Hudson dates to 1799, and 9 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #293 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Most of Hudson was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. 9 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 219 buildings between them. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1906 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1804.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hudson’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hudson is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #293 of 993 in Ohio. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hudson’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hudson’s 99.8 sits above most of its state (93% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 230 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points). Two sources give 1799.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 →
What stands out about Hudson’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The city is named after its founder, David Hudson, who settled there from Goshen, Connecticut, in 1799, when it was part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The village of Hudson, located in the center of Hudson Township, was incorporated in 1837. In Hudson, David Hudson built the first log house in Summit County, Ohio. There is a marker at the intersection of Baldwin Street and North Main Street (Ohio State Route 91), on the right when traveling east on Baldwin Street. The marker is embedded in the west face of the boulder.
Passages that mention Hudson, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio1881 · page 279Read the page →
Read the text
ilar enterprises were then built, though verj' slowly in comparison with more modern railroad operations, the road not being completed on the Cleveland end as far as Hudson, even, until the latter part of the winter of 1851-52. The road enters Summit County on the east, near the southeast corner of the township of Hudson, and running in a northwesterly' di-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio1881 · page 430Read the page →
Read the text
The political organization of Hudson was very early. The settlement here was, at that time, the largest on the Reserve, and the townships of Stow, Boston, Twinsburg, Aurora and Mantua were attached to it for township purposes. It has been agreed among the original proprietors that the township should be named after its founder, and, in 1802, the Commissioners of
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.
Timeline
Hudson, 1799 to 1991
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1799, according to Wikidata. Hudson’s post office opened in 1804, and the census of 1870 counted 868 people here.
How does Hudson rank for history?
Hudson is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #293 of 993 in Ohio. 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.
What is on the National Register in Hudson?
9 listings: 7 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Hudson Historic District and the Western Reserve Academy, with 219 contributing buildings. 230 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Hudson?
8% of Hudson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1983.
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 Wikimedia Commons (16), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (9), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
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