Ed Henderson

HENDERSON, GAMKIN, LEE, GROVER

Posted By: Peter Gausmann (email)
Date: 1/28/2010 at 04:54:03

ED HENDERSON

A number of the leading business enterprises of Lake Mills and practically all of the projects for the advancement of the civic interests of the community have felt the stimulus of the enthusiasm and initiative of Ed Henderson and his keenness of insight has often excited the admiration of those associated with him. He established himself in business here when Lake Mills was only a village and was for many years actively engaged in merchandising, but has now disposed of his interests along that line, although he is still connected with a number of important concerns. He was born in Norway, June 26, 1850, the third in order of birth in a family of eight children whose parents, Ole and Sarah (Gamkin) Henderson, removed to the United States in 1852. The family located near Argyle, Lafayette county, Wisconsin, and there the father purchased land from the government which lie farmed until his death in 1898. The mother passed away a decade later and both are buried at that place.

Ed Henderson was hut two years of age when brought to the United States and in the attainment of his education attended the common schools of Wisconsin until he was sixteen years old. During this time he also received training from his father in farm work, but when nineteen years old began following the tinner's trade. At the age of twenty years he established a tin shop and later added a line of hardware, engaging in business in Wisconsin until 1874, when he sold out and removed to Northwood, Worth county, Iowa, becoming associated with his brother, ,T. M. Henderson, who was a hardware dealer there. In 1880 they started a second store at Lake Mills with Ed Henderson in charge. In 1886 the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Henderson of this review retaining the Lake Mills business. As the years passed his trade continued to grow as the natural result of his progressive and liberal policy. He kept his stock up to date and spared no effort to give his customers the greatest possible satisfaction. In 1912 he retired from the management of the store but still gives personal supervision to his other important interests. He still owns the Henderson block, which he erected in 1887 and which was the second brick structure built in Lake Mills. He also built two other blocks but has since sold them. He was one of the organizers of the Crystal Lake State Bank at Crystal Lake, the First National Bank at Lake Mills, the Lake Mills Land & Loan Company, and the Northern Investment Company of Crystal Lake, of all of which he was a director for several years but is not now interested in any of these institutions, although he is a stockholder in the Farmers State Bank of Lake Mills. He has invested in real estate, recognizing its great desirability, aud owns four hundred and twenty acres of fine land in Worth county, Iowa. When he established his store here there was no hank in the town and in order to accommodate his customers he carried on a banking business to some extent, cashing checks in extreme cases and selling exchange. He cashed the check in payment for the first carload of hogs shipped from Lake Mills and his services as a banker were highly appreciated in the community. He has always been one of the first to give his support to plans for the promotion of the commercial advancement of Lake Mills and has had an important part in the development of its business interests.

Mr. Henderson was married February 21, 1883, to Miss Eliza Lee, a daughter of Ole and Tone (Grover) Lee, natives of Norway, who, however, accompanied their respective parents to the United States in childhood. The two families were early settlers, first in Mitchell county and later in Worth county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lee have passed away and are buried in Concordia cemetery in Worth county. To Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have been born six children, who are giving an excellent account of themselves and are a great credit to their parents. Estella Theresa, who is a graduate of Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa, and of the Cedar Rapids Business College, and has taken a course in the Art Institute at Chicago, has been a teacher of penmanship in the West high school at Des Moines and has been elected director of penmanship in Des Moines. She will have the supervision of the work in that branch in about fifty grade schools. Clara Olivia is a graduate of the Cedar Falls State Teachers' College and taught school at Lake Mills for four years. She is also a graduate nurse and is practicing at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Elmer Alexander graduated from the Luther Seminary at St. Paul with the class of 1915, spent the year 1916 in post graduate study at the Princeton Theological Seminary and expects to enter the ministry of the English branch of the Lutheran church soon. Lillian Sophia is a graduate of the Northwestern Conservatory of Music at Minneapolis and is at present with the Minnesota Public Health Association, visiting rural schools as school nurse. Arthur J. G. is a graduate of St. Olaf's College of Northfield, Minnesota, and is now a medical student in the University of Illinois. Ruth Elizabeth, who completes the family, is a member of the class of1917 of the Lake Mills high school.

Mr. Henderson's home life has been an ideal one. What success he has achieved in business and otherwise is greatly due to the cooperation of his wife, who as a true Christian woman has entered heartily into all his work, helped, encouraged and supported him in the many years of strenuous work, in business, church aud home, having, in short, always done her share of the work and planning. She was educated in the public schools of Bristol and Northwood and learned the dressmaking trade in Northwood. She has taken an active part in church work, organized the first Ladies' Aid Society of the Synod church of Lake Mills, was for many years a member of the church choir and organized the Ladies' Home Club, of which she is still a member. In short, she has taken an active part in church and social affairs for the betterment of the town. However, she is preeminently a home woman and has ever delighted in making the home an ideal place. Their fine new home was planned and built according to her suggestions and the work in the minutest details was done according to her ideas, and so perfect has it proven that although five years have now elapsed since it was completed not a single change has been made.

Mr. Henderson gives his political allegiance to the republican party, served as a member of the school board for several terms, during part of which time he was president of that body, was town clerk' for one term and councilman for three terms. His religious faith is that of the Synod Lutheran church. He is a fine example of a self-made man, for he has worked his way upward from a humble beginning to a position among the capitalists of his city. His dominant characteristics are determination, independence of judgment and enterprise—qualities which invariably command admiration and which are an excellent foundation for success in any line of endeavor. The past three winters he has spent in California, but he still considers Lake Mills his home.

Source: History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II. Pioneer Publishing Company (Chicago), 1917. pp. 245-247.