The town:

(Keystone Sign at the corner of Main and Pine)

The small town of Hookstown is located about 2 miles west of the center of Greene township in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The the town is less than .1 square miles and as of the last census in 2000, there are 152 people living in within it's borders. (Statistics from the PA Municipalities and Wikipedia websites.)

(Click on map for more` detail)

Many towns in Beaver County are built on or near the rivers, but Hookstown is an "inland" town. The main road that goes through the center of Hookstown is Pennsylvania Route 168, and named  "Main street" when it heads south and ends in Frankfort Springs, and it is "Pine Street" when it heads east from the same intersection towards Shippingport, PA, the home of the first commercial nuclear power plant in the United States.

Even though it's a small town, it is big area, because Hookstown is more than the boundaries of the .1 sq. mile borough.  Greene Township is divided by Route 168 into two postal zones. The west of Rt. 168 is handled by the Georgetown post office (15043), and the east is handled by the Hookstown post office (15050).  However most people say they live "in Hookstown" unless they actually live within the borough of Georgetown.

The History

Hookstown was originally the settlement of Matthias Hook and his brother Benjamin.  On December 13, 1797 Matthias signed a contract witnessed by Martha and Sarah Hook with a young black man named Evans.  The contract provided Evans meat, drink, lodging, and clothing in exchange for working for Hook for a year.  This contract was the result of a suit in which Matthias agrees to bear the expenses of related to Evans being carried out of state and sold into slavery. 

On April 18, 1843, Hookstown was incorporated into a borough by a special Act of the Legislature, and signed into law by Governor David Porter.

In March of 1845, a disease broke out which was then known as "Hookstown Fever."  At the time it was the most serious epidemic to hit Beaver County, and of the 350 people living in Hookstown, every family except three were affected by it.  Ministers were afraid to come to the town to bury the dead, and two doctors perished during the epidemic.  It was later found that the disease was a variation of typhoid fever which was caused by contaminated food and water.

The School:

Students who live in the area go to the South Side Area School District.  Many of us Laughlin's graduated from this school. However, the older generation of Laughlin's went to school in another state, Chester, WV, because South Side wasn't open until 1956.  Yes they are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

The Churches:

The Hookstown Free Methodist Church is the only church located within the town's borders. However there are three other churches that I know of with Hookstown addresses:

• Frankfort United Presbyterian Church
• Pleasant Hill Methodist Church
• Mill Creek Presbyterian Church
   

The Events:

Hookstown Fair

Every year  since 1947 at the end of August the Hookstown Grange hosts the Hookstown Fair. The fair will be held August 22-26 this year (2006).  This end of summer event is usually the last "hurrah" of Hookstown before school starts the following week.

Memorial Day

A great parade is held each year on Memorial Day.  The parade starts from the intersection of Main and Pine, and ends at the American Legion Post 952.

Family Places:

The Farm

The Thompson Farm, located slightly east of Hookstown.  The farm is now owned by Jim Laughlin and Bill "Billy" Laughlin, Jr.  I spoke with Billy recently and he said that he didn't get the repair work done last spring, and is going to try again this spring.

Checkout more pictures of the farm in the gallery.

The Restaurant

Bill Laughlin, Sr. and Josephine Laughlin own Laughlin's Restaurant at the intersection of Rts. 168 and 30 often referred to as "Laughlin's Corners".  Terry Jo is managing the place.

The restaurant got an new look recently with new signs, new gas pumps, new paint job, and a new design inside.  Laughlin's Restaurant is more than a restaurant it is a country store.

The Office

Bill Laughlin, Jr. has continued operation of the insurance office of William H. Thompson, "Pap".  He moved the office to the "Corner's" right next to the restaurant.

I talked with Bill recently and he told me they are remodeling the office, and moving it upstairs.