The J. L. Hudson Company redefined the way Detroiters shopped and enjoyed leisure time. Many Detroiters share memories of times spent shopping and enjoying spectacular events sponsored by Hudson s. A solid and lofty icon built by businesspeople who believed in their passion, Hudson s defined Detroit s downtown, creating trends and traditions in consumer culture that still resonate with us today. Now and in the future, as Hudson s boxes, shopping bags, and artifacts are discovered in closets, attics, basements, and flea markets, many will remember that it was once as solid a civic fixture as the City-County Building or the Detroit Public Library."