Hoopeston

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. Jea