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05/10/2020
By Carol Hicks
Picture: Pam Eldred, Miss America 1970
The Hoopeston District Agricultural Society was formed in July of 1873. Six weeks after the society was formed, according to Bill Cooper's notes, the society bought 30 acres south of West Penn Street from Snell and Taylor for $100 an acre. This 30 acres was not in the city limits at that time.
During the next six week period after the purchase, fencing was built 10 feet high around the area with stalls for horses, a half mile horse track was laid out, wells added, and floral and mechanics halls were added inside the fencing for displays. The first Hoopston Fair was held in September 1873.
Displays for the first Hoopeston Fair included a display of cattle, horses, hogs, sheep, and various farm products and other displays of prairie life. Horse and mule races were held on the new race track, various amusements for all people, young and old, attending this first fair were included. Some of the children's amusements were a tug of war, jumping contests and sack races.
The Hoopeston District Agricultural Society paid all the expenses for the buildings, according to Cooper. The fair was held every year after that date in the fair grounds, branching out to include a late August circus, Chatauquas and conventions until 1897.
In 1897, the fairs ended and J. S. McFerren bought the 30 acres for $6,000 and donated it to the City of Hoopeston for a park so the Chatauquas could continue. The Chatauqua Foundation was responsible for building the pavilion in 1913 for $7,000 which could seat more than 2,000 people, and according to Cooper, was one of the largest meeting places in Hoopeston.
In 1915, the McFerren Park four-million gallon lagoon was established surrounding an island which housed the park boathouse. Couples or individuals could rent boats to boat around the lagoon or take advantage of the pool at the south end of the lagoon. People entered the island across a rustic bridge at the north end with gazebos placed at both ends to enhance the beauty of the log bridge.
After the Chatauquas ended, the city canning industry decided to host an end of harvest festival in 1938, the forerunner to the Sweetcorn Festival. This first festival had a festival sweetheart chosen by the community, according to the early newspapers. Containers were set in each store with the names of young ladies and the community voted on their choice as they shopped. The young lady receiving the most votes was the festival Sweetheart. The first Sweetheart (later Miss Hoopeston) was Mary McClaflin in 1938 and in 1939, Pat Finch, 1940 was Jane Layton and 1941 - Louise Bury.
In 1940, the canning industry decided to make a change to the festival by adding young ladies to compete from canning industries in Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Iowa and Wisconsin to vie for the title of Sweetcorn Sweetheart. It was 1940 that the American Legion sponsored the festival and the name was changed to the National Sweetcorn Festival and Miss Sweetheart became the National Sweetheart.
World War II interrupted the National Sweetcorn Festival in 1942 and it remained dormant until 1948 when the Hoopeston Jaycees assumed sponsorship of the festival adding a competition for Miss Hoopeston, expanding the festival each year with new events and vendors. The Jaycees expanded it further in 1952, when they invited the first runners-up from the states' Miss American Pageants and invited judges from the Miss American Pageant to judge the competition to gain nationwide recognition for Hoopeston's festival. The first Miss Hoopeston in 1948 was Faye Mott and the first National Sweetcorn Sweetheart in 1948 was Joan Edwards from Wisconsin.
Eight previous contestants from the National Sweetcorn Festival Pageant went on to become Miss America. They were Pam Eldred, Miss America 1970; Rebecca King - 1974; Grace E. Ward - 1982; Debrah L..Turner - 1990; Carolyn Sapp - 1992; Leanza Cornett-1993; Tara Dawn Holland 1997; and Katie Marie Harman - 2002.
Although the National Sweetcorn Festival and Pageant had to be postponed this year due to the coronavirus along with many other events planned by the City of Hoopeston and event sponsors, they all plan for future events in 2021.
Hoopeston will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2021 and has already set up a Sesquicentennial Commission to begin planning a week-long celebration ending on July 3rd with fireworks. If you would like to be a part of the planning or a volunteer, contact Brad Hardcastle at bdhardcastle@gmail.com or through the Jaycees, or Marta Pierce at erp5499frontier.com or call the water department at City Hall - 283-5631.
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