Hudson

History

Hudson began as part of the Dunstable Land Grant that encompassed the current city of Nashua, New Hampshire, and the towns of Dunstable and Pepperell, Massachusetts, as well as parts of other nearby towns on both sides of the border. In 1732, all of Dunstable east of the Merrimack River became the town of Nottingham, Massachusetts. Nine years later, the northern boundary of Massachusetts was finally officially established, and the New Hampshire portion of Nottingham became Nottingham West, to avoid confusion with Nottingham, New Hampshire, to the northeast. In 1830, after the better part of a century, the name was changed to "Hudson" to avoid confusion with the older town of Nottingham. The name apparently comes from an early belief that the Merrimack River had once been thought to be a tributary of the Hudson River, or that the area had once been explored by Henry Hudson; both proved to be entirely apocryphal stories, but the name of the town remains today. A prominent family in Hudson history was the Alfred and Virginia Hills family, who owned a large tract of land north of Hudson Village. Dr. Hills' ancestors were original settlers of Hudson. The Hills House on Derry Road (now listed on the National Register of Historic Places) is the original family's vacation home and current location of the Hudson Historical Society. The grounds host the annual "Old Home Days" fair every year as well as "Harvest Fest" and the "Bronco Belly Bustin' Chili Fiesta", an Alvirne High School Friends of Music fundraiser. Hills Memorial Library (also listed on the National Register) is one of the oldest public lending libraries in the state, and occupies a stone and mortar building on Library Street. Alvirne High School and the Alvirne Chapel, located on family land across Derry Road…

Geography

Hudson is located in southeastern Hillsborough County along the southern edge of New Hampshire, with its southern boundary forming the Massachusetts state line. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 3.35% of the town. The town of Hudson had two historic centers, though modern development and suburban sprawl have obscured the difference. Hudson Village, roughly equivalent to the Hudson census-designated place, is located at the western edge of town on the Merrimack River near the junctions of Routes 3A, 111, and 102, and was home to most of the original schools, libraries, and town government, though many of these functions have moved to new facilities elsewhere in town. The Town Hall still remains, though the main police station has moved to the eastern edge of town into an industrial park off Route 111. The Hills Memorial Library building remains as a historic landmark, though its collection has been moved to a new building, the Rodgers Memorial Library, located on Route 102 in the northeastern part of town. The historic Kimball Webster School no longer holds classes, but today houses the town superintendent's office, though both the Library Street School and the H.O. Smith School are still active. The Town Common at the intersection of Derry, Ferry, and Library streets is a park that displays large toy soldiers and other decorations at Christmas time. Hudson Center, historically Hudson's other town center, is located at the five-way intersection of Central Street (Route 111), Greeley Street, Kimball Hill Road, and Windham Road near the geographic center of the town. The two most important landmarks of Hudson Center have been lost to history. Benson's Wild Animal Farm, a zoo and…

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Nashua High School South
  High · Nashua · 1,743 students · 13:1 ratio
• Nashua High School North
  High · Nashua · 1,594 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• Merrimack High School
  High · Merrimack · 1,113 students · 11.7:1 ratio
• Alvirne High School
  High · Hudson · 1,038 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• Elm Street Middle School
  Middle · Nashua · 874 students · 9.9:1 ratio
• Hollis-Brookline High School
  High · Hollis · 757 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Pelham Elementary School
  Elementary · Pelham · 756 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Souhegan Coop High School
  High · Amherst · 698 students · 10.3:1 ratio