Hudson is a thriving and growing community today, but it was nothing more than a spot in the wilderness when first established along the banks of the St. Criox and Willow rivers in 1840. Town founders Louis Massey and his brother-in-law, Peter Bouchea, would no doubt be amazed at the changes that have occurred since the "good old days."
In the summer of 1840, Bouchea, a French-Indian fur trader, and Massey, a French-Canadian, first paddled their canoes into the mouth of the Willow River, from whence came the city's first name. Eight years later, Joel Foster, another early settler, stated that since the town offered such a magnificent view, it's name should be changed to Buena Vista. In 1852, the town underwent one last name change as A.D. Gray, the first mayor, decided upon Hudson because the St. Croix so much resembled the Hudson River in New York.
In 1850, the lumber industry began booming, and the Hudson Sawmill became the town's hub. By 1872, the mill was one of 17 operating on the river. Today, the old mill site is the home of Hudson Marina.
With the advent of the lumber business, railroads became a neccessity. In the late autumn of 1872, the Tomah and Lake St. Croix Railroad, later called the West Wisconsin Railway, extended its service to Hudson. In 1881, the system became the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway, which in turn became a part of the Chicago and Northwestern system, which was sold to the Union Pacific Railroad.
Hudson has seen many great events over the years and has been the home town of many people famous both nationally and internationally. Among the historic names are William H. Phipps, Gen. Carl Gray, U.S. Sen. John C. Spooner, State Attorney General Spencer Haven, Charles Ward, professional football player Jim Betlsen -- the list goes on and on.
The city survived the great fire of 1866, which wiped out most of the business community and many of Hudson's homes. For a short time in 1914 and 1915, Hudson was the boxing capital of the Northwest, attracting 10,000 to 15,000 fans on Saturday nights. Hudson was also known as the community with the toll bridge. From 1913 to 1951 it was Hudson's most widely known landmark. Locally owned, income from the bridge tolls meant little or no property taxes for Hudson residents.
The fine community we have today was molded from the foresight and wisdom of people in Hudson's past. The community has a proud history of schools, businesses, parks, local governments, historic homes, churches, medical facilities and more.
The city of Hudson, the adjacent village of North Hudson, and the townships of St. Joseph, Hudson and Troy now comprise a population of over 21,000 people. The times have changed, but the days are still "good." It's just a matter of time before the times in toady's Hudson are described as "the good old days."
