The village of Hudson greets visitors with signs stating, "Pride of the Prairie." The first settlers arrived in Hudson Township in 1829, settling near a Potawatomi Indian village about 1 mile west of where Hudson now stands. The boulder identifying the last stand of the Potawatomi village in McLean County was placed near the village's origin in 1920. The boyhood home of the famous author and philosopher Elbert Hubbard, built in 1857, still stands at Broadway and Walnut Streets. Constructed in 1929, the man-made Lake Bloomington offers both residential and recreation areas. The Evergreen Lake area includes a county park with camping, picnic areas, and a beach. In Hudson, readers will catch glimpses of these things and more: the past 175 years of people, agriculture, organizations, churches, and schools--all built on the strong foundation of the early settlers.