| Early History of Hudson |
| Before the Revolutionary War, there was a tide of immigration from the east to the region later known as the Northwest Territory. Preceeding the formation of Illinois as a state in 1818, many settlers had come into the southern part of Kentucky and Virginia. From 1830 to 1836 a great wave of immigration came from the east and hundreds of colonies were formed to make settlements in Illinois. On December 25, 1830 McLean County was formed, extending north to include part of Woodford and Livingston counties. The Havens Settlement Jesse Havens, the founder of the Havens Settlement, was born June 23, 1781 in New Jersey. In the fall of 1829, Jesse Havens, Benjamin Wheeler, Jacob Moats, and John Hatfield and their families headed for Illinois in covered wagons. The accounts of fertile land and abundant game had brought the families to Illinois. They stopped briefly at Buckles Grove, but moved on until they reached the fine stand of timber along a stream, just west of the present village of Hudson which became known as Havens Grove. This settlement is shown on the 1874 Plat map of Hudson Township. In Jacksonville, Il. on February 6, 1836, the "Illinois Land Association" was organized by a group of easterners, mostly from New York State. The executive committee of the Association was composed of Horatio N. Pettet, George F. Durkitt and John Gregory. The representatives of the association, in June, 1836 drove from Jacksonville to Havens Grove (2 days journey) to make surveys on the prairie, east of Havens Grove, where the new settlement was to be made. The surveying was done by Elbert Dickason, County Surveyor, assisted by John Magoun and Samuel P. Cox, the two latter being members of the new colony. On the 4th of July of 1836, the lots in the village and the lands were drawn by the colonists, or their representatives. A colony share was purchased for $235 and entitled the owner to 160 acres of prairie land, 20 acres of timberland and four lots in the village. The net profits, if any, were to be divided and schools and churches were to be established for the "mutual benefit of all". A number of colonists purchased two or more shares. In all, about 21 sections of land were entered in the name of Horatio N. Pettet, who was the colony's representative in the purchase of the land from the United States government. He deeded in turn to the owners. A plat of the Village of Hudson made in 1836 by Elbert Dickason for the colony may be found in the Recorders Office in Bloomington. The name of the Village came from the Hudson River in New York - the area where most of the colonists came from. It is thought that there were about 20 colonists in the beginning. Some of the names are Joseph and James Gildersleeve, Jacob Hicks Burtis Sr., Richard Weeks represented by his son Alfred Weeks, Samuel Lewis, John Magoun, Samuel Cox, James Robinson, Oliver March, John Gregory, and Horatio N. Pettet. Some colonists became dissatisfied that sufficient timberland was not available for all and withdrew. At the time that Hudson was platted, Bloomington had been in existence for only a few years and its population was 450. At the time of the colony settlement, there were no roads, no fences, no drainage of sloughs and ponds. The land was covered with tall, prairie grass. The mode of travel was necessarily often by horseback for both men and women. The first house built in the village was that of James T. Gildersleeve who reaches Havens Grove in September of 1836. The house was almost completed in December and was shelter for the Gildersleeve family as well as the family of Jacob Hicks Burtis. The first house is the main part of the old home (now torn down) owned by Gildersleeve relatives including Stevensons and Johanson's. A great deal of credit for carrying through the plans of the colony goes to Horatio N. Pettet who was a nephew of Burtis'. The colony agreement provided for schools and churches. Within two years a school house was erected in the village in the cemetery on the east side of Hudson. Samuel P. Cox, who owned land in Section 11, donated a tract of land on his farm for a school. This was the first schoolhouse outside of the village. Later it was abandoned for the new school house located in Section 15 known as the Union School. The enterprise of the Hudson colony is noteworthy in that members made their settlement on the untried prairies and not in the shelter of groves. References Booklet - "In Commermoration of the One Hundreth Anniversary of the Founding of Hudson, Il" July, 4, 1936 The Hudson Colony by Ruth B. Hamm, 1976 Additional Information available at the Hudson Area Public Library, Hudson, Il. |