HUDSON, OH

Hudson is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,110 at the 2020 census. It is a suburban community in the Akron metropolitan statistical area and the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area, the 17th-largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States. John Brown made his first public vow to destroy slavery here and it became part of the Underground Railroad. The Village of Hudson and Hudson Township were formerly two separate governing entities that merged in 1994.

History

The city is named after its founder, David Hudson, who settled there from Goshen, Connecticut in 1799, when it was part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The Village of Hudson, located in the center of Hudson Township, was incorporated in 1837.

Hudson was the home of Western Reserve College and Preparatory School, founded in 1826 and created by David Hudson among others. It was spoken of as the "Yale of the West". The College moved to Cleveland in 1882 and later, as Western Reserve University, merged with the Case Institute of Technology to form the modern Case Western Reserve University. The Yale-inspired red brick buildings are now Western Reserve Academy. The Loomis Observatory was built in 1838 and is the oldest observatory in the U.S. still in its original location.

The Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad began service to Hudson in 1852. The railroad ended passenger service at Hudson, Ohio in 1965. The former train station was that was located near the intersection of West Streetsboro and Library Streets was demolished in 2013.

The Hudson-born Pennsylvania coal mine owner James Ellsworth assisted in the rebuilding of Main Street after the street had been destroyed by fire in 1903. Ellsworth also refinanced the bankrupt Western Reserve Academy, housed on the former campus of Western Reserve College, which had been closed from 1903 until 1916.

On November 28, 1973, a large area of the village, "roughly bounded by College, Streetsboro, S. Main, and Baldwin" streets, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Hudson Historic District. The historic district was expanded on October 10, 1989, to also include the area "roughly bounded by Hudson St., Old Orchard Dr., Aurora St., Oviatt St., Streetsboro St., and College St. to Aurora (street)". In addition to the Hudson Historic District, there are several additional properties in Hudson listed on the Register.

The City of Hudson came about in 1994 when voters approved the merger of Hudson Township and Hudson Village, which had previously been two separate governing entities.

In July 2003, Hudson received over of rain from three storm events within 24 hours. Hudson had flood damage within all its three watersheds ... Mud Brook, Brandywine Creek and Tinker’s Creek. The Brandywine Creek Watershed experienced the most flood damage in 2003. Two men drowned in an underground parking garage of a condominium complex on July 21, 2003. State Routes 91 and 303 flooded where the highways dip low to pass under the train tracks and the highways were closed by 7:40 PM on July 21.

Underground Railroad

Thousands of fugitive slaves, heading for freedom in Canada, passed through Hudson. It was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Founder David Hudson was against slavery, though he favored "colonization": sending free blacks "back to Africa". Owen Brown, father of John Brown, was even more active in assisting the fugitives. His son the abolitionist John Brown, of the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, grew up in Hudson (1805–1825). There is a marker at the site of his family's home, at the intersection of Ravenna and South Main Streets.

There is also a historical marker at the location of the first meetinghouse of the First Congregational Church, at East Main and Church Streets, reading: "In August, 1835, church members unanimously adopted a resolution declaring that slavery is 'a direct violation of the law of Almighty God.' At a November 1837 prayer meeting, church member and anti-slavery leader John Brown made his first public vow to destroy slavery." As of 2019, 21 locations in and around Hudson associated with the Underground Railroad have been identified. and in 1992 published a book by James Caccamo, Hudson and the Underground Railroad. After the Civil War, Hudson cheese manufacturer Seymour Straight was the primary funder of Straight University, the first university for black students in New Orleans, founded in 1868.

Geography

thumb|upright|190px|North Main Street, with the landmark clock tower visible to the right

thumb|upright|190px|North Main Street

thumb|upright|190px|Howard Hanna and US Bank

Hudson is located in northeastern Summit County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Neighboring communities

Hudson's neighbors are, starting at the northern corporate boundary and proceeding clockwise:

Watersheds

Hudson's surface water flows into five major watersheds. The three most prominent are Brandywine Creek, Mud Brook, and Tinkers Creek. A small part of the western edge of town drains into the Cuyahoga River, and the southeastern corner of the city drains into Fish Creek.

Demographics

Of the city's population over the age of 25, 68.0% held a bachelor's degree or higher. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $112,740, and the median income for a family was $128,727. Males had a median income of $87,169 versus $38,226 for females. The per capita income for the city was $40,915. About 1.3% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Note: Historical Population figures before 2000 are for the former Village of Hudson only and do not include the former Hudson Township.

