How Henry County Received Its Name

SAUNDERS, HENRY, DODGE

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 10/14/2014 at 18:40:01

ALVIN SAUNDERS selected the name of "HENRY COUNTY" in the early pioneering years. He named it for Col. James D. HENRY and worked to convince the Legislators the name was the choice of the majority of the residents. There was some misunderstanding about the name and some writers contend that it was named for HENRY DODGE, but SAUNDERS disclaimed this. The name “HYLAND” was also suggested; this name having been used by many of the early day newspapers.

It is a personal story. ALVIN SAUNDERS wanted to name the county “HENRY” because of his admiration and friendship with Col. James D. HENRY of the Black Hawk War fame. As he told the story later, he had to make his own way in his early boyhood and received 12 ½ cents per day for his labors. After moving to Springfield, Ill., he was able to work for 15 cents per day, but his ultimate goal was to make 25 cents a day for his labor.

At that time Col. HENRY was campaigning in Illinois, and Alvin being an enterprising boy, was trying to pick up a few extra pennies by charging a few extra cents for ginger cakes to the crowds on the street. At the time Alvin was shy and did not sell a single cake, until Col. HENRY approached and asked what he was doing. Alvin explained that he was selling the cakes on commission. After the explanation, Col. HENRY bought all of his cakes and proceeded to treat all of the boys in the crowd. Alvin ran all the way to the baker who paid him his 50 cents commission.

Years later, the small boy, now an influential man on the Iowa frontier, was able to use his influence to name the county after the man who had befriended him, Col. HENRY.

Alvin moved to the area when it was still “Michigan Territory.” It became a separate territory – “Territory of Wisconsin” in 1836. Later yet it became the “Iowa Territory”, before becoming a state in 1846.

Mr. SAUNDERS often asked the riddle: “How could a man have four sons, all born in the same house and yet three of them were born in separate territories and one in a state?”