Hudson | |
|---|---|
 Warren Street in Hudson | |
| Etymology: FromHenry Hudson | |
| Nickname: The Friendly City | |
 Location of Hudson, New York | |
.svg) Location of New York in the United States | |
| Coordinates:42°15′0″N73°47′23″W / 42.25000°N 73.78972°W /42.25000; -73.78972 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| County | Columbia |
| Founded | Incorporated |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Joseph Ferris (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.33 sq mi (6.03 km2) |
| • Land | 2.16 sq mi (5.59 km2) |
| • Water | 0.17 sq mi (0.45 km2) |
| Elevation | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Highest elevation | 420 ft (130 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,894 |
| • Density | 2,731/sq mi (1,054.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 12534 |
| Area codes | 518 |
| FIPS code | 36-021-35969 |
| FIPS code | 36-35969 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0953386 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Hudson, New York |
| Website | www |
Hudson is acity in and thecounty seat ofColumbia County, New York, United States.[2] At the2020 census, it had a population of 5,894.[3] On the east side of theHudson River, 120 miles (190 km) from theAtlantic Ocean, it was named after the river's explorer,Henry Hudson.
Often called the "Brooklyn ofUpstate New York",[4] Hudson is a tourist destination known for its antique shops and boutiques.[5][6]
The nativeMahican people had occupied this territory for hundreds of years beforeDutch colonists began to settle here in the 17th century,[7] calling it "Claverack Landing" (as it was later known in English). In 1662, some of the Dutch bought this area of land from the Mahican. Later it was part of the Town ofClaverack established by English colonists.
In 1783, after the American Revolution, the area was settled largely by Quakerwhalers and merchants hailing primarily from theNew England islands ofNantucket andMartha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, andProvidence, Rhode Island, led by Thomas and Seth Jenkins. They capitalized on Hudson being at thehead of navigation on theHudson River and developed it as a busy port. Hudson was chartered as a city in 1785. The self-described "Proprietors" laid out a city grid. By 1786, the city had several fine wharves, warehouses, a spermaceti-works and fifteen hundred residents.[8]
In 1794John Alsop, of the New York City shipping and commission agents Alsop & Hicks, relocated to Hudson for a brief time. He continued to maintain a part interest in the New York firm and attracted customers from the Hudson area, including: Thomas Jenkins & Sons, Seth Jenkins, and the Paddock family, among others. After Alsop's death in November 1794, his partner,Isaac Hicks, began to focus more of his efforts toward increasing his sale of whale products-especially oil and spermaceti candles.[9]Hudson grew rapidly as an active port and came within one vote of being named by the state legislature as the capital of New York state. It lost to Albany, an historic center of Dutch and English colonial trade from the 17th century.[10]
Hudson grew rapidly, and by 1790 was the 24th-largest city in the United States, then limited to east of the Allegheny Mountains.[11] In 1820, it had a population of 5,310 and ranked as the fourth-largest city in the state of New York, after New York City, Albany, and Brooklyn.[12]
The renowned case ofPeople v. Croswell began in Hudson whenHarry Croswell published on September 9, 1802, an attack on PresidentThomas Jefferson in the Federalist paperThe Wasp. The state's Democratic-Republican attorney GeneralAmbrose Spencer indicted Croswell for seditious libel. The case eventually wound up withAlexander Hamilton defending Crosswell before the New York Supreme court in Albany in 1804. Crosswell lost, apparently due the influence of anti-Federalist JusticeMorgan Lewis. However, enough state assemblymen had observed the trial that in 1805 they changed the state law on libel.[13]
Construction of theErie Canal in 1824 drew development west in the state, stimulating development of cities related toGreat Lakes trade, such asRochester andBuffalo. The Hudson River continued to be important to commerce, as it carried lumber and other products from the Midwest to New York and downriver markets.
During the 19th century, considerable industry was developed in Hudson, and the city became known as a factory town. It attracted new waves of immigrants and migrants to industrial jobs. Wealthy factory owners and merchants built fine houses in the Victorian period.
Hudson obtained a new charter in 1895. It reached its peak of population in 1930, with 12,337 residents.
In 1935, to celebrate thesesquicentennial of the city, theUnited States Mint issued the Hudson Half Dollar. The coin is one of the rarest ever minted by the United States Government, as only 10,008 coins were struck. On the front of the coin is an image ofHenry Hudson's ship theHalf Moon, and on the reverse is the seal of the city. Local legend has it that coin was minted on direct order of PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt to thank the Hudson City Democratic Committee for being the first to endorse him for state senator and governor.
In the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, Hudson became notorious as a center of vice, especiallygambling andprostitution.[14] The former Diamond Street is today Columbia Street. At the peak of the vice industry, Hudson boasted more than 50 bars. These rackets were mostly broken up in 1951, after surprise raids of Hudsonbrothels byNew York state troopers, under orders from GovernorThomas E. Dewey, netted several local policemen, among other customers.[14]
The first written mention of 'cocktail' as a beverage appeared in The Farmers Cabinet, 1803, in the United States. The first definition of a cocktail as an alcoholic beverage appeared three years later in The Balance and Columbian Repository (Hudson, New York) May 13, 1806.[15] Traditionally, cocktail ingredients included spirits, sugar, water and bitters; however, this definition evolved throughout the 1800s to include the addition of a liqueur.
A land-use conflict began in 1998 when St. Lawrence Cement proposed to build a 1,800-acre (7.3 km2) coal-fired cement manufacturing plant in Hudson andGreenport. Supporters said the project would create jobs and stimulate economic growth. Grassroots opponents, led for 7 years by the local group Friends of Hudson[16], said the proposed project would only shift jobs from one location to another, would violate state environmental regulations and would adversely affect the river, shoreline, and related habitats. The project was withdrawn after New York Secretary of StateRandy Daniels determined the company's plans were inconsistent with New York State's 24 coastal policies.[17] Nearly 14,000 public comments were received by the State's Division of Coastal Resources (87% of them opposed to the project), a record for that agency.[18]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), of which 2.2 square miles (5.6 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 7.38%, is water.[3]
Hudson is located 120 miles (190 km) from New York Harbor, at the head of navigation on the Hudson River, on what originally was a spit of land jutting into the Hudson River between the South Bay and North Bay. Both bays have been largely filled in. Across the Hudson River lies the town ofAthens inGreene County; a ferry connected the two municipalities during much of the 19th century. Between them lies Middle Ground Flats, a formersandbar that grew due to both naturalsilting and also from dumping the spoils ofdredging; today it is inhabited by deer and a few occupants of quasi-legal summer shanties. The Town ofGreenport borders the other three sides of the city.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 2,584 | — | |
| 1800 | 3,664 | 41.8% | |
| 1810 | 4,048 | 10.5% | |
| 1820 | 5,310 | 31.2% | |
| 1830 | 5,392 | 1.5% | |
| 1840 | 5,672 | 5.2% | |
| 1850 | 6,286 | 10.8% | |
| 1860 | 7,187 | 14.3% | |
| 1870 | 8,615 | 19.9% | |
| 1880 | 8,670 | 0.6% | |
| 1890 | 9,970 | 15.0% | |
| 1900 | 9,528 | −4.4% | |
| 1910 | 11,417 | 19.8% | |
| 1920 | 11,745 | 2.9% | |
| 1930 | 12,337 | 5.0% | |
| 1940 | 11,517 | −6.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,629 | 1.0% | |
| 1960 | 11,075 | −4.8% | |
| 1970 | 8,940 | −19.3% | |
| 1980 | 7,986 | −10.7% | |
| 1990 | 8,034 | 0.6% | |
| 2000 | 7,524 | −6.3% | |
| 2010 | 6,713 | −10.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,894 | −12.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] | |||
As of thecensus[20] of 2010, there were 6,713 people, 2,766 households, and 1,368 families residing in the city. The population was estimated at 6,648Hudson (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau in 2013. These numbers include the approximately 360 residents of the local Hudson Correctional Facility.
Population declines since the late 20th century may be attributable[according to whom?] to demographic trends in which retirees, young couples, childless couples, singles, and weekenders have been gradually replacing larger families in the city. They have converted apartment buildings to single-family homes, and the number of unoccupied homes and rate of tax delinquency have declined.[original research?]
The population density was 3,110.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,201.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 59.0% (55.5% Non-Hispanic)White, 25.0%African American, 7.1%Asian, 0.4%Native American, 0.1%Pacific Islander, and 5.2% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 8.2% of the population.
