Walking through Hudson's history

A lot has happened in the idyllic burg of Hudson in the 217 years since its founding. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone more dedicated to the preservation of that story than Gwen Mayer. As the archivist of the Hudson Library and Historical Society for the past 18 years, her enthusiasm for the history of the town shines through in every facet of her work. You can see it in her careful cultivation of the library’s massive collections, the energy with which she delivers the walking tours that bring Hudson’s history to life, and the fact that she’s read every newspaper produced by the town since the first one printed in 1827.

“ I think Hudson is a magical place,” says Mayer. “Hudson is a place where it’s very easy to meet and understand and get to know people, and those connections between people can cause amazing things to happen within our world.”

It’s not difficult to see why Mayer is so enamored with Hudson’s history and the potential its people hold to change the world. After all, the town was a hotbed of abolitionism and the home of John Brown, whose daring exploits were instrumental to the anti-slavery movement. That, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. According to Mayer, there’s so much to learn about Hudson beyond what meets the eye—like the surge of urbanization that occurred when the railroad came in, or that its streets feature dozens of homes that were ordered by catalog and delivered in pieces to do-it-yourself homebuilders.

“ [Visitors] are surprised by the number of Kit Homes in Hudson,” Mayer says. “They don’t think about the fact that we have such a proximity to the Underground Railroad or that we were going through a growth spurt at the same time as the railroad was coming in.”

Mayer and the society offer a wide variety of ways for those interested to explore the history of Hudson and some of its more surprising elements. In addition to the walking tours and the society’s extensive collections, the society also plays host to a number of programs and events aimed at budding historians of all ages. A full list can be found at www.hudsonlibrary.org.

“ We have a Roaring Twenties history adventure camp for young people this summer,” says Mayer, “a very active genealogy group that meets twice a month during the school year, and we have a couple of large digital projects that we’ll be releasing in the fall.”

Though Mayer might deal mainly in what has already passed, in her mind studying the history of Hudson can tell its residents a lot about where their home is now and what is in its future.

“ I believe that history can educate you about why it is your community feels this way or that way.” She says. “I feel that history really is the map for the future.”