Henderson, Paris P.

HENDERSON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 15:28:45

PARIS P. HENDERSON
born Jan 3, 1825, Indiana

History of Warren County, Iowa; Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns & Etc., by Union Historical Company, 1879, p.595
HENDERSON, PARIS P.; Indianola, was born in Union county, Indiana, January 3, 1825; removed with his parents to Hancock county, Indiana, in 1838, to Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1840; he came to Warren county on the 20th of October, 1847, and was among its earliest settlers; he was appointed organizing sheriff of the county by Judge Olney at the term of the Marion county district court in October, 1848, and did the preliminary work of its organization; at the first regular election, Jan. 1, 1849, he was elected sheriff, and continued to hold the office until after the adoption of the Code of 1851; he was also elected commissioner's clerk in 1850, to fill a vacancy, and held it until it was abolished by the legislature; in 1851 he was elected to the office of county judge, which he held until 1859, when he was chosen to the senate, serving through the regular and a portion of the called session of 1861, when he resigned to enter the army as Captain of Co. G, 10th Iowa Volunteer Infantry; early in 1863 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, and in July of that year to Colonel; his term of service expired, and he was discharged at Savannah, Georgia, Dec. 23, 1864; after his return home he was nominated and elected at the general election of 1865 to the office of county treasurer, which he held until January, 1874, since which time he has been engaged in private business; Col. Henderson has performed the duties which pertain to every office in the gift of the people of Warren county, and performed them well; he is a gentleman of high order, a kind father, a gentle husband and a close friend; he has seen almost the entire growth of the county, and whether in pioneer or later days has always had the regard of its people; Col. Henderson has been twice married, the first time to Miss Martha Haworth, of this county, Dec. 16, 1847; the issue of that marriage now living are: John H., now one of the leading attorneys of Indianola, and Alfred M., now of Marengo, Iowa; they also lost four infant children; his first wife died May 1, 1866; his second marriage occurred on the 19th of September, 1868, to Mrs. Mary C. Proudfoot, by whom he has one daughter, Mary A., born May 22, 1870.

Hon. Paris P. Henderson - This distinguished gentleman has been very closely identified with the history of his adopted State, and is the only person living in Indianola who became a resident of the town as early as 1847. His has been an honorable career, and in military, political, business, and private life his record is alike above reproach. He was born in Union county, Indiana, January 3, 1825, was there reared to manhood and acquired his education. In his youth he learned the tanner's trade, which he followed until twenty-one years of age, when, in 1847, he came to Warren county, Iowa. His father's people were from the highlands of Scotland, and in early Colonial days located in Virginia, where the grandfather of our subject, John Henderson, was born. The family afterward removed to North Carolina, where his father, Thomas Henderson, was born, December 20, 1796. The maternal ancestors were English and settled on the island of Nantucket, whence they removed to North Carolina, where his mother, Polly (Starbuck) Henderson, was born, May 22, 1797. Thomas Henderson and Polly Starbuck were married in their native State in 1820, and removed to Union county, Indiana. They had a family of seven children, of whom the Colonel is the second in order of birth. The others are Mary, who died in 1893; Fernando C., a farmer residing in Humboldt, Kansas; Hubbard C., who served during the Civil war in the -fourth Iowa , and died in Council Bluffs in 1885; Lusette, who died at the age of fourteen years; Mrs. Deborah Payne, a resident of Greene county, Iowa; Thomas, who was also one of the boys in blue of the late war, and is a resident of Indianola.
For almost half a century Mr. Henderson has been identified with the history of this city, an important factor in its upbuilding and advancement. He has taken a leading part in public affairs, was organizing Sheriff of Warren county, served for two years in the capacity of Sheriff, and was then elected County Judge, in which position he was continued by re-election until January 1, 1860. On that date he entered upon the duties of the office of State Senator, serving during the regular session of the Legislature of that year, and at the special session in the spring of 1861, which was called to make provisions for raising and equipping troops for the Civil war. As soon as the session adjourned Mr Henderson laid aside the honors of civil office, resigned the position of Senator, and at once began recruiting a company, which subsequently became Company G of the Tenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was commissioned Captain and was mustered into the United States Service on the 6th of September, 1861. From that date until the close of the war he remained at the front, participating in many of the sanguinary battles of the Rebellion. He was with the western army in the engagements at Charleston, Bloomfield, the siege of New Madrid and Island No 10, Farmington, the battles of Iuka, the two-days battle of Corinth, Holly Springs, the Yazoo Pass expedition, the siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Jackson, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, and the second battle of Jackson The regiment then returned to Memphis, and went with Sherman on the forced march to relieve the army at Chattanooga. He was in the battle of Missionary Ridge and participated in nearly all the battles and skirmishes of the Atlanta campaign. After the surrender of Atlanta he went with Sherman on the march to the sea and assisted in the capture of Savannah, which terminated the active operations of the western army. In February, 1863, Mr. Henderson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and in August of the same year was commissioned Colonel of his regiment. No man has a more honorable military record than he. Possessing a strong and vigorous constitution and being especially fortunate in receiving no wounds in battle, he remained in the field and at the front from the beginning of the war until the final capitulation at . In recognition of his valiant services as well as of his fitness for the position he was elected County Treasurer upon his return to Warren county, and in that position faithfully served the public for eight consecutive years.
The Colonel's private life is above reproach, and having passed the three-score and ten years alotted to humanity he is still in the enjoyment of good health- a perfectly preserved specimen of physical manhood. Everybody knows and loves Colonel Henderson, because he is everybody's friend; no man stands higher in the estimation of the people of Warren county, because no one has been more useful. He is now serving his fifth term as Mayor of the city of Indianola, and under his wise care and able administration the interests of the city have been largely promoted. Colonel Henderson has been twice married, his first wife, whom he wedded December 16, 1847, being Miss Martha P. Haworth, a native of Ohio, born June 11, 1827. She bore him two sons, the eldest of whom is Hon. John H. Henderson, District Judge of the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa. He was born September 16, 1848, and his home is now in Indianola. The second son is Alfred M., born February 16, 1850. He is cashier of the Marengo (Iowa) Savings Bank, and resides in Marengo. Both sons were liberally educated, are now married and are honorable and well known citizens. On the 1st of May, 1866, Colonel Henderson was called upon to mourn the death of the companion of his young manhood. In Septembe, 1867, he was united in marriage with his present wife, who was formerly Mrs. Mary C. (Barnett) Proudfoot. She was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, December 22, 1848, and by her marriage to James Proudfoot had one son, Thomas J., who is a furniture dealer in Indianola. Colonel and Mrs. Henderson have a daughter, Susie M., who was born in Indianola, May 22, 1870, and is the wife of C. M. Beck, a banker of Gibbon, Nebraska. Colonel Henderson assisted in the organization of the Republican party in Iowa, and has always been a faithful adherent of its doctrines. For many years he has been a member of the Masonic fraternity, and twice served his local lodge as Worthy Master. He is also identified with the Grand Army Post, of Indianola, and his church affiliations are with the Methodist Episcopal. Source: A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa, Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1896, vol.1, p.233

