Hudson
George H. Rogers filed on a homestead in the vicinity of
present-day Hudson, more than 100 years ago, but George didn't live to
see the town that would spring up from his farm fields. George's wife,
Emma (Hudson) Rogers, "proved up" on the land in 1890, following his
death.
On December 30, 1905, Emma and her brother, Daniel Hudson, released
their homestead rights. The mineral rights were purchased by J. C.
Hickey, a trustee for the Wyoming and Western Railroad. In the same
year, the attorney for J.C. Hickey filed on 67 mineral and oil leases
throughout the Hudson valley.
On March 8, 1909, Hudson was incorporated, a "company" town. Wagon
mines were in operation before the railroad was built, but the birth of
Hudson was primarily due to the building of the railroad into the area
in 1907 and 1908. During those years, the Poposia Mines, number One and
Two, were put into production. The railroad operated for both mines,
running three shifts a day until the 1920s. The high demand for coal
during World War I kept the mines in business and running strong.
At the peak, the population of Hudson reached approximately 1,500.
Historians have said mining camp populations in the area approached
another 10,000 people. Irish, Scotch, Italian, Yugoslavs, French and
Welsh immigrants found work in the mines.
In the boom years, Hudson boasted many businesses including a
bakery which supplied bread to Riverton and Lander, a hotel, pharmacy,
Chamber of Commerce, two banks, a restaurant, two general stores, a
lumber yard, butcher shop, jewelry store, millinery shop, a motion
picture house which was called the "Opera House", a cement block
factory, brick yard and kiln, a doctor, its own newspaper, a 15-piece
band, railroad depot and stockyards. The stockyards at Hudson were a
major cattle shipping point for all of Fremont County.
Hudson was once said to have had more houses of ill-repute per
capita than any other town in the State of Wyoming. Some even remained
until the 1950s.
With the evolution of diesel engines and natural gas production, a
sharp drop in the demand for coal let to the decline in the production
at the mines and consequently a sharp decline in the population of the
town.
In 1941, the last mine closed down in Hudson. Many tried in vain to
keep the mines going as long as possible. The Poposia Mines were the
first to close down, while the smaller wagon mines slowly closed one by
one.
Hudson remains a viable community and the town has quite possibly
two of the most famous restaurants in the state. Today, the town is a
quiet little burg between Riverton and Lander, yet it maintains some of
its charm from the days of the mines.
Hudson City Hall
333 S. Main Street
Hudson, WY 82515
307-332-3605