Hookstown was named after Matthias Hook,[4] an early pioneer and Revolutionary War soldier, and his family. The only known surviving relatives are the McCormick family, who still reside in Hookstown and surrounding areas in western Pennsylvania.
Through his daughter, Catherine Hook, who married George Griffey, multiple present-day descendants across the United States are able to trace their roots back to Mathias Hook. A Griffey family reunion has been held annually in West Springfield every June for more than a hundred years.
In 1975, Little Blue Run Lake, the U.S.'s largest coal slurry waste impound, was built directly west of the town and has caused environmental damage to the surrounding communities.[citation needed]
As of the 2000 census,[8] there were 152 people, 66 households, and 48 families residing in the borough.
The population density was 1,279.5 inhabitants per square mile (494.0/km2). There were 72 housing units at an average density of 606.1 per square mile (234.0/km2).
The racial makeup of the borough was 97.37% White, 0.66% Native American, 0.66% Asian, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.
There were 66 households, out of which 21.2% had children under the age of eighteen living with them; 56.1% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was sixty-five years of age or older.
The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.65.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 16.4% under the age of eighteen, 4.6% from eighteen to twenty-four, 21.7% from twenty-five to forty-four, 32.2% from forty-five to sixty-four, and 25.0% who were sixty-five years of age or older. The median age was fifty years.
For every one hundred females, there were 81.0 males. For every one hundred females who were aged eighteen or older, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $27,500, and the median income for a family was $40,208. Males had a median income of $47,969 compared with that of $25,000 for females.
Roughly 4.3% of families and 6.6% of the population were living below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those who were under the age of eighteen and 7.9% of those who were aged sixty-five or older.
