The Great War: April 11, 1917

On the night of Easter Sunday, April 8, 1917, there was a patriotic rally at the Universalist Church to encourage the young men of Hudson, who "had not been responding in the way that they should be to the call," to join the Navy. Three days later, on April 11, the Hudson Evening Register reports that the first young man from Hudson haS answered the call.

 The first young man in Hudson has answered the call of his country to join the navy since the declaration of war. Yesterday afternoon Jefferson Elliot, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Elliot, was accepted as a naval recruit at the Albany station. He returned to Hudson last evening to say good-bye to his many friends and gather up some personal belongings. He returned to-day to Albany and shortly before noon left there for the naval recruiting ground at Newport, R.I.

"Jeff," as he is commonly known, has been employed at the Crescent garage. He is a licensed chauffeur and on account of his expert knowledge of gasoline engines and motors will probably be placed in the submarine-chaser class.

He has the well wishes of his many friends here and that he will make the kind of a sailor Uncle Sam needs no one doubts.

The Crescent Garage, where Jeff Elliot worked, was located at the corner of Warren and Eighth streets, in the building that will someday be Hudson Anchor. The picture below, from the Evelyn and Robert Monthie Slide Collection at the Columbia County Historical Society, shows the building as it appeared around 1917.

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