I had never been to the Lenawee County town of Hudson until recently. Located about ten miles away from the Michigan/Ohio border, Hudson is only a little over two square miles in size.

The town was originally called ‘Lanesville’ and the first post office in the area began operating in 1836. Not long afterward, the town’s name was changed to ‘Hudson’, after a local landowner and the town’s doctor, Daniel Hudson.

Of all things to see and do in Hudson, one of the historic sites is the Maple Grove Cemetery. Set in a Victorian-like setting, the cemetery originated as a thing of necessity after the previous graveyard filled to capacity. The old cemetery was on the land where Webster’s Park currently inhabits.

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Anybody famous come from Hudson? Yep - that would be Will Carleton, born just outside of Hudson in 1845, he attended Hudson schools and Hillsdale College. Will was a poet and became a nationally-known writer by the 1870s. The subjects of the majority of his poems weren’t about love – he enjoyed writing about farm life and the contrast to city life. Carleton - named Michigan’s “Poet Laureate” - passed away in 1912 and has a monument just a little ways out of the Hudson city limits. The charter school in Hillsdale was named after him: Will Carleton Academy.

When you visit Hudson, check out the Thompson Home Museum and Gardens. The museum was originally the 1890 home of Civil War vet and former Detroit mayor (1880-1883) William Thompson.

Hudson’s motto: "Small Town Big Heart” which you will discover – like I did – when you pay a visit...

Vintage Photos of Hudson, Michigan

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