Taken
from the Reflector, July 29, 1969. Mrs. Frank (Ada) Strock and Mrs.
Charles Libey contributed the history and Mrs. Wayne (Mildred) Champion wrote
the story, per The Reflector.
Of some 22
cities and towns of the same name throughout the United States we this week
salute one well-known to Steuben County residents. Hudson, Indiana,
having reached it's one hundredth anniversary, will observe it's centennial
Thursday, July 31, through Saturday, August 2.
Hudson's
birth-pains started in a spot designated as Millersburg. The very first
business interest in this place Was a saw mill erected in 1855 by Joseph and
John Miller. The big "muley" saw was said "to go up one
day and down the next. Later the mill was owned by John Ritter. About 1865 a small store was started near the
mill by Michael Miller who later sold it to Ira Allerton. He enlarged tie stock
of goods and in 1867 sold to Keller and son.
The original
platting took place on August 14, 1869 by Elizabeth Clark, Peter Miller, Samuel
Clark, Ephraim Davis, Delila Clark, Philip Meese and others. It was named
North Benton by Elizabeth Clark, the grandmother of Mrs. (Carl) Gail Pike Hardy
of Hudson. This group caused this ground to be laid out in nine one-half
acre lots on the southwest quarter, Section 31, in Steuben Township. These lots
were platted and placed on record. Ira Allerton erected the first house
on the plat which he sold to a man named Davis, who opened a small store in
part of the house. At about the same time Mr. Keller erected a building
on a lot purchased from Mrs. Clark and opened a store. Mrs. Clark lived
on the east side of Main Street in what was known for years as the Bohner
property. Kellers lived in the house now owned by Mrs. Ford Libey. Fullerton, Ferguson, and Ropp made additions
to the original plat. These were all on Section 31, Township 36, Range
13. The land on which nearly all business houses of the town were built
was in Brugh's addition, Salem Township. The line between Salem and Steuben
Townships is the main street of Hudson.
Joseph Zonker owned 125 acres on the northwest section and he sold five
acres adjoining the town for lots. He settled here in 1851 and the fine
home they built is still standing, and is evidence of their ability to overcome
difficulties. Besides being a farmer, Mr. Zonker was capable of making
almost anything that was constructed of wood and his ingenuity is shown in the
planning of the house and other buildings on his Land. The house is of
brick construction and is still in excellent condition. It is now the
Kistler Funeral Home, with their living quarters on the second floor.
This dwelling was built in 1875.
An incentive
for the purchase of lots was the progress of work on the proposed Chicago and
Canada Southern Railroad in the spring of 1873. Leander Brugh engaged the
County Surveyor to survey into village lots twenty-two acres of the southeast
quarter of section 36. The only buildings on the plat at the time of the
survey were the one story dwelling and barn of Mr. Brugh. The brick home
now owned by Dawson Fifer was built by Mr. Brugh in 1878. The railroad
was never more than surveyed and a road bed built. This ran east and west
on the south edge of the ground platted for William Getz purchased a lot and
erected a two story building south of the present Frank Leas home. Ira
Allerton opened the first store in this building in the early fall of
1873. The second story served as living quarters for Win. Hibbard and his
sister. Mr. Hibbard was a harness maker. North of the store was a
building used for school purposes. This burned in 1873 or '74. North of
the school was a store owned and operated by John Henry who came from
Auburn. Two Johnson families lived southwest of these building and the
saw mill was near their homes, The roller mill was located just north of where
the Wabash Railroad now runs. The residences of Fullerton, Ferguson and
Henning were north of the mill; these houses have been remodeled and are still
standing. Four places of business were built between the Henning property and
the Street running east and west. The corner building remains and is
owned by Don Noll. A lot west of the
Brugh home was sold to J. S. Moore of Auburn, and he immediately began the
erection of a hotel. This was completed and occupied in 1874. It
was known as Benton House. Dr. Morrison took possession of it in
1881. There were various other occupants through the years and it is now
a two-apartment house owned by Vern Shively.
The first hotel opened on the Steuben side was operated by Ambrose
Johnson. It is now the home of Mrs. Claude Kochert. At about this
time residences were built by D. Baker, Ephraim Davis, Ira Allerton, Daniel
Dole and a few others. Nelson H. Way,
the first wagon maker to locate here, erected a shop on lot number two. A
blacksmith and a cabinetmaker soon established places of business.
A town called
Benton was located several miles west of this place and this caused
considerable confusion with the mail. No one living can recall who suggested
the name Hudson or why!
The first mail
was brought twice a week from Waterloo. It was also hauled by dray from
Summit at one time by George McDougal. Ira Allerton was made Postmaster
on December 10, 1868. On January 15, 1875, David Ferrier was made
Postmaster of the town under the new name, Hudson. The Post Office was
located just north of the stores. About 1890 H. G. Garmire erected a fine
new building for a Post Office and Harness Shop with ample living quarters
above. It is now used for a wreath factory by Chas. Rowe. The
Postmasters following Ferrier were H. K. Leas, Frank Zimmerman, John Wagner,
Joseph Ketchum, John Wagner, and H. G. Garmire. Then came Samuel Harpham
and Lena (Ritter) Weldy who were located in the Maude Orr building at the south
end of main street on the east side. When Jennings Luttman became
postmaster, January 1, 1946, the office was moved to the Norman building near
the center of town. In 1957 it was moved to the present location.
Lawrence Chorpenning is now Acting Postmaster since November 1, 1967. A rural delivery was started in 1900. Bert
Libey was the first rural carrier, followed by Elmer Clark, George Reinoehl,
Warren Sprankel, Russell Collins, and Robert Shire, the present carrier.
In the summer
of 1866, Alexander Fullerton came here from Fostoria, Ohio, and brought with
him the entire machinery for a grist mill. It became known as the Hudson
Roller Mill and was owned and operated by Mr. Fullerton and his son-in-law,
Samuel Ferguson. Ananias Ropp and Ira Allerton owned Mr. Ferguson's
interest in the mill for a short period of time, and Mr. Fullerton's interest
changed hands a few times, but after August, 1884 it remained as the firm of
Fullerton and Ferguson for years. In the fall of 1884, very important
additions were made to the plant to make it a first class flouring mill, giving
it a capacity of sixty barrels of flour a day. A corn sheller was added with a
capacity of one thousand bushels a day. It was not excelled in quality of
work by any mill in Northern Indiana.