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Community of Hudson History
McLean County, Illinois

(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

The town and township of this name were given the same name as Hudson, N.Y. by men from that state who colonized the settlement. A saw mill set up soon after the first settlement furnished lumber for building the first houses. A grist mill was also established on the Mackinaw river. The Wheelers, Hinthorns, Priest, Messer and Turnipseed were among the early settlers. The village of Hudson was platted by Horatio Petit, extra wide streets being provided. The Illinois Central went through the village in the 50's. Just west of Hudson is set up a boulder to mark the last camp in McLean county of the Pottowattomie Indians. Hudson's population is 325. ["Official souvenir program, McLean County Centennial, Aug. 27, 28, 30, 1930" by: McLean County Illinois Centennial Souvenir Program Committee, Harold Lang and Eugene Funk] Just north of Bloomington is located the quiet, elm-shaded village of Hudson in which stand two attractive old frame houses associated with two nationally known men. In one of the houses was born Melville E. Stone, co-founder of the Chicago Daily News and "father" of the Associated Press, and in the other lived, as a boy, Elbert Hubbard, author, editor and master craftsman. Having a present population of 339, Hudson village was founded in 1836 by a group of pioneers from New York known as the Hudson Colony. The first house in the colony was built by James T. Gildersleeve, and it was in this dwelling that Melville E. Stone was later born. An early physician of Hudson was Dr. Silas Hubbard, father of Elbert Hubbard. Today, Hudson is the only community in Hudson Township, which has a total population of 910. First settlers of the township were Bailey Harbert, his son-in-law Richard Gross, and Mosby Harbert. [This is McLean County, Illinois by: John Drury, The Loree Co., Chicago, Illinois (1955)]

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