Recently I got my hands on a map of Hudson from 1955. The Citywide survey and guide was a joint effort of the industrial committee of the Kiwanis club, Hudson booster club, and the Jaycees.  At that time the City population was estimated at 3,000 and growing.

Looking at the map at first is a bit disorientating, due to the amount of change that has occurred in our community over the past 50 plus years. The locations of the schools, hospital, small businesses, and local industry are totally changed.  Manufacturing facilities totaled 14 plants within the city, producing $17,000,000 worth of products annually.  The city boundaries would change over the next 30 years, as the city annexed land for growth and development.  In the 1970’s land was annexed to build the Sunrise meadows subdivision; land where the former Rowley Lumber yard was located now where Hager Industries is today, would be annexed in late 1979 from Hudson Township.  In the 1980’s a large 100 plus acre farm was acquired by the city to develop the city industrial park as a suitable location for new industries and manufacturing sites.

The high school was located on the block of Washington, and Pleasant Streets, houses are located their now.  Lincoln grade school was located at Hill and Wood, near Main Street.  A church is now located on that site.  The first Thorn Hospital was located on Grove Street, which today is used as a multi-unit apartment building.  In the 1960’s Thorn Hospital would build a new hospital building and move to Cross Street.  A portion of Webster Park appears to be the site of what was the historic old cemetery, prior to the cemetery being relocated to N. Maple Grove.

While the buildings along Main Street, have maintained their historic appearance, the businesses within are almost entirely different.  Downtown in the 50’s included several, drug stores, bars, retail clothing, and goods stores.  Businesses such as Coscarelli’s located at 306 W. Main had a restaurant on the main floor, an apartment on the second floor, and a large open area on the third floor, used for dances, catered meals, and card games.

This building was recently acquired through tax sales by the Downtown Development Authority and is in the process of being renovated.  Another Main Street location was the home of H.C. Blanks, Jeweler “at the sign of the Big Clock”, which houses the Pro-Shop today.  This is an especially interesting building, since it contains the inner workings of the large clock on Main Street.  In the basement of the building at 309 W. Main are the original clock works for the clock, and it is maintained and wound weekly by the City DPW staff.  Klee Pharmacy was located at 301 W. Main Street, which will shortly house a co-assignment shop, and Decker and Sons Agency, with the slogan “representing 19 leading stock insurance companies” was located at 121 S. Market.  The Hudson Hotel was situated at Railroad and Church street, now the location of City Hall, a former brick Fire Station and Council meeting hall was located across the street in the City parking lot area, next to the former Sleutelberg family home at 120 N. Church street.

Another map of the downtown area from the 1970’s showed the transition from retail to service orientated businesses along Main Street.  During this time period, the Hudson Post-Gazette was located at 315 W. Main Street, where Bill’s Barber shop is today.

Yet when looking at these maps, one is struck by how many of the names and locations of businesses have changed.  So the next time, we hear things never change around here, we can be reminded by what the Hudson area look like in the 1950’s and the 1970’s .

What about Hillcrest 8-3111, well for you newcomers, that was the former telephone exchange for Hudson, and 8-3111 was the number for Onweller’s Rexall Drug store located in the 200 block of Main Street, which eventually became a Hallmark store, and is now an antique store.  Mr. Onweller’s store served as a kind of satellite City Hall, since he served many years as the Mayor of Hudson.

Thrillers Book Club

A book club for adults interested in reading mysteries and other fiction will begin on Thursday, November 15th, 7-8:30 p.m. at Lydia’s Book’s Store, located at 114 North Market.  The meeting will start immediately following the chamber Christmas parade.  The store has a wonderful reading area, which makes for a very comfortable meeting space.  The book club will meet on the third Thursday of each month.

At the first meeting on October 18th.  thirty one people attended, to hear Miriam Winter read from her book, titled, Trains-A hidden Childhood.  The Author responded to questions about her experience as a child or 8 years old, in war time Poland.

Club meeting dates and book selections for the remainder of 2007 are as follows:

• November 15th. :  A Perfect Evil, Alex Kava

• December 20th:   Hard Row, Margaret Maron

The Hudson Public Library will have each of these books available for check out.  In addition, Books will be available for purchase at Lydia’s Books; their number is 781-6021.  The Book club is a community activity, and there is no cost to participate.  Do join us.

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