California Biographies Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from its earliest settlement to the present time. Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905 Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176 OLIVER O. HENRY. The record of the life of Oliver O. Henry, one of the most esteemed and useful members of the society of Portersville, is closely identified with much that has marked the progress of Tulare county during the last thirty years. He was born in Frederick county, Md., April 13, 1833, the descendant of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His grandfather, John Henry, came from his birthplace in the north of Ireland to America and located in Lancaster county, Pa., a pioneer of the state. His son. Francis Henry, was born in Lancaster county, in manhood removing to Maryland, where he became a prominent citizen. He followed the occu- pations of farmer and merchant, and was also an extensive railroad contractor. A man of much oratorical ability, he served in the Maryland legislature, where he won considerable renown. In time he removed to Michigan, thence to Ohio, in the latter state engaging as a railroad con- tractor with the Erie Company, building up a large business, while he also engaged as a mer- chant. Locating finally in La Grange county, Ind., he engaged as a farmer and contractor, tak- ing a large drainage contract which called for an unusual display of executive ability. He be- came prominently known throughout the state, serving in the Indiana legislature two terms and making a record for himself and his cause. He was always a stanch Democrat and gave his sup- port to the principles of this party. Fraternally he was a Royal Arch Mason. His death occurred in Indiana at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife, formerly Elizabeth Form wait, was born in Maryland and died in Indiana, at the age of sixty-two years. Her father, John Formwalt, was born near Westminster, Md., and in manhood became a farmer, locating later in life in Ohio, where his death occurred. Besides Oliver Osborn Henry, mentioned as the subject of this narrative, Mr. and Mrs. Henry were the parents of the following children : Catherine Jane, who became the wife of O. B. Taylor and died in Portersville; Albert Reese, who died in Por- tersville; and Margaret, who died in youth in Ohio. Oliver Osborn Henry received his education principally in the common schools of Ohio and Indiana, also received instruction from a private tutor. He was but thirteen years old when he accompanied his parents to La Grange county, Ind., their home being in the heavy timber lands of that state. With the self-reliance of the pioneer lad he set to work to assist in the clear- ing of the lands about their home, at an early age becoming engineer of his father's sawmill, which he conducted for five years. When twenty-three years old he married, after which he located on timber lands which he cleared and cultivated. In the spring of 1864 he crossed the plains by Halliday's coach to Nevada and for a time engaged in mining. Coming on to California he spent a short time here, later returning to Indiana by the Isthmus of Panama. He remained on his farm until the fall of 1878, when he sold out and coming to California once more purchased the farm which has remained his home ever since. This was then a vast wheat field and since that time has been transformed to a modern ranch, in addition to the raising of grain the setting out of all deciduous trees and grapes occupying considerable time and attention. When Mr. Henry purchased the land in 1881 he paid $10 per acre, and seven years later sold five acres for $1,000, another five acres for $875, showing the great advance in prices caused by the improvement and cultivation of the property. In 1878, with his brother Albert, who had purchased one hundred orange trees in Los Angeles, he set out an orange orchard on his place, these being the first budded orange trees at Portersville. He met with a success in this venture as well as in his other efforts, and soon established a nursery of both deciduous and citrus trees, supplying the greater part of the trees for the early orchards throughout this section. Of his original property eighty acres was under the Pioneer Ditch, and of this he still owns twenty acres, the balance having been divided among his children. Twelve acres are devoted to the cultivation of oranges, while the remainder is in alfalfa. December 18, 1856, occurred the marriage of Mr. Henry, uniting him with Catherine Lydia Dawson, who was born in Sandusky, Ohio, in which state she was reared until she was seven- teen years old, when she accompanied her parents to Indiana. Her father, John Dawson, a native of Pennsylvania, was a farmer and an early settler of Ross county, Ohio, whence he removed to La Grange county, Ind., in 1853, following the occupation of farmer until his death at "the age of seventy-six years. He was. a man of strong, earnest convictions, and at the age of sixty-six years enlisted in the Forty-fourth Regiment Indiana Infantry, for service in the Civil war. His wife, formerly Lydia Huddell, was born in Ross county. Ohio, and died in Indi- ana, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. Of their family of five daughters and two sons, all but one son' and one daughter are deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Henry were born three children, namely: W. Willshier, who died in Por- tersville November 3, 1902 (for more complete details refer to his biography which appears on another page of this work) ; Clara A., a graduate of the University of California, the wife of Prof. George Louderback, of the Chair of Geology, in the University of Nevada; and Edith F., a graduate of the San Francisco High School and a course in the San Francisco Normal School, the wife of S. A. Barber. M. D.. of Portersville. In his fraternal relations Mr. Henry was made a Mason in Tonic Lodge, at Wolcottville. Ind., of which he is past master, and is a charter mem- ber of Portersville Lodge No. 303. F. & A. M. Both himself and wife belong to the Order of the Eastern Star of that place. In his political convictions he is a stanch Democrat and has always given his support to the principles he endorses. He is active in party work in Tulare county, having served efficiently as a member of the county central committee.