but the townsfolk had little business. All of this changed in 1854 when the Illinois Central Railroad passed just west of Hudson. Business increased, many unoccupied lots taken up, and a new commercial district developed along what had been "out-lots" along the west side of the town facing the railroad. Some old traditions continued. Early in its history Hudson, following an ancient New England custom had created the office of village heardsman. It was his job, at 6:00 in the morning, to walk the town streets, gather cattle from Hudson, and drive them out to pasture beyond the town limits; remarkably this job continued until 1913. Hamm, 1976, P.64. Growth continues With the arrival of the railroad the success of the town of Hudson was assured. The surrounding tall grass prairie proved to be some of the most fertile agricultural land in the world. Initially the crops were corn and oats, produced together with a great deal of livestock. In the 1850s and 1860s settlers came in great numbers. By the mid-twentieth century livestock production had slowly begun to decline and soybeans had replaced oats as a second crop, but the great fertility of the soil remained. Hudson's growth was slow but steady. In 1873 the town was incorporated. By 1883 telephone service had come to the town, and in 1912 the first electric lights were installed. In 1916 a new town hall was built. In the late twentieth century, because of its proximity to Bloomington and Normal, Hudson was becoming increasingly popular as a residential community. In 1992 Interstate 39 was completed, connecting Hudson with El Paso and Normal. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 1,510 people, 507 households, and 432 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 519 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.48% White, 0.07% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.40% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population. There were 507 households, out of which 50.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.9% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65