Quick History Stops: Hudson, MA, Part 2

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In early November 2024, I took a trip to Hudson, MA, which I had last visited in April. I made a few quick history stops mostly involving the Assabet River Nature Trail, which was created in 1995, along with Assabet River Rail Trail (ARRT). Plenty of public art was installed along the trail, while other fun sights included a caboose and interesting architecture.

A railroad car on a short section of track beside a walking path A wooden informational sign with red lettering detailing the founding of the trail A circle with the letters ARRT in the center. AR is above a railroad track, while RT is below. Around the circle are the words Marlborough, Hudson, Stow, Maynard, Acton
A fish-shaped metal instrument with six tubes attached between mallets. The bear stands between the path and the road The animals stand between the path and the road as the sun sets.

My first stop was the Trashy Fishbone Xylophone installed in 2017 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of OARS. The Organization for the Assabet River was founded in 1986 and changed its focus in 2011 to add Sudbury River and Concord River to its protective efforts. The fish was an interactive musical instrument, allowing walkers to create a simple tune by tapping its colorful metal tubes with attached mallets. Nearby was the bold blue caboose with the ARRT logo emblazoned on the side. The town names of Marlborough, Hudson, Stow, Maynard, and Acton reminded visitors of the five towns through which the trail runs.

The sign employs a retro rainbow design on the side. The bunny stands on two legs like a human and has extra long teeth. The eagle stands majestically on a stump.
Lime Green Bicycle Outline Sculpture Along the inside of the big wheel in front are the words Assabet Valley High School Metal Fabrication A red sign with an H in the circle at the top and a black-and-white photograph of an early 20th century industrial building at the bottom.

After the caboose came a trio of wooden animal statues, including a bear, a bunny, and an eagle. These appeared to be chainsaw carvings, but I could not find any information around the statues on who might have carved them. The next pair of sculptures, two different takes on a bicycle, provided much better information. A lime green modern bicycle-and-rider outline and the penny-farthing bicycle outline were created by students at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in 2013.

A red brick building with two stories and many windows. Above the windows is the sign Hudson Light and Power Dep. Above the door are the dates 1898 - 1932 The building is at the back of a lot behind a pair of buildings made of concrete blocks The setting sun lights up the building
A concrete sidewalk protected by metal railings on either side Describing the brief history of the bridge At the center of the mosaic is a blue circle with green spikes protruding from it. Eight rectangles in the rainbow of colors surround the circle. Six stars and four more rectangles are along the edge

Along the trail were red brick buildings reminding walkers of the town’s industrial history. The original Hudson Light and Power Department building was neatly labeled with its name and the original years of its use: 1898 to 1932. A neat little article in the Community Advocate explained that its predecessor, Hudson Electric Light Company, began in 1885, and the building I saw was built in 1897, ushering in the name change. During the 1950s and 1960s, the company was known for its high electrical output, allowing the town to stay lit when major outages affected the region. The company has been part of New England Power Grid since 1971. A factory building next door at 90 Cherry Street currently holds a bicycle shop, fitting for its location.

Wide shot of a painted wall showing important people in the history of Hudson Details include a portrait of Charles Hudson, the library, the town hall, the riverfront, and a steam train These details include reproduction of a banner from the 100th anniversary, railroad tracks, a young couple walking their dog, the center of town, a rock star shredding a guitar, Dr. William David Coolidge holding machinery, and astronaut Charles Joseph Precout with very wide set eyes

I soon crossed the Assabet River Railroad Bridge, which was constructed in 1928 as part of the Marlborough Branch of the Fitchburg Railroad according to a helpful sign put up by the Hudson Historical Commission, and I took a quick stroll on the nature trail. At the trailhead was a colorful tile mosaic made by Hudson High School students. Just as the sun set, I took a picture of a fun mural painted in 2016 marking the hundred fiftieth anniversary of the town. Highlights of this mural included politician Charles Hudson for whom the town was named, Town Hall, Hudson Public Library, General Electric Research Laboratory director Dr. William David Coolidge, and astronaut Charles Joseph Precout, who does have widely set eyes just as he appears on the mural. This was an engaging and relaxing walk with plenty to do for people of all ages.

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