Along the Elkhorn and Out on the Course: Hooper’s Fishing, Lakes and Golf History
Historic lake outings, credited fishing photographs and original golf-club reports trace Hooper’s outdoor recreation from the 1890s to Elkhorn Valley Golf Course.
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A name you remember. A building you pass. A story you want to know. Explore our growing collection of Hooper history.
61 published stories · 20 tour stops · 748 source references · Growing with every discovery
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Explore stories and tour stops, or search for a detail inside them.
Farmers Built Their Own Market: Hooper’s Elevators and Cooperative
From the Farmers Grain and Stock Company to the farmer-owned cooperative of 1915, follow Hooper’s grain trade, managers, 1939 fire and expanding services through its centennial years.
From Logan Creek to Hooper: The Long Working Life of the Roller Mills
Before Hooper had a railroad town center, Logan Creek had a mill. Follow its water-powered beginnings, move into town, flour trade and later years through three historic photographs and original newspaper accounts.
High Above Main Street: Hooper’s Carnivals, Chautauqua and Traveling Shows
High-wire performers, a June 1907 carnival, the 1914 aviation meet and Chautauqua, and a 1958 circus announcement reveal Hooper’s lively entertainment history.
Hooper at the Ball Park: Town Teams, Legion Champions and a Community Diamond
From the 1908 amateurs to Legion state champions and Dodge County League winners, Hooper’s baseball story comes alive in team photographs and original newspaper reports.
Hooper’s Memorial Auditorium: The Long Effort to Build a Place for Everyone
Construction photographs and the original dedication program tell how Hooper’s auditorium moved from a war memorial proposal to a community gathering place.
Hooper’s Post Office: The People Who Carried the Mail
From the depot office of 1871 to the first rural route, familiar carriers and the 1969 dedication: a postal history told with photographs and contemporary newspaper accounts.
Hooper’s Public Library: From Upstairs Rooms to Main Street
Follow Hooper’s library from its 1913 association and 1914 opening through the 1944 flood, the Lallman building donation and a remarkable 1977 revival.
Hooper’s Railroad and Depot: Passengers, Freight and a Vanished Landmark
Step onto Hooper’s old depot platform through photographs, newspaper accounts and the story of the freight, travelers and workers who connected the town.
Hooper’s Volunteer Firefighters: From Hose Carts to Rescue Calls
Historic fire scenes, preserved apparatus and original 1962 newspaper photographs trace the growth of Hooper’s fire and rescue service.
Inside Hooper’s Banks: Two Institutions and the People Behind the Counters
Construction crews, ornate banking rooms and generations of familiar faces tell the story of Dodge County Bank and First National Bank from the 1880s through Hooper’s centennial.
Inside the Harms Store: A Family and Nearly Eighty Years of Hooper Shopping
Step inside Hooper’s Harms stores through historic photographs, from an 1878 shoe shop to groceries, dry goods, hardware, and the sisters who closed the department store in 1957.
Parkert Well Company: The Family That Drilled Hooper’s Water Wells
From horse-powered equipment to farm wells and Logan View’s test well, follow the Parkert family business through photographs, advertisements and newspaper accounts.
The Hooper Sentinel: The People Who Put a Town in Print
Step inside the Sentinel’s printing office and follow its publishers, the 1953 fire and the 1994 merger through historical photographs and original newspaper accounts.
The Pool Hooper Built Together: Fundraisers, First Swimmers and July 4, 1964
See the opening-day crowd, first pool staff and first swimmer, and follow the community campaign that brought a swimming pool to Memorial Park.