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. 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. Number of Pages: 128 Published By: Arcadia Publishing Imprint: Arcadia Publishing Series: Images of America Release Date: June 29, 2015 Location: Illinois ISBN Number: 9781467114240 Book Format: Paperback Categories: Historical Photography, Regional Travel, Midwest History