There were 2,766 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.6% weremarried couples living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% were non-families. 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,117, and the median income for a family was $37,400. Males had a median income of $26,274 versus $22,598 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $22,353. About 23.0% of families and 23.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.
After a steep economic decline in the 1960s and '70s, following the loss of jobs due to restructuring in the manufacturing sector, the city has undergone a significant revival. The economy has shifted to one based ontourism, services and related retail.
Attracted by its quality architecture, a group ofantiques dealers opened shops on the city's main thoroughfare, Warren Street, in the mid-1980s. Among these were the Hudson Antiques Center, founded by Alain Pioton, and the English Antiques Center. In the early 21st century, the city has nearly seventy shops now, represented by the Hudson Antiques Dealers Association (HADA). The business revival stimulated tourism and attracted residents, some taking second homes in the city. It has become known for its active arts scene, restaurants, art galleries and nightlife, in addition to the antique shops.[21]
Hudson (2016) has a higher concentration of independent artists than only two other U.S. counties — Kings County, known worldwide as Brooklyn, and Taos County, N.M., according toCaptivate: The Capital Region's Creative Economy, a study released in 2014 by the Regional Alliance for the Creative Economy.[22]
In 2010, Hudson hosted its first LGBTQ pride parade,[23] attended by several hundred people.Lil' Deb's Oasis is a restaurant in the city that hosts queer events and is an LGBTQ gathering space.[24]
Hudson is home to theFiremen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY) Museum of Firefighting, one of the largest fire service-centered museums in the world. It is on the grounds of the FASNY Firemen's home, the first nursing home for firemen in the country.[25]
The Hudson Music Festival was an annual event established in 2011 and was New York's largest free music festival. The fourth annual Hudson Music Festival took place August 8, 9 & 10, 2014 and showcased 100 acts.[26][27][28]
Hudson Hall, an arts venue and organization, is located on Warren Street in the center of the city. It is New York's oldest operating theater.[29]
Time & Space Limited, a not-for-profit arts organization serves the City of Hudson and the Hudson River Valley Region. It shows a wide selection of independent movies.[30]
Olde York Farm is a woman-owned and family-operated distillery sourcing Hudson Valley foraged and farmed ingredients to make seasonal batch spirits.[31]
With hundreds of properties listed or eligible to be listed in the State andNational registers of historic places, Hudson has been called the "finest dictionary of American architecture in New York State".[32][page needed] The vast majority of properties listed within theHudson Historic District are considered to becontributing, attesting to their quality.[32]
These properties include theDr. Oliver Bronson House and Estate andDr. Oliver Bronson House and Stables (both for Dr.Oliver Bronson),Henry A. and Evanlina Dubois House,Cornelius H. Evans House,Front Street-Parade Hill-Lower Warren Street Historic District,Houses at 37–47 North Fifth Street,Hudson Almshouse,Hudson Historic District,Hudson/Athens Lighthouse,Rossman-Prospect Avenue Historic District,United States Post Office,William Henry Ludlow House,Elisha Williams House,Oliver Wiswall House, andVan Salsbergen House.[33]
The city has a mayor-council form of elected government. Since the 1990s, nine mayors have served: William Allen, Dolly Allen, Richard Scalera, Kenneth Cranna, Richard Tracy, William Hallenbeck, Tiffany Martin Hamilton, Rick Rector, and Kamal Johnson. This period has been marked by unusual levels of friction between elected officials and residents, as the demographics and economics of the city have shifted. The Common Council consists of ten members elected from five districts, and a Council President elected citywide, as is the Treasurer.[34]
The City is covered by theHudson City School District. Schools include Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School, Hudson Junior High School, andHudson High School.
Movies filmed in Hudson include:
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Hudson via theHudson station.
Columbia County Public Transportation provides local service and commuter service toAlbany.[38]
Greene County Transit's route 711 connects Hudson toCatskill, across the Hudson River inGreene County.[39]
Hudson Ferry Company provides ferry service across the Hudson River to Athens, also in Greene County.[40]
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Hudson is the town in which authorJen Beagin set her 2023 novelBig Swiss.
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Municipalities and communities ofColumbia County, New York,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
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| Villages | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other hamlets | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
