History of Hudson
|
|
History of Hudson |
|
In 1882 the Burlington and Missouri Railroad completed a line from Denver to Eckley, Colorado. Passenger service began on June 26,1882. Hudson began as a supply stop along the line to provide the steam locomotives with water and coal. Nothing existed at the present site of Hudson until the Burlington built a section house and a depot in 1883.
Hudson was founded on November 2, 1887. John M. Lapp had purchased some land from the owner of the Union Pacific Railroad, Jay Gould, and on that date he platted approximately 1,360 lots in an area west of the railroad tracks and north of the depot.
On September 21, 1889, the Hudson City Land and Improvement Company filed a plat with the County that set boundaries for almost 3,000 additional lots. The main intention of both Lapp and the Hudson City Land and Improvement Company was to engage in land speculation and promotion of the area. On December 29, 1888 the Colorado Exchange Journal described Hudson as a "bright and booming new town" with a ten acre park, a school house, a post office, and 7,000 lots for sale.
The railroad served as the area's lifeline to Denver, bringing in coal for fuel, lumber, construction materials, and household items as well as new residents. During this period, the railroad continued to use the settlement as a supply stop. It brought many visiting land speculators from Denver to survey the land for investment purposes.
The opening of the first store in Hudson in 1893 marked the beginning of a long period in the Town’s history. Hudson increased in population and came to serve as the commercial trade center for the area east of Fort Lupton. Some of the types of businesses which flourished in Hudson during this 77 year period were a bank, four newspapers, a confectionary, several blacksmiths, hotels, barbers, and doctors. One restaurant, The Pepper Pod, has been in continuous existence since the late 1920,s and is well known throughout the State.
Albert M. Kearns, a Hudson resident and an employee of a real estate agency, replatted the Town giving it the street pattern and street names that is has today. On December 16, 1907, Kearns filed his plat with the County. It contained approximately 2,680 lots and Kearns was listed as the owner of the entire area.
The first concerted effort at agricultural and community development took place during this period. Water was a scarce commodity in the area until the Henrylyn Irrigation District formed in 1907. A canal system was completed in 1913, which ran from the South Platte River. This provided a tremendous impetus to farming. In March, 1913, fifty farmers from Oklahoma came to Hudson to establish new farms.
On April 2, 1914, the Town residents voted to incorporate and elected the first mayor and board of trustees. Seventy-one voted in favor of incorporation and 3 only against.
With the migration to the cities, farms became larger and more mechanized. Agricultural job opportunities decreased. Slow growth and easier transportation to Denver caused the retail/commercial sector of Hudson and the regional economy to shrink. These trends brought Hudson to its present state of development.
In the early seventies, Hudson experienced a rise in residential construction. With few job opportunities available in Hudson, most of the new residents were employed in Denver or Brighton. Thus, Hudson acquired the status of residential or "bedroom community", almost totally dependent on outside income for survival.
With increasing population pressures, the Town was faced with the need to upgrade its water supply system. In 1977, a moratorium was placed on the issuance of water taps, stopping all new construction. The water tap moratorium was lifted in 1980 when a new deep well was dug and some improvements made to the distribution system.
Hudson marked its centennial in 1987, and celebrated with a parade and other festivities, fostering a community spirit.