The Other Hopedales
There are at least five other Hopedales on this continent and one in the UK in addition to the one this site, Hopedale Massachusetts, and I thought it might be interesting to take a brief look at them. The one thing that they have in common is that they’re all small. Doing a Google search for Hopedale two or three years ago would usually turn up more results from the one in Labrador than the others, but now that little place in Massachusetts has taken the lead. Hopedales in Ohio, Illinois and Louisiana can also be found. Here below is a bit of what I found online.
Hopedale, Ohio
Platted by educator and abolitionist Cyrus McNeely in 1849, Hopedale was the site of McNeely Normal School, later Hopedale Normal College, the first coeducational college for teachers in eastern Ohio. It operated from 1842 to 1902. Among its graduates was George Armstrong Custer in 1856. Hopedale served as an important stop on the Underground Railroad for slaves fleeing bondage in the southern states. Local tradition notes several “stations” in the village, three at private homes and one at a hotel. From a Ohio historical marker dated 2000.
Hopedale is located in the Northeast corner of Harrison County. It is located on a 4 lane divided Highway approximately 20 miles from the Ohio River in Steubenville. The Pittsburgh International Airport is approximately 60 miles northeast. With a tax base of 58.47 mils, a 1% village income tax, ample water and sewage system, and abundant land available for possible growth. More on Hopedale, Ohio.
Clark Gable was born in Cadiz, Ohio, but lived most of his early life, up to the age of 16, in nearby Hopedale.
Hopedale, Labrador
Hopedale is located on the northern Labrador coast, amongst the large bays that open up to the Labrador Sea. The population of the community is approximately 620, most of whom are beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claim Agreement.
If you really want to experience the north and some of the world’s best fishing, a trip to Hopedale is well worth the effort.
Hopedale is one of the largest Inuit communities of the five existing settlements on the northern coast of Labrador. Archeological studies of the Hopedale region indicate that the site of the Hopedale mission and settlement, selected by the Moravians because of the good anchorage and landing site of its harbor, was used by Eskimo populations culturally ancestral to the present population and by earlier Eskimo and Indian populations.
The modern community of Hopedale is situated at the head of a deep, broad bay on the north side of a promontory. Inland from Hopedale are forest stands which are home to numerous fur-bearing animals; fresh water is available and small bands of caribou are found seasonally on the highlands. Birds nest on the small barren islands at the mouths of the area’s major bays. Rivers that empty into these bays are major spawning areas for salmon and Arctic char. Around Hopedale itself is a cluster of islands; cod trap and seal berths are found here and in the large bays.
The Hopedale area, named Agvituk in Inuktitut was first archeologically investigated in 1934. At that time J.B. Bird concluded that all of the 44 pit house sites investigated in the Hopedale area were located on the inner islands of Agvituk Bay or on the mainland coast. They are primarily coastal, semi-subterranean winter sod houses, and spring to fall axial houses belonging to the Early, Middle, and Late Dorset Eskimo.
According to W.W. Fitzhugh (1977), Inuit occupation of Hopedale began around 1600 A.D. with people building small nuclear-family sod houses during the Seventeenth Century. Winter settlements were located on or near the coast where seals could be easily killed by hunters. The Inuit dispersed to family groups in the fall when, based in skin tents erected on the outer islands, they fished char and trout. Whales and harp seals were also hunted during this season while caribou were hunted in the interior.
Hopedale, Illinois
Village of Hopedale…A Great Place to Live!
In the Village of Hopedale, we are defined less by boundaries on a map than by the sense of shared values our residents hold dear. Small town values, guided growth, preservation of historical, cultural, and natural heritage are just a few of the core principles that makes Village of Hopedale a wonderful place to call home.
Hopedale, Louisana
(I didn’t come up with any history or description of this Hopedale, but maybe this will give you a bit of an idea about the area.)
Renee and I made a trip to Hopedale 12/2. Macattack was supposed to show, but I guess the fish fry on Sat night was too much for him, LOL. He was MIA. Got a daylight start, and Bycatch and Co met us at the meat locker (thanks Capt Ben!!) Action was fast and furious from the first cast. We were using live shrimp and getting a lot of throwbacks. With the high number of shorties, we switched to Gulp Shrimp to save the livies for the Redfish on the shorelines and in the ponds. At the meat locker, we put 25 white and speckled trout and 1 sheepshead in the boat. Renee’ said she had enough of the trout and wanted Redfish action, so we moved to a nearby shoreline. I caught a 25″ Red on the shoreline, and another Sheep, which was released as we already had a bunch of fish. We hit another shoreline, and a big red swirled and hit my bait, but I missed him. I told Renee “hurry up, throw your bait right out there!!” Which she did, and he NAILED IT! Unfortunately, the line broke at the reel. 30lb Power Pro, I think it let go where I had spliced on fresh line a while back. I will re-spool that reel with fresh line this week. Total catch was 25 keeper trout, 1 Red, 1 Sheepshead.
The next three pictures of the Hopedale cemetery and church are from Missouri. From what I’ve been able to tell, that’s not the name of a town or village there; just the church and cemetery.
Hopedale, Staffordshire, UK
I couldn’t find much on this Hopedale other than one paragraph online. It states that Hopedale is a friendly community with picturesque countryside, historic buildings, and is a tourist destination known as a peaceful and relaxing getaway.
