Henry Origins

Henry was surveyed in 1834 and named after General James D. Henry when there were less than 100 inhabitants in the whole township.  Those pioneers wisely chose a fine site on the beautiful Illinois River which would never flood.  By 1854 the area was filled with settlers who came by flat-boat, steamboat and covered wagon.  The area population then numbered over 1,000.  Houses and buildings went up as fast as the carpenters could pound nails!

The citizens were called to meet on March 27, 1954, to vote on Henry becoming a city and requesting a charter from the state.  The tally was 79 to 4 to affirm.  Our charter was signed by Governor Joel Mattison.  It was printed in the April 1, 1854 “Henry Courier”.

S. J. McFadden was the first mayor.  Aldermen were A. J. Warren, George Hoyt, Alex Kissinger and W.B. Smith.  Those men worked diligently to form the structure of an orderly government.  They built a city jail and started construction of a brick school on Wirt Street.

To add to the local pride in being an up-an’-coming town was the fact that the “Henry Courier”, one of the earliest newspapers was started a short time before.  In 1854 the fine “North Illinois University” was built across from the fairgrounds, however, none of these things matched the excitement of that February day in 1854 when the sturdy little wood burning locomotive puffed into Henry.  Every able-bodied person and a tangle of wagons, buggies, kids, and dogs were crowding to see this modern miracle. 

Henry prospered then, and still does, because it is a center for a rich agricultural area, where grain moves by barge on the most important waterway in the country.

Also close by are industrial plants of Caterpillar, Good-rich, Grace and J & L Steel*.  An attractive business district and well kept homes reflect the pride Henryites take in their community 125 years after its founding.

*Presently Good-rich and J & L Steel are owned by different companies.  Good-rich is discussed later;  J & L Steel was located in Hennepin-which is approximately 11 miles to the north (east of the river) on Route 26.

Henry Industry

It was announced in 1957 that a B.F. Goodrich Chemical plant would be soon coming to Henry.  A short time later, construction began on a $5 million plant.  The plant is situated on 261 acres north of Henry.  It has had 3 major expansions since it began.  The plant employs 370 people in various areas of work.  The chemical company manufactures polyvinyl chloride and polymer chemicals for use making many consumer products of plastic and rubber.  Goodrich has been generous in their community support and has helped the growth of Henry.

“Next door” to Goodrich is W. R. Grace & Co. manufacturers of agricultural fertilizers.  They employ 47 people.  Both of these industries are situated along the Illinois River, making shipping and receiving accessible.  This company began operation in 1967.

Interstate 80 and 180 are valuable assets to these industries, as many large trucking firms also carry their products.

The M & D Printing-Riverside Press began in 1936 when Dick Finfgeld purchased the Henry News-Republican newspaper and job printing business.  Each year they increased their circulation as well as adding new, modern machines.  With the addition of these modern machines, the printing business was greatly expanded.  After selling the newspaper portion of the business in 1966 to the present owner of the Henry News Republican, George Ziegler, Dick and son, Moby Finfgeld, pursued their talents and knowledge of printing in the commercial printing business. 

In 1968, a second company, Riverside Press, was formed as a central web offset printing facility by M & D Printing Co., George Ziegler of the Henry News Republican, and the Sanders family of the Chillicothe Bulletin and Peoria Richwoods Observer.  As this business developed, bindery equipment for publication work was added.

This industry today prints the Henry News and other area papers as well as general custom work.  About 40 people are employed.

Beginning in 1977, the Commonwealth Edison Co. began purchasing land north and northwest of Henry as a speculative venture.  Some 2800 acres of farmland were purchased for the purpose of constructing a power station if the company needs to expand their services.  The plant would be constructed 1 ½ miles north of the city and would be a coal-fired plant generating power to customers in northern Illinois.  Henry would not be included in their service as we are in Central Illinois Light Co.’s territory.

The company has projected that construction would begin in the early 1980’s with production beginning in early 1990.

