PREFACE
The story of Henry County is one of achievement and development. The men and women who came to this county to make their homes on the, then frontier of the West, during the first half of the nineteenth century, laid the foundation for the present and future greatness of this - the Banner County of Missouri. Many of them were descendants of ancestors who had been pioneers on other borders. Many came from Kentucky - some from farther south, and still others from the East.
They were typical pioneers, not unlike the average Missouri early settlers of whom a large portion were native Americans. They came here to make homes for themselves and their families. They were honest, sincere, industrious and God-fearing men and women, and the high rank that Henry County holds at this day, among her sister counties of the State and nation is, in no small measure, due to the honest motives and sincere devotion to duty of this hardy, self-reliant and liberty-loving vanguard of civilization, who perhaps "builded better than they knew." In recounting the story of Henry County, many of the descendants of these pioneers have played a conspicuous part in the affairs of the county, through all the years of its history, and many of these pioneer family names are prominently identified with the county at the present day.
The purpose of this work is not to present a philosophical treatise, on the causes and effects of matters connected with the history of Henry County, nor to fathom the unknown motives of man. It has been the aim, rather, to chronicle the events which may be of interest to those of the present and future. An effort has been made to present the main historical events which have transpired within the borders of the county, in chronological order, or as neatly so as possible. Major events of a State and national character have been touched upon, only as they affected Henry County, as well as the country as a whole. Many conditions and circumstances have had an influence in shaping the destiny of Henry County, and it is hoped that none of the more important of these have been overlooked in this volume.
Biography has ever been recognized as the foundation of all history and it has been well said that the family is the unit of society. Therefore, due recognition as been given in this work, to family and biographical history.
Individual histories of many representative men and women of today, as well as of the past in Henry County, are here recorded with painstaking accuracy, which will remain an imperishable record of value as the years come and go.
Every effort has been put forth to make this history of Henry County accurate in detail, and comprehensive in scope, and while the limitation of human endeavor is ever present, especially in a work of this character it is firmly believed that this contribution to the annals of Henry County will meet with the approval and appreciation of a reading public.
Grateful acknowledgment is hereby made to the people of Henry County for their steadfast co-operation in this undertaking and the substantial encouragement which they have given.
