Hudson, New Hampshire
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| Hudson, New Hampshire | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | New Hampshire | ||
| County | Hillsborough | ||
| Incorporated | 1673 | ||
| Annexed | 1731 | ||
| Incorporated | 1746 (renamed in 1830) | ||
| Government | |||
| - Board of Selectmen | Richard Maddox, Chairman Shawn N. Jasper Kenneth Massey Kathleen MacLean Benjamin J. Nadeau |
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| Area | |||
| - Town | 29.12 sq mi (75.3 km²) | ||
| - Land | 28.3 sq mi (73.2 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 148 ft (45 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Town | 22,985 | ||
| - Density | 811.2/sq mi (313.1/km²) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: www.ci.Hudson.nh.us | |||
Hudson is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 22,928 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] History
Hudson began as part of the Dunstable Land Grant that encompassed the current city of Nashua, New Hampshire, as well as Dunstable and Pepperell, Massachusetts. When New Hampshire became its own colony, the New Hampshire portion became Dunstable, New Hampshire. This section was eventually subdivided into 3 towns: Nashville (west of the Merrimack River and north of the Nashua river), Nashua (west of the Merrimack River and south of the Nashua river) and Nottingham (east of the Merrimack River). Nashville and Nashua would later merge to form the city of Nashua.
Several years after adopting the name Nottingham, it was discovered that there was already a town named Nottingham further east. As a compromise, the town renamed itself "Nottingham West", a name it would keep for the better part of a century. The name was eventually changed to "Hudson" to avoid confusion with the older town of Nottingham. The name apparently comes from an early belief that the Merrimack River had once been thought to be a tributary of the Hudson River, or that the area had once been explored by Henry Hudson; both proved to be entirely apocryphal stories, but the name of the town remains today.
A prominent family in Hudson history was the Alfred and Virginia Hill family, who owned a large tract of land north of Hudson Village. The Hill House on Derry Street is their original family home and current location of the Town Historical Society. The grounds host the annual "Old Home Days" fair every year. Hills Memorial Library is one of the oldest public lending libraries in the state, and occupies a stone and mortar building on Library Street. Alvirne High School and the Alvirne Chapel, located on family land across Derry Street from the Hill House, were donated to the town. (Alvirne is a contraction of Alfred and Virginia). The Hills' only son had died during a football game; out of respect, Alvirne High went many decades without a football team, despite being one of the largest high schools in the state. It was assumed that such a stipulation had been put as a condition of the high ss charter. When it was learned that no such condition had ever been recorded, financial pressures encouraged the formation of a football team. In fall of 1994, Alvirne High School fielded its first JV football team, with varsity play beginning in 1996. Alvirne High is home to one of the largest agricultural-vocational programs in the area, the Wilbur H. Palmer Agricultural and Vocational School. This school features several student-run businesses including a bank, restaurant, store, day care, dairy farm, and forestry program.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 75.3 km² (29.1 mi²). 73.2 km² (28.3 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water, comprising 2.82% of the town. The highest point in Hudson is Bush Hill (515 feet / 157 meters above sea level), near the town's eastern border.
The Town of Hudson had two historic town centers, though modern development and suburban sprawl have obscured the difference. Hudson Village is located on the Merrimack River near the junctions of Routes 3A, 111, and 102, and is home to most of the original schools, libraries, and town government. The Town Hall, the Hills Memorial Library, and the Kimball Webster School (which today houses the superintendent's office) are all located in Hudson Village. The Town Common at the intersection of Derry, Ferry, and Library streets is a lovely little park that displays large toy soldiers and other decorations at Christmas time.
Hudson Center, historically Hudson's other town center, is located at the 5-way intersection of Central Street (Route 111), Greeley Street, Kimball Hill Road, and Windham Road. The two most important landmarks of Hudson Center have been lost to history. Benson's Wild Animal Farm, a zoo & amusement park, was closed in the late 1980s due to mounting financial losses. At one time there was a railway that passed through the Center, taking passengers all the way from the Boston area to Benson's. A rail depot stand remained on nearby Greeley Street through the 1970s. The other landmark, Thompson's Market, closed in 2002 when Mr. Thompson decided to sell his store and retire to Florida. The structure still remains, but it was remodeled and reopened as a 7-Eleven convenience store. The original Thompson's Market is nearby also, a small building on Kimball Hill Road now home to a popular sandwich shop. Greeley Field, a popular park located in Hudson Center, contains a playground, little league baseball diamond, and basketball courts, where pick-up games still occur frequently. A Revolutionary War era cemetery and an old school house (now housing) on Kimball Hill Road are located nearby.
Two small recreational lakes exist within the town borders. Robinson (or Robinson's) Pond in the northern part of the town features a public access beach and boat ramp that can be accessed via Robinson Road. Otternic Pond (locally called "Tonic Pond"), located between Hudson Center and Hudson Village, has a public boat landing (Claveau Landing) that can be accessed off Highland street. Both ponds are often used for fishing during the summer and skating and ice hockey during the winter. Musquash Pond (or Swamp), located in the southern part of the town, is a wild bird sanctuary and is utilized as a breeding ground by several threatened and endangered species of birds. In the early 1900s hunters would travel by horse from as far as Derry to camp and stalk game in the renowned swamp.
Two golf courses exist in Hudson, the private Whip-Poor-Will country club off Derry Street and the public Green Meadows golf course on Steele Road (off of RT-3A/Lowell Road). The Green Meadows course has been partially closed and is under development as a mixed-use residential and commercial area.
A 1/4 mile paved racetrack, The Hudson Speedway, lies near the northern edge of town by the intersection of Old Derry Road and Robinson Road. It can be accessed off Route 102.
[edit] Demographics
This article describes the town of Hudson as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Hudson (CDP), New Hampshire.
As of the census² of 2000, there were 22,928 people, 8,034 households, and 6,258 families residing in the town. The population density was 313.1/km² (811.2/mi²). There were 8,165 housing units at an average density of 111.5/km² (288.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.35% White, 0.84% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
There were 8,034 households out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $64,169, and the median income for a family was $71,313. Males had a median income of $46,198 versus $31,315 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,696. About 1.2% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Hudson is the home of School Administrative Unit #81 [1] of New Hampshire.
- High School (grades 9th-12th): Alvirne High School [2], which is home to the Wilbur H. Palmer Vocational-Technical Center, a business-oriented vocational school.
- Middle school (grades 6th-8th): Hudson Memorial School [3] on Central Street.
- Elementary schools (grades 1st-5th):
- Public kindergarten: None. New Hampshire is the only state that does not require public kindergarten in all school districts. Although a former governor spearheaded significant financial incentives for towns to startup public kindergarten, Hudson residents repeatedly voted down ballot initiatives to fund it. Hudson remains one of only 15 school districts in NH (and the country) to not offer public kindergarten. This may change, as the State's Board of Education proposed new standards that require all school districts to offer public kindergarten by 2007.
- Private: The Presentation of Mary Academy ("PMA" locally) is a K-8 private coeducational Catholic school located on Lowell Road.
[edit] External links
- Hudson, NH Official Website
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
- Nashua Regional Planning Commission
