Paula Mixa Millar was born and raised in Hudson. Paula begins her interview by describing some of her early family traditions and childhood activities, including Sunday dinners with her family at her grandparents’ home in Greenport; dancing; horseback riding; and swimming. She describes fond memories with her grandparents, including gardening with her grandfather and listening to stories from her Baba (grandmother).

Throughout her interview, Paula emphasizes the importance of learning about her family lineage and history as part of her role in the broader community. She speaks about her grandparents’ journey from Poland and Ukraine to Hudson, from Ellis Island via Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She names some of the elders in her family.

Paula mentions the Blue Anchor and the movie theater on Columbia Street as important places during her adolescence. She describes the ways Hudson has changed from a tight knit community of working people to a place focused more on tourism, and the impacts of this shift on long term residents. Paula concludes her interview by acknowledging some of the Hudson residents she has kept in contact with since childhood, and shares two stories from her ancestors. 

This interview may be of interest to those wishing to learn more about the Ukrainian and Polish immigrant communities in Hudson, growing up in Hudson during the 1960s, Hudson industries and factories, and changes in Hudson from the 1960s into the 2020s.