Crooper, Illinois and where that came from

If you are any kind of fan of Vic and Sade, you know that somewhere down the line, someone said

that Vic and Sade was set in Crooper, Illinois. It's been known to be set in other odd places too, but let's not get all into that now. Let's focus on Crooper.

The story goes this way: the dad-gummed (horrible) Vic and Sade television show is to blame.   The 1957 TV show had Yamilton's Department Store in Crooper.  Someone named Fred Schroeder then claimed in print that the Gooks lived in Crooper, which lies 40 miles from Peoria. Come to find out, there is no Crooper - it's Cooper. While it is close to Bloomington, it's certainly not Bloomington.