Retreat of the railroads reflected a century of change

The railroads were once a big thing in Hudson. There's a chance that Hudson wouldn't exist today had the  railroad not been lured to divert two miles south in the 1840s. At the turn of the century, Hudson had several trains each day running in all directions.

Trivia Question: At one time, Hudson had seven railroad bridges and overpasses. Where were they? (Answer at the end of article.)

The older of the two lines, the east-to-west line usually referred to as the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern (although it went by several names over the years) dated from the building of the community; it was often called "The Old Road". The newer line  ran north and south. Built as the Cincinnati Jackson and Mackinac, it was better known as the Cincinnati Northern. Toward the end, both lines were used by the New York Central, although the east-west line was usually the only one referred to by that name. In addition, there were several plans to extend electric interurban railroad service to Hudson, but  none of them ever materialized.

Charles Kefuss brought the first automobile in Hudson -- a Ford -- in 1905, and no one realized that it was the turning point for the railroads. The peak  came around  World War I, before the automobile became common, and before a move to improve the quality of the rural roads.

But, by the 1930s, the automobile was making a dent in the railroads, both in Hudson and everywhere else. A story in the Post-Gazette in 1932 said, "The taking off of our afternoon mail train suggested to several people down the street that it was only a few years ago when there were nine trains, four eastbound and five westbound coming into Hudson over the NYCRR. The trains were all well filled with passengers while now there are few passengers. This shows the havoc that the automobile has wreaked upon the railroads."

Things went downhill from there, although railroad traffic revived somewhat during World War II. By the 1950s, though, the traffic fell off, first to a single train each day, then to a single motorcar each day. In 1954, the New York Central petitioned to end passenger service, which had been ongoing since 1843. In 1956,  permission was granted, and the last passenger train left Hudson on October 31, 1956.

Freight traffic continued to dwindle, and the last freight train on the east-west line came in 1962.. In 1963, 16 miles of track west of town were pulled up, although the New York Central promised that Hudson would continue to get freight service over the CN tracks.

But, traffic continued to dwindle. The last train to come to Hudson was in the early 1970s, and the last track on the CN line removed in 1977. Ironically, a crew from the Michigan Department of Transportation showed up to paint "Railroad Crossing" signs on the pavement of Main Street the day after the last tracks were removed.

Hudson's picturesque passenger station on the Michigan Southern line at the corner of West and Railroad Streets had been the scene of much of Hudson's history. It had become very dilapidated by 1971, when, over considerable protest, it was pulled down, a loss that has been much regretted since.

But then, the loss of the railroads has been regretted, too; and Hudson has probably lost chances at industries  due to the lack of railroad service.

Trivia Answer:  Hudson railroad bridges, on CN line north to south, (1) at Bean Creek and (2) over South Church Street. On Lake Shore line, east to west: over (3) Garrison drain, (4) Bean Creek, (5) CN line, and (6) M-14 (Later US-127). (7) In addition there was a bridge over Bean Creek on the connection between the two lines, behind where Darr Real Estate now stands.

 
ONE OF HUDSON'S worst train wrecks occurred on May 26, 1941, when a northbound coal train rammed the rear of a local that was standing still. No one was injured. The wreck occurred where the Michigan Southern crossed over the Cincinnati Northern, where the Metalloy Technical building is now.

  


Cleaning up after the 1941 wreck on the CN Line.

Loading a rail car with hay at the Helvetica Milk Plant, (or, at least, that's what it looks like) probably round 1910.