2020 census

As of April 1, 2020, there were 23,110 people residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,262 people, 7,620 households, and 6,301 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 8,002 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.7% White, 1.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.

There were 7,620 households, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.9% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 17.3% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.21.

The median age in the city was 42.5 years. 30.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.5% were from 25 to 44; 34% were from 45 to 64; and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 22,439 people, 7,357 households, and 6,349 families residing in the city. The population density was 876.9 people per square mile (338.6/km²). There were 7,636 housing units at an average density of 298.4 per square mile (115.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.65% White, 2.82% Asian, 1.48% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.20% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.

There were 7,357 households, out of which 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.7% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.7% were non-families. 12.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city the population was spread out, with 33.5% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

Economy

thumb|left|180px|The "First and Main" shopping district

In November 2002, Hudson was the first community in the U.S. to launch a citywide electronic gift card. The card was introduced by the Hudson Chamber of Commerce to help stimulate and keep shopping dollars with the independent merchants in town.

thumb|right|180px|The Hudson Acme, after hours

Commercial

Retail

Parks and recreation

The Hudson Park Board oversees more than one thousand acres (4 km²) of parkland in the city. The most prominent property is Hudson Springs Park, which has a 50-acre lake open to kayaks, canoes and small motorized boats. Boat storage is available to residents only for an annual fee. The lake is stocked with fish and encircled by walking trails based around a 1.8 mile loop that ventures into the woods that stretch along a large portion of the lake. The park also has a disc golf course, docks, sand volleyball pit and permanent corn-hole boards (bring your own bean bags). Cascade Park, Barlow Farm Park, and Colony Park are large neighborhood parks used for sports and general family recreation. Other properties, such as Doc's Woods, MacLaren Woods, Trumbull Woods, and Bicentennial Woods, are kept as forested nature preserves. The first Hudson Park, Wildlife Woods, is actually located west of the city in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Resignation of Craig Shubert

At a February 8, 2022 council meeting, during discussion whether to permit ice fishing at Hudson Springs Park, mayor Craig Shubert voiced concerns that allowing the construction of ice shanties might lead to incidents of prostitution. The resulting negative attention resulted in Shubert resigning six days later.

Government

The city is governed by a seven-member city council. There are four council representatives representing the four wards in Hudson, and three representatives at-large. Hudson has a council-manager government. At present, the Council President is Bill Wooldredge. The current City Manager is Jane Howington. The Mayor's office is currently vacant.

Education

thumb|right|180px|The chapel of Western Reserve Academy

thumb|right|180px|Hudson High School

Public education

Public schools are included in the Hudson City School District. The largest school in the district is Hudson High School. Hudson City Schools provides education for approximately 4,600 children. Hudson City School District Sports teams are a part of the Suburban League. The sports teams are called the Hudson Explorers.

Private

There are also many private schools in the area. Seton Catholic School is one. Founded in 1962, Hudson Montessori School is the 13th oldest Montessori school in the United States. Hudson is the original home of what would become Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and remains home to the Western Reserve Academy, a coeducational boarding and day college preparatory school housed on the original campus of Western Reserve College.

Healthcare

The University Hospitals Hudson Health Center, affiliated with University Hospitals of Cleveland, offers primary and specialty care services, laboratory and general diagnostic radiology services. Also located at this facility are outpatient rehabilitation services.

Transportation

Ohio's State Route 303, State Route 91, and State Route 8 pass through Hudson. Interstate 480 cuts through the extreme northeast corner of the city, and Interstate 80, the Ohio Turnpike, bisects the city from west to east.

Hudson, unlike many surrounding communities, has retained two-lane roadways in much of its downtown. This has helped preserve the open spaces, historical buildings, and trees that the city values. There are some services from Metro RTA, and much of Hudson is accessible by foot or bike.

Railroad

The Cleveland Line (Norfolk Southern) runs from Rochester, Pennsylvania to Cleveland, Ohio going through locations such as Ravenna, Hudson, and Maple Heights. There is a spur rail line for local freight from Little Tikes.

Religion

thumb|right|180px|Christ Church Episcopal in downtown Hudson

There are many churches and other places of worship in Hudson. There are several Christian denominations present, including the Eastern Orthodox, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, Lutheran, Christian Science, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Anglican, and Roman Catholic, and non-denominational congregations as well as a Jewish temple.

Notable people

Sister cities

In 1984, Hudson and Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria, Germany, became sister cities.