Hudson had a long tradition as an anti-slavery town. By 1826, records show that the town's founder, David Hudson, was hiding runaway slaves at his home. Early settler Owen Brown and his family helped organize the Underground Railroad in town. His son John, who spent over 20 years of his life in Hudson, drew national attention with his raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry on October 16, 1859, and his execution on December 2, 1859. At first, Hudson's citizens supported the colonization movement, but in the 1830's many became abolitionists. The anti-slavery community became divided in a struggle that cast both Hudson and Western Reserve College into the national spotlight. Owen Brown removed his financial support from the college and helped form multi-racial Oberlin College as an alternative. In 1842, Owen Brown split from the First Congregational Church of Hudson over racial issues and formed the Free Congregational Church, which supported pure Abolitionism and required an oath against slavery for admission. Hudson's anti-slavery community included David Hudson, Timothy Hudson, Owen Brown, John Brown, Jeremiah Root Brown, Asahel Kilbourne, Jesse Dickinson, Titus and Marion Brown Hand, John Buss, John Markillie, Lora Case, Elizur Wright Jr., Philo Wright, Beriah Green, and William Dawes.