Hopewell Welcomes You.

Charming wildlife in the rolling hills of the Illinois River Valley

Incorporated in 1983 and currently home to 400 residents, the village offers predominantly wooded lots with paved roads, a municipal water system, a community park, playground and pavilion.

At the top of the bluff, a 30-foot wooden Native American head created by nationally acclaimed sculptor Peter Toth welcomes visitors. This carving pays humble tribute to the Hopewell Native American culture which existed along the Illinois River 2000 years ago.

With over 400 building lots in the rolling hills and approximately 170 homes, there are many opportunities for anyone seeking the friendly rural lifestyle. Residents observe an abundance of wildlife on a daily basis.

History

“Hopewell township, with its swampy lands along the river, covered with grass higher than a man’s head, its heavily timbered bottoms and the hills and hollows, was an ideal place for game. Deer and wild turkey abounded, rabbits, raccoons, muskrats, mink and other fur-bearing animals were to be had for the taking. It was a paradise for a hunter. Long after the game had mostly disappeared from other parts of the country hunters from Henry and other places would go over there for deer and turkeys. It was also a great place for wolves, both of the large gray timber and smaller prairie varieties, but the wolf is a cowardly animal and seldom attacks man.”

John Spencer Burt and W. E. Hawthorne, Past and Present
of Marshall and Putnam Counties Illinois
, 1907