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Hudson is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located along the Massachusetts state line. The population was 25,394 at the 2020 census. is defined as the Hudson census-designated place (CDP) and is located at the junctions of New Hampshire routes 102, 111 and 3A, directly across the Merrimack River from the city of Nashua.

History

Hudson began as part of the Dunstable Land Grant that encompassed the current city of Nashua, New Hampshire, and the towns of Dunstable and Pepperell, Massachusetts, as well as parts of other nearby towns on both sides of the border. In 1732, all of Dunstable east of the Merrimack River became the town of Nottingham, Massachusetts. Nine years later, the northern boundary of Massachusetts was finally officially established, and the New Hampshire portion of Nottingham became Nottingham West, to avoid confusion with Nottingham, New Hampshire, to the northeast.

In 1830, after the better part of a century, the name was 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 Hills family, who owned a large tract of land north of Hudson Village. Dr. Hills' ancestors were original settlers of Hudson. The Hills House on Derry Road (now listed on the National Register of Historic Places) is the original family's vacation home and current location of the Hudson Historical Society. The grounds host the annual "Old Home Days" fair every year as well as "Harvest Fest" and the "Bronco Belly Bustin' Chili Fiesta", an Alvirne High School Friends of Music fundraiser. Hills Memorial Library (also listed on the National Register) 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 Road from the Hills House, were donated to the town. ("Alvirne" is a contraction of "Alfred" and "Virginia".) A strange rumor that the Hills' only son had died during a football game circled for many years, but Dr. and Mrs. Hills only had two daughters who did not survive infancy, so this was a made-up story. 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 school's 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.

Geography

Hudson is located in southeastern Hillsborough County along the southern edge of New Hampshire, with its southern boundary forming the Massachusetts state line. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 3.35% of the town.

thumb|left|Hudson Town Common with Hills Memorial Library in background

The town of Hudson had two historic centers, though modern development and suburban sprawl have obscured the difference. Hudson Village, roughly equivalent to the Hudson census-designated place, is located at the western edge of town on the Merrimack River near the junctions of Routes 3A, 111, and 102, and was home to most of the original schools, libraries, and town government, though many of these functions have moved to new facilities elsewhere in town. The Town Hall still remains, though the main police station has moved to the eastern edge of town into an industrial park off Route 111. The Hills Memorial Library building remains as a historic landmark, though its collection has been moved to a new building, the Rodgers Memorial Library, located on Route 102 in the northeastern part of town. The historic Kimball Webster School no longer holds classes, but today houses the town superintendent's office, though both the Library Street School and the H.O. Smith School are still active. The Town Common at the intersection of Derry, Ferry, and Library streets is a park that displays large toy soldiers and other decorations at Christmas time.

thumb|right|Revolutionary War monument to Samuel Greeley, for whom Greeley Street is named.

Hudson Center, historically Hudson's other town center, is located at the five-way intersection of Central Street (Route 111), Greeley Street, Kimball Hill Road, and Windham Road near the geographic center of the town. The two most important landmarks of Hudson Center have been lost to history. Benson's Wild Animal Farm, a zoo and 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 acreage of Benson's Wild Animal Farm was purchased by the town and is now a park for passive recreation. 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.

Adjacent municipalities

  • Londonderry (north)
  • Windham (northeast)
  • Pelham (east)
  • Tyngsborough, Massachusetts (south)
  • Nashua (west)
  • Litchfield (northwest)

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hudson has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 24,467 people, 8,900 households, and 6,683 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 9,212 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.0% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.9% some other race, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 8,900 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were headed by married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73, and the average family size was 3.13.

Education

thumb|Alvirne High School

Hudson is the home of School Administrative Unit #81 of New Hampshire.

  • High school (grades 9th–12th):
  • Alvirne High School, which is also home to the Wilbur H. Palmer Vocational-Technical Center, a business-oriented vocational school
  • Middle school (grades 6th–8th):
  • Hudson Memorial School
  • Elementary schools (grades K–5th):
  • Dr. H. O. Smith School (grade 1)
  • Library Street School (kindergarten)
  • Hills-Garrison School (grades 2–5)
  • Nottingham West Elementary School (grades 2–5)
  • Private: Presentation of Mary Academy ("PMA" locally) is a Pre-K–8 coeducational Catholic school located on Lowell Road.

Economy

Hudson serves primarily as a bedroom community for the Greater Boston metropolitan area, of which it is a part. In 2006, for example, there were an estimated 10,945 jobs in the public and private sector in Hudson, while the town's population was 24,729, with a civilian labor force of 14,818. The town's three largest employers are Benchmark Electronics, BAE Systems, and the Hudson School District.

Hills Memorial Library, located in Hudson Village, was one of the oldest public lending libraries in the state before its closing in 2009, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While no longer open to the public, the building remains a prominent landmark in Hudson Village.

Two public golf courses exist in Hudson, the Whip-Poor-Will Golf Club off Route 102 and the Green Meadow Golf Club on Steele Road (off Route 3A/Lowell Road).

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. It hosts races from the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

References

  • New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile