Hudson

History

Hudson was laid out by Horatio Petit on August 13, 1836. It was one of eight towns founded in McLean County during the great real estate boom that swept through central Illinois between 1835 and 1837. It also shares the distinction of being one of two "colonial" settlements in the county; the other was the Rhode Island colony in the southwestern part of the county. Traditional sources say that the town was named for the town of Hudson in Columbia County, New York, which, so it was said, was the home of its early settlers. However, in her book on the Hudson Colony, Ruth Biting Hamm has pointed out that, while some settlers were from Queens County, New York, none came from near the town of Hudson. She suggests that it is more likely town was simply named for the Hudson River. Hudson was created by the Illinois Land Association, who developed it as what was then called a colony. Colonial schemes such as this were popular in the 1830s. Rather than settlers migrating individually and buying land on their own, participants in a colony would band together, pool their money, and appoint a committee to select a large tract of land, which would then be divided among the participants. Such colonial developments do not imply that the group had any common social or religious agenda. Sometimes, the people involved came from a single area, but often, as was the case in Hudson, they were clusters of individuals who had no connection forming the colony: several of the founders of Hudson were from New York, but others were from Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Illinois. The Illinois Land Association was formed in February 1836 in Jacksonville. Each participant would contribute $235 to the common pool and would receive four kinds of property: three lots in the main part of the…

Geography

Hudson is located in northwestern McLean County. Interstate 39 passes along the western boundary of the village, with access from Exit 5. I-39 leads south to Normal and north to El Paso. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hudson has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Normal Community High School
  High · Normal · 2,131 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Normal Community West High School
  High · Normal · 1,628 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Bloomington High School
  High · Bloomington · 1,503 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Bloomington Jr High School
  Middle · Bloomington · 1,006 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• Kingsley Jr High School
  Middle · Normal · 753 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Parkside Jr High School
  Middle · Normal · 641 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• University High School
  High · Normal · 620 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Chiddix Jr High School
  Middle · Normal · 594 students · 12.6:1 ratio