Hudson, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Settled: 1699 – Incorporated: 1866 | |
| Zip Code(s): 01749 – Area Code(s): 351 / 978 | |
| Official website: http://www.townofhudson.org/Home/ | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
 Location in Massachusetts |
|
| Government | |
| County | Middlesex County |
| Form of Government | Open town meeting |
| Executive office | Executive Assistant |
| Geography | |
| Area | |
| Total | 11.8 mi² / 30.7 km² |
| Land | 11.5 mi² / 29.8 km² |
| Water | 0.3 mi² / 0.9 km² |
| Coordinates | |
| Elevation | 263 ft / 80 m |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| Population | |
| Total (2000) | 18113 |
| Density | 1574.4/mi² / 607.9/km² |
Hudson is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,113 at the 2000 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Hudson, please see the article Hudson (CDP), Massachusetts.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early Days
Hudson’s recorded history began in the early 1600s, when a group of second-generation settlers, an offshoot of the Sudbury settlement, were granted land parcels.
This small group of scattered residents lived peacefully with the native people until the mid 1600's, when King Philip, a Narragansett warrior tired of the newcomers’ intrusive rules, instigated a war against the European settlers. Fourteen settlements, including what is now Hudson, were burned to the ground. During the war, many local Native Americans, under suspicion of being sympathetic to King Philip’s cause, were moved to Martha’s Vineyard, where they lived out the war years. The original native families never returned to Hudson; the surviving family members were resettled in Natick, Massachusetts after the war.
As of 1675, the area was in the hands of the settlers, but the influence of the native tribes remains in the inherited rich language of place names.
[edit] The Abolitionist Movement
The early homes of record in Hudson were associated with farming. The Goodale House is such a house and is the oldest known home in Hudson. Dating from the 1600's, it was expanded over time to its present two-story symmetry. This home was a part of the Underground Railroad in the 1800's, sheltering freedom-seekers behind a fireplace wall.
There was a strong abolitionist movement in Hudson, with several local homes serving as stations on the railway. Except for the Goodale House, these buildings are all gone now.
[edit] The Century Begins
Many of the town’s early buildings were burned in an 1894 fire that destroyed much of the downtown. Following the fire, citizens rallied and the entire town center was rebuilt. This area, lying along two heavily traveled thoroughfares containing Routes 85 and 62, is now protected by the Silas Felton District Commission. The architectural significance of the Silas Felton District stems largely from the cohesiveness of the whole—it contains many fine examples of Colonial, Federal, Romanesque Revival and Victorian architecture along with newer harmonious structures built around the same time. The consistent style gives the center of town its distinctive character and makes it particularly interesting from an architectural standpoint. The dominant style of architecture in this area is Victorian (brick and stone) and includes homes of former leading citizens of the community, as well as churches and meeting halls.
In the 1980s, Digital Equipment Corporation operated an LSI processor facility. DECDRAW was an early attempt at a hierarchical schematic editor system based on SIGGRAPH CORE standards with VT-100 ReGIS terminals. Employees would occasionally evacuate in the parking lot when toxic chemicals leaked or were accidentally released. It had a helicopter pad, and clambakes were held for some lunches. This facility was sold to Intel in 1998.
[edit] Looking Ahead
The Silas Felton District encompasses an area containing over 65 homes and businesses, but there are many other notable and carefully-restored homes in Hudson that reflect the character and charm of a bygone era. In 2004 Hudson received a grant to restore the downtown business area with brick-lined sidewalks, tree plantings, reproduction gaslight streetlights and other improvements. This project, now completed, has had a major aesthetic impact on the downtown district. A new high school has also been built
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.7 km² (11.8 mi²). 29.8 km² (11.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (2.87%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 18,113 people, 6,990 households, and 4,844 families residing in the town. The population density was 608.1/km² (1,574.4/mi²). There were 7,168 housing units at an average density of 240.7/km² (623.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.12% White, 0.91% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 1.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.06% of the population.
There were 6,990 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,549, and the median income for a family was $70,145. Males had a median income of $45,504 versus $35,207 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,679. About 2.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Public Schools:
- JFK Middle School
- CA Farley
- Joseph Mulready
- Forest Avenue
- Hudson High
Private Schools:
- Saint Michaels
- Hudson Catholic
[edit] Youth Sports
- Baseball
- Football
- Track
- Field Hockey
- Deck Hockey
- Ice Hockey
- Wrestling
- Swim
- Boxing
- Soccer
- Golf
[edit] Notable figures
- Former Massachusetts governor and United States Ambassador to Canada Argeo "Paul" Cellucci was raised and maintains a house here.
- Former New England Revolution player Tony Frias
- Retired Astronaut Charles Precourt
- Musician and former Extreme (band) guitarist Nuno Bettencourt grew up here
- Former US Senator Burton Kendall Wheeler was born here
- Former head of FBI intelligence William C. Sullivan was also born here
