Why is this bend in the river so special? This is the Hudson Bend Plaque. It tells a tale of settlement, resilience and change.
In 1854 Wiley Hudson and his family made this area their home. The Colorado River bend became known as Hudson Bend. The 1860 census recorded only four families in this area. Among them was Wiley Hudson with his wife Catherine. They had eight children. His father James also headed a household nearby.
During the Civil War Wiley Hudson and his two chaplain brothers fought for the Confederacy. Three river fords were vital to these early settlers. Pioneers crossed the Colorado to grind corn at Anderson Mill. They also used them to socialize with families. These families lived in Round Mountain and Nameless.
Maps from the 1890s show a church and school at Hudson Bend. Of the original 24 surveys on the 4000-acre Hudson Bend tract four were owned by the Hudson family. Many Hudson descendants still live here.
The completion of Mansfield Dam in the 1940s changed everything. Lake Travis flooded about half the land. The cemetery was moved to Teck. Ranches and farms along the river bottom vanished. They were replaced by subdivisions and recreation areas. A new Hudson Bend community emerged along the lake shores. Active civic organizations sprang up.
In 1978 this Texas Historical Marker was placed. It commemorates Hudson Bend’s role in the area’s development. The Hudson Bend Plaque stands as a reminder of the past. It connects us to the families who shaped this land. It shows us how communities adapt and evolve over time. It tells of Wiley Hudson and his family. Their legacy lives on in the name Hudson Bend.