Hudson Tutors

About Hudson

Hudson tutors tell us that prior to 1878, the area now known as Hudson was mainly wetlands and brush, its only inhabitants were native birds and animals and the area remained undisturbed.

Among the first residents was a fifty two year old Isaac Hudson; he and his wife Amanda and their many children on finding the region decided this would be a great place to settle and call home. For the last ten years Hudson had suffered from bronchial problems that had been exacerbated by their previous homes location near un-drained swamps and cypress ponds. Many other residents had suffered the same fate and looked to move to a coastal location to heal with the help of the salt -water air. When Hudson found “Hudson’s Landing” (as he wanted to name it) he wanted to make sure a home was prepared before his families arrival. He built two log houses, one to live in and one for the storage of supplies. A year later Hudson then came back with his family so that they had a place to sleep at the very least when they arrived. They brought lots of food supplies with them that they estimated would be enough to feed the large family until they had farmed their first crop.

Hudson’s next work was to then establish a proper residency next to a large spring. He then focused on setting up a local port in order to be able to ship off their crops to nearby Cedar Key. Hudson was able to expand their land such was their farming success, and he bought more from the State of Florida. He built a cemetery (as sadly one of their daughters passed away,) and a place of worship (the Baptist Church was constructed on the corner of Hudson Ave. and Main Street.) According to Hudson tutors, it was the establishment of a post office that really put the area on the map. He requested the post office to be named “Hudson Landing” but sadly this name was rejected and the shorter version “Hudson” was agreed upon. At the turn of the twentieth century the long awaited railroad was finally completed. It ran from Brooksville to Hudson and was hoped that it would open up “one of the finest belts of timber in the State” according to the Tampa Morning Tribune, May 18, 1902. When the railroad opened the residents of Brooksville were afforded a free return trip to Hudson to try out the new line.

Hudson was suddenly the link to the bay for the inland Brooksville, and the area began to attract more residents. The town experienced substantial growth when the “Fivay Company” thrived in Hudson. The "Fivay Company" cut lumber and shipped it via the new railroad all the way to Tampa. However growth in the area tapered off when the company closed down and alternate sources were used in Tampa to fulfill their need for lumber.