Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 28% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Hudson was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: the census since 1830.
Hudson dates its founding to 1800 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1830.
More historic than 28% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hudson is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
Maine towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Maine town has 15.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hudson’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (10% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hudson’s history is told.
Lost half of its people between 1860 and 1930, then grew 3-fold.
20 censuses, 1830–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hudson’s Wikipedia page.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
From Wikipedia’s history of Hudson.
Hudson was first settled about 1800. In 1824, it became a plantation and was named "Jackson", probably after Andrew Jackson. In 1825, however, it was incorporated as the town of "Kirkland". The name was changed to "Hudson" in 1854 after Hudson, Massachusetts. However Hudson, Massachusetts was not incorporated as such until 1866.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Hudson, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Hudson is an even township of thirty-six square miles, | conveniently situated six miles north of Bangor, by the east line of Glenburn, seven and one-half miles from the Penobscot River, and but three and a half miles at the northeast corner from the Bangor & Piscataquis Railroad. Its neighbor on the north is Bradford, which alone separates it from Orneville, Piscataquis county; on the east are Alton and a short breadth of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Hudson is an even township of thirty-six square miles, conveniently situated six miles north .of Bangorj by the cast line of (llenburn, seven and one-half miles from the Penobscot River, and but three and a half miles at the northeast corner from the Bangor & Piscataquis Railroad. Its neighbor on the north is Bradford, which alone separates it from Orneville, Piscataquis county; on the east are Alton and a short breadth of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Drummond, he defended Henry Hudson, a lawyer of Guilford, and Charles Foss, then Sheriff of Piscataquis county, in the United States District Court, on a charge of resisting a United States Deputy Marshal, a sort of "treason." Foss was acquitted. Hudson was convicted, unjustly in the opinion of Mr. Crosby. He has defended successfully two cases of indictments charging an assault, one with a pitchfork, one with a loaded pistol
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Drummond, he defended Henry Hudson, a lawyer of Guilford, and Charles Foss, then Sheriff of Piscataquis county, in the United States District Court, on a charge of resisting a United States Deputy Marshal, a sort of "treason." Foss was acquitted. Hudson was convicted, unjustly in the opinion of Mr. Crosby. He has defended successfully two cases of indictments charging an assault, one with a pitchfork, one with a loaded pistol
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Hudson itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Hudson’s post office has been open since 1855.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1800, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hudson’s post office opened in 1855, and the census of 1830 counted 249 people here.
Hudson is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
1% of Hudson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1987.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.