Hudson Bend

In 1854 Wiley Hudson (b.1825) and his family settled on the bend of Colorado River that was named for him. The 1860 census showed four families living in this vicinity, including Wiley Hudson with his wife Catherine and eight children, as well as a household headed by his father James. During the Civil War (1861-1865), Wiley Hudson, his two chaplain brothers and others relatives took up arms for the Confederacy.

Three rivers fords enabled the pioneers to cross the Colorado to grind their corn at Anderson mill and to socialize with families living in nearby settlements such as round mountain and nameless. Maps of the 1890s show a church and school at Hudson Bend. Of the 24 original surveys made on the 4,000-acre tract called Hudson Bend, four were acquired by the Hudson family.

Many descendants still live in the area. After completion of Mansfield Dam in the 1940s, the waters of Lake Travis flooded about half of the acreage. The cemetery was relocated at Teck. Ranches amid the cedar and live oaks and farms along the river bottom were replaced by subdivisions and recreational areas.

A new Hudson Bend community grew up along the lake shores with a number of active civic organizations. (1978)