Hudson, Ohio

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Hudson, Ohio

View of Hudson from Veteran's Way bridge

Seal

Location in Ohio

Coordinates: 41°14′36″, 81°26′20″

Settled

Village incorporation

1837

City

1994

Government

- Type

Council-Manager

- Mayor

William A. Currin

- City Manager

Anthony J. Bales

Area

- City

25 sq mi (67.0 km²)

- Land

25.6 sq mi (66.3 km²)

- Water

0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)

Population (2005)

- City

23,084

estimate

Time zone

EST (UTC-5)

Zip code

44236

Area code(s)

330, 234

Website: http://www.hudson.oh.us

Location within Summit County, Ohio

North Main Street, with the landmark clock tower visible to the right.

North Main Street.

The chapel of Western Reserve Academy

Hudson High School

The "First and Main" shopping district.

The Hudson Acme, after hours.

Christ Church Episcopal, in downtown Hudson.

Hudson Springs Park

Hudson is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 22,439 at the 2000 census, making it the 389th largest city in the midwest. This number rose to 23,084 at the 2005 census estimates ^[1]. It is an extremely affluent exurban community and is part of the Akron, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Consequently, it is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area. A resident of Hudson is known as a "Hudsonite".

[edit] Geography

Hudson is located at 41°14′36″N, 81°26′20″W (41.243356, -81.438982)^GR1. According to the Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 67.0 km² (25.9 mi²). 66.3 km² (25.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (1.04%) is water.

[edit] Neighbors

Hudson's neighbors are, starting at the northern corporate boundary and proceeding clockwise:

Northfield Center Township (meets at Hudson's northwest corner)
Macedonia (western quarter of Hudson's northern boundary)
Twinsburg Township (remainder of Hudson's northern boundary)
Aurora (meets at northeast corner)
Streetsboro (entire eastern boundary)
Franklin Township (meets at southeast corner)
Stow (entire southern boundary)
Cuyahoga Falls (meets at southwest corner)
Boston Township (southern third of Hudson's western boundary)
Boston Heights (remainder of western boundary)

[edit] Watersheds

Hudson's surface water flows into five major watersheds. The three most prominent are Brandywine Creek, Mud Brook, and Tinkers Creek. A small part of the western edge of town drains into the Cuyahoga River, and the southeastern corner of the city drains into Fish Creek. ^[2]

[edit] ZIP Codes

Hudson is covered by United States Postal Service ZIP code 44236. According to the Postal Service, 44237 is allocated to the Allstate Insurance Company as a Unique Zip Code ^[3]. While not listed in the USPS's online Zip Code search, 44238 is also a Unique Zip Code given to the Mid-Continent Telephone Co ^[4].

[edit] Communication

Hudson lies within the 330/234 area code overlay. Until 1996, Area Code 216 also included Hudson. The following telephone exchanges are used within the 44236 ZIP code: 650, 653, 655, 656, 342, 528, and 463. ^[5]

Cable television in Hudson is provided by Time Warner Cable. Hudson was formerly part of the Adelphia Western Reserve system.

[edit] Transportation

Ohio's State Route 303, State Route 91, and State Route 8 pass through Hudson. Interstate 480 cuts through the extreme northeast corner of the city, and Interstate 80, the Ohio Turnpike, bisects the city from west to east.

Hudson, unlike many surrounding communities, has retained two-lane roadways in much of its downtown. This has helped preserve the open spaces, historical buildings, and trees that the city values. However, the traffic congestion is considered a problem by many. Recent and future connector streets aim to reduce these problems. Another inconvenience to Hudsonites is the busy railroad passing through town. Two at-grade crossings, one on Hines Hill Road and the other on Stow Road, can lead to backups. The presence of the railroad, as well as the Turnpike, have limited new road construction due to the expense of crossing them.

[edit] History

Hudson, Ohio is known for its historical value. Hudson's past included important people and events that shaped the surrounding region. The preservation and research of this history is important to many of its residents.

The city is named after its founder, David Hudson, who settled here from Goshen, Connecticut in 1799.

The Underground Railroad passed through Hudson, which was also John Brown's childhood home.

James Ellsworth and his wealth helped modernize Hudson in the early twentieth century. His son, Lincoln Ellsworth, was a polar explorer, and also the only Hudsonite ever featured on a U.S. postage stamp.

Dante Lavelli, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, played for Hudson High School's football team.

On November 28, 1973, a large area of the village, "roughly bounded by College, Streetsboro, S. Main, and Baldwin" streets, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Hudson Historic District. The historic district was expanded on October 10, 1989 to also include the area "roughly bounded by Hudson St., Old Orchard Dr., Aurora St., Oviatt St., Streetsboro St., and College St. to Aurora (street)". In addition to the Hudson Historic District, there are several additional properties in Hudson listed on the Register. ^[6]

In July 2003, heavy, constant rains led to minor to severe floods in Hudson. Two Hudsonites died in this 100-year flood event.

[edit] Education

The Hudson City School District is one of the top-rated districts in the state and country. The largest school in the district is Hudson High School.

There are also many private schools in the area. Hudson was the original home of what is now Case Western Reserve University and remains home to the Western Reserve Academy, a co-ed prep school of good reputation. Western Reserve Academy is also home to Encore School for Strings, the summer session of the Cleveland Institute of Music.

[edit] Government

From 1837 to 1994, the area that is now the City of Hudson was in two parts, the Village of Hudson and Hudson Township. In 1994, voters approved a merger uniting the city.

