HENN, Hon. Bernhart - 1890 Bio (1817-1865)

HENN, EALER, PRICE, HUFFORD, BISSELL

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 8/9/2007 at 19:38:39

Portrait and Biographical Album of Jefferson and Van Buren Counties, Iowa, Printed 1890 by Lake City Publishing Co., Chicago
Pages 282-283

Hon. Bernhart HENN, deceased, one of Jefferson County's most honored pioneers, was born in Cherry Valley, N. Y., in 1817. He sprang from one of the old substantial yeoman families that was numbered among the early settlers of that valley. He was a man of splendid natural endowments, and in early life received the best scholastic training. At the age of seventeen years, he began the stirring battle of life for himself. During the school year he would follow the profession of teaching, and through vacation, in his leisure hours, pursued the study of law and thoroughly equipped himself for the legal profession, and for some years engaged in active practice. In an early day in the history of Iowa, he located in Burlington, where he met Gen. A. C. Dodge, with whom he became intimately associated. With that gentleman he went to Wisconsin, and engaged in lead mining for a time, and on his return to Burlington was made general land agent for the Government, in which capacity he served acceptably for a number of years.

On the 6th of August, 1841, near the city of Burlington, Mr. HENN was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth S., daughter of John B. and Catherine (EALER) PRICE. The lady is a native of Baltimore, Md. By the death of her parents, she was left an orphan when a mere child, and was reared by an aunt with whom she came to Iowa. Unto them were born six children: Mary J., wife of Dr. R. H. HUFFORD, of Fairfield; Anna and Bernhart, both deceased; Clara; Edward, a prominent lawyer of Sioux City; and Kate, wife of Dr. C. R. BISSELL, a noted physician of New York.

In 1844, Mr. HENN was appointed Register of the land office of Fairfield, by President Polk, a position which he held for four years. This necessitated his removal to Jefferson County, and was the means of securing to the county one of its most honored and prominent citizens. From 1849 until 1853, he represented his district in the United States Congress, and for two years was prominently identified with railroad affairs in the East. Returning to Fairfield, he then embarked in the banking business but the war came on, and with other financial institutions of the country, the one in which he was interested, went down, the stockholders suffering considerable loss. As a citizen, Mr. HENN was ever active in advancing the interests of the community in which he lived; he laid out the HENN and Williams addition to Fairfield, and in many other ways was instrumental in the promotion of her worthy enterprises and interests. Politically, he was a lifelong Democrat. In church work, Mr. HENN took a very active part, he and his wife both being leading members in the Congregational Church. Ever ready to extend a helping hand to the poor and needy, his charitable and benevolent impulses won him unnumbered friends. On the 30th of August, 1865, he closed his life work, beloved by all who knew him both at home and abroad. His widow still survives him, and retains almost perfectly her mental and physical faculties, although she is now somewhat advanced in years. She has been a liberal donator to the Fairfield Library, which is without peer in any city of its size in the country.

Of the settlers of 1844 but few remain, yet those who still survive, together with those who later came to the county, will read with pleasure this brief sketch of the life work of Hon. Bernhart HENN, a man who always tried to promote the best interests of home, of society and of the church.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.