Hudson Lake
Chicago Road, Hudson Twp

Located in the far northeast corner of LaPorte County, Hudson lake is comparable in size to Pine Lake in LaPorte.

This quaint town offers summer rentals and lakeside RV camping but limited public access. Motor boats and personal water craft are permitted.

Fish includes Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Redear. Its a short drive down Highway 20 from Michigan City and offers an alternative to often crowded beaches found there.

History
The earliest settlement in LaPorte County was on the east shore of Lac du Chemin or Hudson Lake. Here a group of cabins had sprung up by 1829 surrounding a Baptist mission and school. Established in the late 1820's as a branch of the Carey Mission in Niles, Michigan, the Hudson mission tried to Christianize the native Pottawattomie population while teaching them American methods of farming. The mission remained at Hudson Lake only until the Indians began leaving in large numbers in the 1830's but the surrounding town of Hudson, or Lakeport, continued to prosper.

A thriving market center with flourishing businesses, the town was considered a powerful rival of LaPorte for the trade of the northeast part of the county. But after the railroad located its depot at the nearby community of New Carlisle, the townspeople began to drift away.

It was not until the turn of the century that Hudson enjoyed prosperity again. A popular summer resort business had built up around the Smith Hotel by the 1890's and the hotel owner constructed the Hudson Lake Casino to attract additional visitors to the town.

By the 1920's, the casino was the summertime hangout of wealthy Chicago residents. The South Shore RR brought hundreds of dancers every weekend anxious to sway to the sounds of such big bands as Guy Lombardo's "Royal Canadians" or the South Bend "Indiana's". The lake resort also advertised excellent bathing and picnicking facilities and large Chicago and South Bend firms often rented the entire resort for the company outings.

The Hudson Lake resort began to decline in the 1930's as the influence of the Depression and competing dance halls was felt. Today the Hudson Lake Casino is used as a private boat storage on Chicago Road. The Hudson Cemetery on 700N is one of the oldest in the county and includes several interesting family plots.

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