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Biographical NoteEgbert "Ed" Andrew Hudson was a pharmacist from Paso Robles, California, best known for being an amateur river runner in the 1940s and 1950s. Hudson designed and built a powerboat, the Esmeralda, which he believed could run up river on the Colorado River. By his own account, Hudson made several attempts to run upriver / upstream on the Colorado River with Otis "Dock" Marston in the late 1940s. On June 12, 1949, Hudson and Otis "Dock" Marston made an attempt at running the Colorado from Lees Ferry before turning around to run upriver from Lake Mead. The crew of the Esmeralda II included Egbert Andrew 'Ed' Hudson, skipper; Edward Wallace Hudson (Ed Hudson's son), deckhand; Willie Taylor, bailer; Bestor Robinson, cook; and Otis Marston, navigator. At a river flow of 60,000 cfs, the trip was completed in four and a half days, setting a new speed record for traveling from Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead on the Colorado River via boat. However, when the crew turned the Esmeralda II to attempt the uprun, the powerboat could not make it past the rapids at river mile 217. The uprun was abandoned. Marston filmed this unsuccessful attempt; Hudson later edited the footage to create a film titled "Rapid Days." On June 12, 1950, Hudson and Marston planned a two-boat trip down the Colorado River. Hudson would pilot the Esmeralda II while Marston would use a Chris-Craft named the Hudson, in order to determine what kind of motorboat was best to run the Colorado River. !950 trip participants included Egbert Andrew 'Ed' Hudson; Edward Wallace Hudson; Otis "Dock" Marston; Bill Belknap; Willie Taylor; Joe Desloge, Sr.; and Guy Forcier. The river flow during this trip was 10,000 cfs lower than the previous year's trip of 60,000 cfs with a flow of 50,000 cfs. Both the Hudson and the Esmeralda II were damaged in the rapids, forcing their passengers to resort to rowing with oars. Approximately half-way through the Grand Canyon, Hudson abandoned his boat. The passengers riding in his boat were transferred to Marston's boat. Since not everyone could fit on one boat, the Hudsons spent the night of June 17 on a beach before helicopters arrived to rescue them. Egbert Hudson and Edward Hudson were picked up individually by two helicopters. During Egbert Hudson's flight, his helicopter crashed; he was filming during the flight and captured the crash on tape. Both Hudson and the pilot survived the crash. The other pilot rescued the pilot who crashed before evacuating Edward Hudson. Egbert Hudson spent an additional night at the site of the helicopter wreck before he was rescued the next morning. Marston's boat finally made it through the canyon and arrived at Boulder City, Nevada on June 21, nine days after they began the trip. Hudson donated the Esmeralda to the National Park Service following the trip. Little else is known about Ed Hudson's life, death, or family. Information in this biographical note is based upon an article titled "Colorado River: Conquest" by Jack Spiers which appeared the fall 1959 issue of Powerboat Quarterly as well as information provided by Edward Wallace Hudson. Scope and ContentThe Ed Hudson moving images contains 16mm motion picture film reels identified as footage of a 1948 Hudson expedition, a 1949 Colorado trip, and a 1950 Colorado River Grand Canyon trip. It also includes access and preservation copies of Hudson's films (DVCAM tapes and DVDs) created by Special Collections and Archives in 2007. ArrangementSCA staff organized moving image materials in the Ed Hudson moving images (NAU.MI.2007.43) chronologically circa 2008.RestrictionsConditions Governing Access
Due to a lack of required playback equipment and the fragility of the materials in question, original 16mm motion picture films in the Ed Hudson moving images (NAU.MI.2007.43) are unavailable for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room. Researchers are advised to utilize digitized versions of the original films available online via the Colorado Plateau Digital Collections. Please see the Digital Material Available note to learn more. Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright. Related MaterialBill Belknap collection, NAU.MS.288, NAU.PH.96.4, NAU.AU.75.70, NAU.MI.96.4, NAU.OH.75.70. Plez Talmadge (P.T.) Reilly collection, NAU.MS.275, NAU.OH.52, NAU.PH.97.46, NAU.MI.93.9 Harry Aleson papers, NAU.MS.46, NAU.PH.2003.5 Administrative InformationDigital Material AvailableSCA staff digitized moving images from the Ed Hudson moving images (NAU.MI.2007.43) in 2007. Digitized moving images are available online via the Colorado Plateau Digital Collections. Search for "NAU.MI.2007.43" in the Call number field or "Ed Hudson" in the Creator field. Click here to view all digitized moving images from the Ed Hudson moving images. Item-level links to specific moving images are provided below. Preferred Citation
[Title or brief description of item or file.] Ed Hudson moving images, NAU.MI.2007.43.[ ]. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives. Flagstaff, Arizona. Please note that the Ed Hudson moving images was previously titled the Ed Hudson collection. Sam(antha) Meier changed the collection title in July 2022 in accordance with Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS). Immediate Source of AcquisitionEdward Wallace Hudson donated materials in the Ed Hudson moving images to SCA in 2007. Processing Information
Original 16mm motion picture films in the Ed Hudson moving images were copied to DVCAM and DVD by Phoenix VideoFilm in 2007, under the supervision of Peter Runge. The moving images were also made available via SCA's digital collections platform around 2008. Austin Rignes created an EAD finding aid for the Ed Hudson moving images in 2013. In 2022, Sam Meier updated the finding aid to include links to digitized content, to correct errors in item titles, and to provide additional information about the materials. Container List
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