The History of How Hoopeston became Hoopeston?

[TGWH]

There are so many different stories of how Hoopeston became Hoopeston and why it was named Hoopeston. Go ask your Grandpa and Grandma, let's gather these stories, they are so interesting.

[HooterVillin1963]

The story I was always told there was a guy named Thomas Hoops fom Ohio that settled here and the forfathers named the town Hoopeston . i beleave the original name HoopesTown. Thats the story my grandparents told when i was a kid.

[GFY]

The better story is about the Thompson brothers. They were rebels. Matter of fact the park at the corner of Thompson and Market was designed to have a courthouse built on it. There was a hotel and office buildings across the street.

[Dave]

HooterVillin1963 wrote:

The story I was always told there was a guy named Thomas Hoops fom Ohio that settled here and the forfathers named the town Hoopeston . i beleave the original name HoopesTown. Thats the story my grandparents told when i was a kid.

You are right about this. He was Thomas HOOPES. Brought a flock
of sheep here, and settled northwest corner of town on "the hill".
His biggest problem at first was keeping Wolves from killing
his sheep, because there were so many in the area. Built one of
first wood-frame houses in this area, for his family and made the
surrounding land his farm.

[Boots9869]

Dave wrote:

<quoted text>
You are right about this. He was Thomas HOOPES. Brought a flock
of sheep here, and settled northwest corner of town on "the hill".
His biggest problem at first was keeping Wolves from killing
his sheep, because there were so many in the area. Built one of
first wood-frame houses in this area, for his family and made the
surrounding land his farm.

that's the story i was told by my grandparents back when i was a little girl. i love hearing all the stories that our elders have to tell!:)