Joshua B Hudson and Family, Gardner, Colorado

Hudson Family plot has three names on the stone. 

Joshua Bains Hudson, Sr., Born, March 7th, 1831 – Died September 8th, 1905

Charlottie Ann McCabe Hudson, Born December 18th, 1839 – Died November 24th, 1893 “Wife of Joshua B Hudson” inscribed on her side of the stone. 

Dollie S. Hudson, Born in 1798 and died in 1876. “The first to sleep in this sacred spot.” is engraved on her side of the gravestone.

Mrs. Dollie Hudson was the first to be buried in the Gardner Cemetery, Gardner Colorado in 1876, she was the dear mother of Joshua Bains Hudson, Sr. The family ranch was next to the land used for the cemetery now, and it implied that he likely donated the land to build the cemetery on. Gardner Cemetery now has over 500 burials listed on the grounds. 

Joshua Bains Hudson, Sr. was born in Maryland and settled in Huerfano County in 1865. He was settled near Muddy Creek and the Huerfano River junction. He spent a number of years there before sending for his family back east. They came by train to Cheyenne and he traveled there to bring them to Huerfano County. Arriving on the train that day were his mother, wife and 3 of their children. Other children would later be born in Colorado. 

Joshua Bains Hudson, Sr. was active in the community and helped to establish a school and church. He was a county commissioner in the 1870s. He opened a flour mill and it was said in an article in the Walsenburg World that “The Flouring Mill of J.B.Hudson is well patronized and a valuable convenience to the farmers of this section. Mr H. was the first American to settle this region, coming here in 1866.” This article was published on January 12th, 1893.

The first of their children to be born in Colorado, Timothy McClure Hudson, He would later become a State Senator. One article I found was mainly about Timothy and said he returned to manage a store and ranch of his fathers in 1891. He also helped establish the first telephone lines to the area. A huge step in the evolution of Gardner. His life is detailed in that lovely article. It can be found by searching the Hudson of Gardner, October 30th, 2014 published by the World Journal of Huerfano, Las Animas, and Colfax. There are a lot of details of his life there contained in other articles from the valley. 

I also found a newspaper article listing all three names on the headstone for an Opera House production in 1892 in Pueblo, I understand that the article was listing all those that came to see the production. Other Articles from the Walsenburg World stated that Josh Hudson of Gardner was in town around February 2, 1893 and again on June 13th, 1901. There is another Joshua Bains Hudson, Jr. Born December 16th 1880 – Died September 1963. He was the youngest of the 6 children. I was in Mountainview Cemetery yesterday and noticed a stone there, but didn’t realize that she was one of the children.