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.386
PARIS P. HENDERSON
Paris P. Henderson, was a native of Union County, Indiana, his birth there occurring on the 3d of January 1825, while his life record covered the intervening years to the 4th of January 1908. He was of Scotch-Irish lineage, his father being Thomas Hen­derson, who removed from North Carolina to Kentucky and thence to Indiana. Paris P. Henderson in early life became a tanner and shoemaker and in October 1847, he removed to Iowa, settling in Ackworth, Warren County, where he entered a tract of land. He continued to work at the bench as a shoemaker, however, until 1848, when he was appointed organizing sheriff of the county by Judge Olney and assisted in establishing the county, laying its boundaries and formulating its policy. On the first of January, 1849, he was elected the first sheriff of the county and served until 1851. During the same period he was commissioned as clerk until the office was abolished. On the 11th of June 1850, he removed to Indianola and the following year was elected county judge, occupying the bench until 1859, when he was chosen to represent his district in the state senate. He served in the regular session of 1860 and during part of the special session of 1861, but ere its close he resigned and raised a company of volunteers for service in the Union army, being mustered in as captain of Company G, Tenth Iowa Infantry, at Iowa City in August, 1861. In 1863 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and in July of that year was commissioned colonel. His military service was of a varied character and entailed many hard experiences. He was with Sherman on the cele­brated march to the sea and when he arrived at Savannah, Georgia, his term of enlistment having expired, he was honorably discharged on the 23d of December, 1864.
Colonel Henderson then returned to his home in Iowa and in 1865 was elected treasurer of Warren County, which position he continued to fill until January, 1874. He was afterward mayor of Indianola for twelve years, has been justice of the peace and has frequently done service on the educational board, while in early years he was a member of the board of trustees of Simpson College. His public service was characterized by the utmost fidelity to duty, arising from a comprehensive understanding of the public needs and unfalter­ing loyalty in citizenship. He left the impress of his individuality for good upon the history of Warren County and the state. In fact, its annals would be incomplete without extended mention of him whose record was alike a credit and honor to the state which honored him. Fraternally he was connected with the Masons, the Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic, and his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church. His political allegiance was given to the free soil democrats but when the extension of slavery became the dominant issue before the people and the Republican Party was formed to prevent carrying slavery into the northern states, he joined its ranks and remained ever afterward one of its stalwart champions. His position on any question of importance was never an equivocal one. He stood fearlessly in defense of what he believed to be right and nothing could swerve him from a course which his judgment sanctioned as the correct one.
In early manhood Judge Paris P. Henderson wedded Martha P. Haworth, who was born at Todds Fork, Clinton County, Ohio, in 1839 and died in 1866. She was of English lineage, her ancestors coming to this country with William Penn. The founder of the family in America was George Haworth. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Henderson were born six children, four of whom passed away in infancy. One surviving son is John Hancock Henderson [whose biography is also in this book] and his junior brother is Alfred M. Henderson, who is now engaged in the real-estate business in Marengo, Iowa, and is mayor of that city.