What You Might Not Know About Hudson Maxim

Hudson Maxim died 84 years ago today, and he's still probably Hopatcong's most famous resident. An explosives expert, Maxim invented smokeless gunpowder and hung with all sorts of big names.

But we think there's stuff you might not know about the man whose name graces streets and a school in the borough. So, here are 5 Things You Didn't Know about Hudson Maxim. And if you knew them already, well, congratulations.

1. You Didn't Know He Lost His Left Hand: Maxim, who made most of his money in explosives, "only had one hand because he blew the other hand off in a laboratory accident," said Marty Kane, president of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum.
2. You Didn't Know He Was Tight With Thomas Edison: Both big-time inventors, Kane said Maxim and Edison were buddies. "They were very good friends," Kane said. "You figure, they were contemporaries. Both were from New Jersey. Both were really bright. Both were totally self-made men."
3. You Didn't Know He Might Have Gotten Lots of Tickets Today: It seems he wasn't the best driver. "They claim he was a crazy driver. Not so much anymore, but we'll still get an old-timer, and he'll go, 'It was known, when you grew up in Hopatcong, your parents were always telling you that if you see Hudson Maxim coming, get the [heck] off of the road," Kane said.
4. You Didn't Know He Was a Sports Nut: Maxim loved all the old-time sports, from boxing to wrestling. He even had a tennis court on his property, which, at one time, was "about three-quarters of what then was the borough of Hopatcong" in the 1920s, Kane said.
5. You Didn't Know He Had Lots to Say: Kane said Maxim "always was outspoken on public issues of the day. Examples: Maxim opposed prohibition but was for women's suffrage and was all about militarization before World War I.

Editor's note: Due to an editing error, Nos. 2 and 4 were the same in an earlier version of this article.