David Hudson (pioneer)

David Hudson
Portrait of Hudson by J. O. Osborne (c. 1851)
Born	(1761-02-17)February 17, 1761 Branford, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	March 17, 1836(1836-03-17) (aged 75) Hudson, Ohio, U.S.
Known for	Founding Hudson, Ohio

David Hudson (February 17, 1761 – March 17, 1836) was an American businessman noted for founding Hudson Township, now Hudson, Ohio. Hudson was born in Branford, Connecticut, and lived there until the age four when his family moved to Goshen, Connecticut, where he lived for many years, owning a farm, marrying Anna Norton in 1783, and raising the oldest seven of their nine children. In 1789, Hudson joined a group to purchase a parcel of land in the Connecticut Western Reserve. The following year, he left Goshen to survey the parcel and settle it as Hudson Township. Hudson traveled through the state of New York, west along Lake Erie and south along the Cuyahoga River to reach his land.

At the settlement, Hudson and his men built a home. The township's population increased steadily over the next few decades. Hudson's wife and children eventually moved to the township, where they had two more children. Hudson cited religion as a major influence on his life. He died on March 17, 1836, at age 75.