As was the pattern with all towns in the Western Reserve area of Northeast Ohio, Hudson was settled by pioneers from Connecticut. The oldest town in Summit County, Hudson was founded in 1799 by David Hudson of Goshen, CT. who served as the town's first Postmaster, Justice of the Peace, innkeeper, real estate agent and entrepreneur. Hudson’s energetic leadership attracted other pioneers to his 25-square mile township, and in 1802 he helped establish the First Congregational Church, the town’s oldest place of worship. David Hudson was also a founder of Western Reserve College in 1826, the first College in Northeast Ohio.
Although agriculture, especially dairy farming, was a prominent feature of Hudson life well into the 20th century, the town became an early center for commerce and education. In 1850 it was the first town in Summit County to have rail service (the Cleveland and Pittsburgh line) which underscored Hudson’s commercial importance. When the college moved to Cleveland in 1882, it left its preparatory school, Western Reserve Academy, which today is ranked among the nation’s finest private schools.
The town went into a decline in the late 1890’s, but when native son and multi-millionaire, James W. Ellsworth, returned in 1907, he decided to revive the town’s commercial center, reopen Western Reserve Academy, build and donate public utilities to the community, and turn Hudson into a "model town". The preservation of historic buildings became one of Ellsworth’s favorite projects, and along with his other far-sighted improvements, remains one of the signal characteristics of the city today.
Even in 1950 the population was barely 2,500, an increase of about 1,000 people since 1890. But the arrival of industry, notably Morse Instrument in 1941 and General Motors in 1957, made the community an attractive place to live and work. The first suburban-type neighborhoods were developed in the late 1950’s, and by the end of the 60’s Hudson’s growth began to surge. The old village and township forms of government remained in place until residents voted a merger, which resulted in the City of Hudson in 1994. David Hudson’s original 25-square mile township is now home to 23,000 residents.
Submitted by Thomas L. Vince, Archivist and Historian at Western Reserve Academy
As was the pattern with all towns in the Western Reserve area of Northeast Ohio, Hudson was settled by pioneers from Connecticut. The oldest town in Summit County, Hudson was founded in 1799 by David Hudson of Goshen, CT. who served as the town's first Postmaster, Justice of the Peace, innkeeper, real estate agent and entrepreneur. Hudson’s energetic leadership attracted other pioneers to his 25-square mile township, and in 1802 he helped establish the First Congregational Church, the town’s oldest place of worship. David Hudson was also a founder of Western Reserve College in 1826, the first College in Northeast Ohio.
Although agriculture, especially dairy farming, was a prominent feature of Hudson life well into the 20th century, the town became an early center for commerce and education. In 1850 it was the first town in Summit County to have rail service (the Cleveland and Pittsburgh line) which underscored Hudson’s commercial importance. When the college moved to Cleveland in 1882, it left its preparatory school, Western Reserve Academy, which today is ranked among the nation’s finest private schools.
The town went into a decline in the late 1890’s, but when native son and multi-millionaire, James W. Ellsworth, returned in 1907, he decided to revive the town’s commercial center, reopen Western Reserve Academy, build and donate public utilities to the community, and turn Hudson into a "model town". The preservation of historic buildings became one of Ellsworth’s favorite projects, and along with his other far-sighted improvements, remains one of the signal characteristics of the city today.
Even in 1950 the population was barely 2,500, an increase of about 1,000 people since 1890. But the arrival of industry, notably Morse Instrument in 1941 and General Motors in 1957, made the community an attractive place to live and work. The first suburban-type neighborhoods were developed in the late 1950’s, and by the end of the 60’s Hudson’s growth began to surge. The old village and township forms of government remained in place until residents voted a merger, which resulted in the City of Hudson in 1994. David Hudson’s original 25-square mile township is now home to 23,000 residents.
Submitted by Thomas L. Vince, Archivist and Historian at Western Reserve Academy