[edit] Council, Mayor, and City Manager

Today, the city is governed by a seven-member city council. There are four council representatives representing the four wards in Hudson, and three representatives at-large. ^[7] Hudson has a council-manager government. At present, the city manager is Anthony J. Bales. The current mayor is William A. Currin.

[edit] Hudson Cable Television

In 1996, Hudson Cable Television, a Public-access television cable network, debuted. Station facilities are located in Hudson High School. The network serves Hudson residents by providing equipment, facilities, and technical support for public access programming. Hudson Cable TV, or HCTV, also produces original programming of its own. Government meetings, such as those of the Council of the City of Hudson and the Hudson Board of Education, are recorded and broadcast to cable TV subscribers within the Hudson area. Hudson High School sport events, community music performances, and lectures are often recorded by Hudson Cable Television or public-access users.

[edit] Business

[edit] Commercial and industrial

Hudson was once home to General Motors Euclid Division, Terex. Today, the headquarters of Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. are located in the former Terex plant.

Other notable businesses located in Hudson:

Newell Rubbermaid's brand Little Tikes. On September 11, 2006, it was announced that the brand will be sold to MGA Entertainment ^[8].
The Flood Company ^[9]
Allstate Insurance
Windstream Communications, Inc. (previously Alltel, Western Reserve Telephone Company, Mid-Continent Telephone Company)

[edit] Retail

Most of Hudson's retail outlets are located in concentrated areas. Most notable are the two downtown blocks of historic buildings located on North Main Street. The original center of business in Hudson, the stores and offices located "downtown" still stand today in continued commercial use.

In 1962, the first part of the Hudson Plaza shopping center opened on West Streetsboro Street. It has always been anchored by the Acme grocery store, which moved there from its former location on North Main Street. A unique McDonald's restaurant, built to look like a farmhouse, opened in 1985. The building's design was one of many that McDonald's submitted to appease Hudson's Architectural and Historic Board of Review. Expansions of the plaza continued through the 1990s. The original building, housing Acme, was extensively renovated in 2000.

Most of the remaining retail is located along Darrow Road, about one mile south of the center of town. These are additional small retail plazas and freestanding buildings.

2004 marked the opening of First & Main, a mixed-use development just west of North Main Street. The Hudson LIbrary & Historical Society relocated here in 2005.

[edit] Culture and Religion

In 1984, Hudson and Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria, Germany, became sister cities. ^[10]

There are many churches and other places of worship in Hudson.

The First Congregational Church of Hudson web
St. Mary Catholic Church web
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church web
Hudson United Methodist Church web
Evangelical Covenant Church of Hudson web
Christ Church Episcopal web
Holy Trinity Anglican Church web
Church of Christ, Scientist
Hope Community Church
Rejoice! Lutheran Church web
Western Reserve Christian Church
Hudson Community Chapel web
Grace Presbyterian Church
Hudson Presbyterian Church
Western Reserve Community Church web

Synagogue:

Temple Beth Shalom web

[edit] Parks and Recreation

The Hudson Park Board oversees more than one thousand acres of parkland in the city ^[11]. The most prominent property is Hudson Springs Park. Cascade Park, Barlow Farm Park, and Colony Park are large neighborhood parks used for sports and general family recreation. Other properties, such as Doc's Woods, MacLaren Woods, Trumbull Woods, and Bicentennial Woods, are kept as forested nature preserves. The first Hudson Park, Wildlife Woods, is actually located west of the city in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 22,439 people, 7,357 households, and 6,349 families residing in the city. The population density was 338.6/km² (876.9/mi²). There were 7,636 housing units at an average density of 115.2/km² (298.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.65% White, 1.48% African American, 0.09% Native American, 2.82% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.

There were 7,357 households out of which 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.7% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.7% were non-families. 12.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city, the population was spread out with 33.5% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

The community is quite affluent, with a median income for a household in the city of $99,156, and a median income for a family of $107,612. Males had a median income of $87,169 versus $38,226 for females. The per capita income for the city was $40,915. About 1.3% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Historical Census population figures

Number of Township and Village residents:

1950: 2,877
1960: 4,977
1970: 8,395
1980: 12,643
1990: 17,128 ^[12]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ http://factfinder.census.gov/ United States Census Bureau: American FactFinder. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
^ http://www.hudson.oh.us/departments/ISGIS/maps/MajorWatersheds_11x17.pdf City of Hudson Major Watersheds. City of Hudson, Department of Public Works, GIS Division. retrieved July 9, 2006.
^ http://www.usps.com United States Postal Service
^ http://www.placesnamed.com/4/4/44238.asp
^ http://www.telcodata.us/telcodata/coinfo?clli=HDSNOHXA Telcodata. US Central Office Information, retrieved July 9, 2006.
^ http://www.nr.nps.gov/ National Register Information System. retrieved July 9, 2006.
^ http://www.hudson.oh.us/government/council/index.asp Council of the City of Hudson.
^ http://www.mgae.com/press_releases/press_releases.asp MGA Entertainment press release. retrieved September 12, 2006.
^ http://www.flood.com/Flood/DIY/AboutFlood/CompanyHistory.htm Flood Company History. retrieved July 9, 2006.
^ http://www.hudson.oh.us/profile/sistercity.asp City of Hudson: Sister City. retrireved July 9, 2006.
^ http://www.hudson.oh.us/elements/parks%20brochure.pdf Hudson Parks brochure. retrieved July 9, 2006.
^ Caccamo, James F. The Story of Hudson Ohio. Hudson, Ohio: The Friends of the Hudson Library, Inc. 1995. p. 43

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