower was measured in mules, sweet corn was pulled or jerked from the stalk. The leaves were shucked off and the golden ears were thrown in a wooden wagon pulled by a team of mules...
s", a term describing farm workers who picked corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
prior to the use of mechanized corn picker implements.
Hoopeston Area High School is the alma mater of current Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
head men's basketball coach Thad Matta
Thad Matta
Thad Matta is an American college basketball coach. He is the current head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team. He was hired as the 13th head coach in Ohio State history on July 7, 2004 after the school had fired previous coach Jim O'Brien...
.
External links
- City website
- hoopeston.org, other Hoopeston related web sites and businesses
- Hoopeston school district
- Hoopeston and Vermilion County Online Forum
- Census 2000 information on Hoopeston
- North Fork Conservation Club