In 1810 John Hood returned to Sugar Grove from a trip to Pittsburgh with the first copper kettle in which to boil maple sap into syrup, and so began the Maple Syrup industry of Sugar Grove.  Prior to that, residents learned to collect sap from maple trees by Seneca Indians in the area who dipped their baskets into freezing water to make them waterproof in order to transport the precious liquid.  Ingenious examples led to a tradition that is now 100 years in the making.

Sugar Grove derived its name from the numerous maple trees in the area, a rather unusual addition to the landscape where pine and birch abound.  Sugar Grove's elevation made it ideal for these great trees to thrive and from their presence Sugar Grove gains its name.  Officially adopted as the community's title in 1821, Sugar Grove has become synonymous with the great tradition of syrup in the northeastern United States.

Every March the community awards four medals for syrup coveted by producer from the entire region.  As Pennsylvania's Maple Syrup Capital, the community awards medals for superior Light, Medium and Dark Amber grades, the three grades permissible for table consumption.  The final medal is The John Hood Medal for the Superior Syrup of the Season, the most coveted of all producers in the area.