after establishing hudson township, hudson played a significant part in the buying, selling and farming of land in his and neighboring towns. by 1808, he owned a total of of land in hudson and chester townships. on this land hudson grew hay, potatoes, corn and wheat, and managed hogs, oxen, cows, sheep and horses. he also provided accommodations for visitors to the town. hudson was party to about 200 financial transactions, making him a prominent figure in the area. during this period, it was typical for employers to pay employees partially in whiskey. hudson broke this tradition by declining to pay his workers with alcohol, to their disgruntlement. (at the time, use of alcohol was viewed much more negatively than it has been since the 1933 failure of prohibition in the united states. many called for it to be outlawed. to not pay with liquor would have been seen as progressive .)