The Gulf Coast Grain Co. of Memphis, Tenn., is located on the Illinois River banks of Henry.  It is a branch of Mitsui, U.S.A., Inc.  The operation and staff of seven is managed by Ernie Waldschmidt.  The grain elevator was built in 1940 by Bob and Bill Dewey, sold to Cook Industries in 1969, and the present owner in 1978.  The grain they receive is loaded on barges, approximately 50,000 bushel a day, 10 million bushels a year, and is sent on its way to the Gulf of Mexico, where it is reloaded on ocean vessels and exported to countries around the world – an important asset to this farming community.

Henry Schools

In the earliest days of Henry’s history, around 1841, children were taught in the home of Hooper Warren.

Henry’s first school house was built in 1847 on land designated as School Square, presently School Street.  At that time there were approximately 25 homes in the Henry area.  The first enrollment was 6 or 8 children.

Several school buildings have come and gone since that time, not to mention the number of students educated in them.  Many of whom have become doctors; dentists; lawyers; skilled laborers; homemakers; teachers; one movie star, Richard Widmark; and a World War II hero, Captain John Cromwell.

Henry was at one time the home of the Northorn Illinois University, sponsored by the Methodists in 1854-1867; a Female Seminary, supported by Presbyterians in the years 1848-1879; and St. Mary’s Catholic School, 1860-1968.

The school system was consolidated with small rural schools in the area in 1947.

The present schools were built within the last 26 years.  The Henry Senachwine High School was built in 1952.  It has only been expanded once since then and that was in 1964.  Today the school employes 28 teachers, 6 staff, and has an enrollment of 362 students.  The school’s activities and curriculum are varied to meet the interest and needs of today’s students.  The curriculum includes history, consumer education, Spanish, business, extensive math courses, drama, industrial arts, mechanics, English, agricultural sciences, and art, as well as extra credit courses of band and chorus.  The athletic department provides a choice of baseball, basketball, girls’ volleyball, track, golf, and cross country.

The present Henry Grade School was built in 1962 with an addition being added in 1969.  The school is situated on the northeast side of town.  There are 37 teachers, 17 staff, and 600 students.  The students here have the opportunity to enlist in baseball, basketball, tract or girls’ softball.  In addition to the 3 Rs, the school has a large art department, band and chorus.  Other activities are offered in the upper grades for students to learn macramé, games, hunting, safety, news reporting, outdoor activities, and Spanish.

Henry is fortunate to be situated in an area that has colleges close by.  The Illinois Valley Community College at Oglesby is 25 miles away.  Illinois Central College is in East Peoria, 28 miles from Henry.  Many of the Henry students attend these two junior colleges before going to a four-year college.

One of the largest universities in the state is only 35 miles away -  that is Bradley University in Peoria.

Approximately 50% of our students enroll in a college or training program after graduating from high school.

The following information is written about Henry Township.  The original Chamber anniversary book references information from the “Record of Olden Times, Ellsworth, 1880”.  Information in italics is not from the original writing.

This is a fractional township consisting of ten full and eight parts of sections, or portions of eight sections.  The Illinois River, in a devious way, washes its eastern boundary, and Senachwine (Putnam County) and Whitefield (Marshall County) bound it north and west.

Along the river borders it is low and swampy and unfit for cultivation, but soon rises and is arable table land capable of high cultivation and yielding large returns to the husbandman.  This portion is known as Crow Meadow Prairie, once a favorite hunting ground for the Indians and long noted for its unrivaled beauty.

On the west, a border of low wooded hills encloses it when the leaves are out with an emerald setting, while on the east the bolder bluffs of the Illinois River sweep round in a graceful curve, and then bends away again towards Lacon. 

The river is navigable for boats of the largest size, and here is located the finest lock in the West, built at a cost of half a million dollars.  The town is well situated for business and commands a heavy trade in grain and lumber.  It has likewise an energetic set of businessmen and merchants, who have pushed their enterprises far beyond the usual limits of trade and draw traffic from all the towns surrounding them.

A steamer connect it with Peoria, making daily trips throughout the season of navigation, and the Bureau Valley Railroad connects the place with Chicago and beyond.