109 N. Front Street
The rise in the ground just north of the Hudson Water Department (just to the left as one faces the building) is not just a pile of dirt. Underneath was an essential element of village safety until the mid-1980’s.
On July 10, 1963, the Village of Hudson and McLean County civil defense authorities broke ground for Hudson’s civil defense control center. The shelter was underground and accessed from the water department. The new building was the first all-new civil defense control center in McLean County. As one of the monitoring stations for McLean County it was used in case of an emergency and served as one of the headquarters in event of a natural disaster. James J. Hamm was the first Hudson Director of Civil Defense.
The shelter’s 10 by 28-foot walls were built with 10-inch concrete blocks and were filled with concrete. The nine-inch reinforced concrete ceilings had 30 inches of dirt above it causing the rise in the ground. All this provided protection against radiation; only 1 of 750 particles of radiation would be able to penetrate the center, a major concern during the 1960’s Cold War.
Another piece of equipment in the center included a 30-kilowatt generator which could provide enough electricity to pump water for the village and enough power to operate the control center at the same time. Other essential equipment included survey instruments, communications equipment, Geiger counters, dosimeters, water, sleeping facilities for four, a decontamination shower, first aid supplies, gas masks and fuel for heating and cooking.
Siren controls were also hooked up to the control center and were able to sound either an “alert” or “take cover” signal. Township funds of about $2,500 were used to pay for the shelter and all the equipment. The shelter was closed several years ago. In 1986, the Hudson Fire Department took over the management of the local ESDA.
