California Biographies
San Bernardino County and Riverside County

History of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties 
By: John Brown, Jr., Editor for San Bernardino County 
And James Boyd, Editor for Riverside County 
With selected biography of actors and witnesses of the period 
of growth and achievement.
Volume III, the Western Historical Association, 1922, 
The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL

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DAVID GLEN HENDERSON 
 
         To such men as David Glen Henderson, an octogenarian now living at 
Etiwanda, life is a continuous adventure and enterprise, and every new day 
brings opportunities for work and accomplishment. Mr. Henderson is one of
the few survivors of that now distant past when the establishment of homes
in southern California meant a persistent struggle with the adverse forces of
nature. He was born in Cakler, Scotland, March 28, 1842, son of David and
Margaret (Adams) Henderson, and was one of their six children. David 
Henderson was a coal miner. Born in Scotland, he was seriously injured by a
fall of slate and never entirely recovered. In 1848 he came to America, and in
1849 brought his family to this country. He first located at Dry Hill, now within
the city limits of St. Louis, Missouri, and he died there in 1850. His widow 
soon afterward was married to James Easton, a member of the Mormon
Church. Early in the spring of 1851 James Easton, his wife and the Henderson
children went from St. Louis to a point near Council Bluffs, Iowa, where they
joined a train made up of fifty ox teams and embarked for Salt Lake City. The
captain of the train forbade the killing of buffalo, and they had no serious
trouble with Indians, reaching the Salt Lake country in the fall of 1851. Here
James Easton took up farming. In 1853 the second stage of the journey was
begun, again by ox teams. On both of these stages of the transcontinental
trip David Glen Henderson drove a three-yoke ox team, though on the trip 
from the Missouri River he was only a youth of eight or nine years old. The 
second stage of the journey had San Bernardino as its destination.The route
was through the desert, and Mr. Henderson has a vivid recollection  of some
of the hardships encountered. While passing through a canyon in the 
mountains, a party of Indians met them and demanded food and whiskey.
Halt was made in an open spot and a parley ensued. The travelers offered
the Indians potatoes and turnips, but this did not please the red men, and 
from the way they handled their bows and arrows, their only weapons, the 
party feared an attack. An older brother of David G. Henderson acted as
interpreter, and while talking with the savages displayed an old pepper box
revolver, showing how rapidly it could be fired. It was a piece of strategy that
served to discourage the Indians from any further hostile act, and they with-
drew, sullen but peaceful. In crossing the desert from one water hole to
another the party filled all the churns, pails, and everything that would hold
water, and they traveled chiefly at night, resting the oxen through the heat of 
the day. Of these early voyagers of the desert few now remain. The journey
itself, as well as the work necessary to be done after reaching the destination,
was evidence of the great courage and determination that entitle these pioneers
to lasting admiration. The Easton and Henderson families settled about a mile
east of the old fort at San Bernardino. Here David G. Henderson came to
manhood. Practically the only school advantages he had were in the years
from five to seven before he left the Middle West. In Utah and California his 
program was one of work, but he also studied privately and is today an
exceptional penman. He became versed in all phases of woodcraft and
hunting,  and hunting has always been a favorite sport. Even in 1921 he went
into the Sierra Mountains and shot his deer. Perhaps the steadiest employ-
ment he had as a youth was driving ox teams in hauling food and provisions.
In 1862 Mr. Henderson married Miss Matilda Hawker, who was born July 27,
1845, at Melbourne, Australia. Directly after his marriage he bought five acres,
but soon sold that and purchased twenty acres, both tracts being near San
Bernardino. During 1864 - 65 he was engaged in placer mining on Lytle
Creek, then a boom district, though his own luck as a miner failed him. In the
fall of 1865  Mr. Henderson went to the coal mines at Mount Diablo in Contra
Costa County, and remained there two years, getting good wages and returning
with some capital. He then farmed and did teaming. In February 1884, Mr.
Henderson took up eighty acres of state land, proved it up and secured the
title and planted part of it. After keeping this ranch for twenty years he sold out
in 1904. Then, leaving his family in San Bernardino County, he again went to the
frontier, filing on eighty acres of desert land seven miles southwest of the Imperial
townsite. This he improved two years later sold. On returning to San Bernardino
County he filed on a 160 acre tract , the northeast quarter of Section 29, North of
Etiwanda. Later he discovered that this was not government land but was owned
by the railroad, and he made arrangements to purchase forty acres from the
railroad company. This land lies at the corner of Summit and Etiwanda Avenues,
and he has set it to fruit, built a home and otherwise instituted improvements that
mark his secure material prosperity. For nearly fifty years Mr. Henderson had the
companionship of his good wife, who was taken from him by death on January
10, 1921. Eleven children were born to their marriage, and all are living but one. 
The oldest, David Henderson, is a farmer at Bishop in Inyo County; Alexander also
lives at Bishop; William is in business at Rialto; Walter Scott is a resident of
Etiwanda; Nettie is the wife of Edward Purdue, living on a place adjoining the 
Henderson ranch; Robert R. is a rancher at Etiwanda; Maggie is Mrs. James 
Anderson, of San Bernardino; Belle is the wife of William St. Claire, of Little Rock,
Los Angeles County; Grover C. is a citrus grower at Etiwanda; Earle E. lives at 
Etiwanda; and Glen is the deceased child. 
   
 
Pages 1122 to 1123.
 
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, August 2010.