"Illustrated History of Lane County, Oregon." Portland, Oregon: A. G. Walling,
publisher, 1884.  pg. 483.
 
HON. JAMES H. D. HENDERSON
     Of Eugene City, was born in Livingston county, Kentucky, on the
twenty-third day of July, 1810.  Emigrated from that State to the then territory
of Missouri with his father's family, in the fall of 1817, the family locating
in what was then St. Charles county, now Callaway county, about twelve miles
north of Jefferson City, the capital of the State.  At that time there was but
one other family within ten miles of their location.  Here he helped to open a
farm and cultivate it until he reached early manhood, having but limited
opportunity for an education, only such as a new country and common schools
would afford.  He commenced business life in a printing office with Calvin Gunn,
who was then publishing the first and only paper in the State capital.  After
having followed this business for some years he felt it to be his duty to devote
himself to the gospel ministry and traveled extensively in Missouri, preaching
as an itinerant or evangelist, part of the time in Kentucky and Tennessee.  In
1837 he married Miss Sarah Vaughn, in Marion county, Missouri, who lived but a
few months.  He afterwards married Miss Mary E. Fisher, in Ralls county,
Missouri, on the eighth of August, 1839, with whom he still lives.  He located
in Bowling Green, Missouri, and published a paper there for some time; while
thus engaged he was invited to take the pastoral charge of a congregation in
Washington county, Pennsylvania, which he accepted and remained there for eight
years, but while thus employed he came to the conclusion that to be employed as
pastor of a church at a stated salary was not calculated to encourage that
independence of thought and speech that he deemed the right of all men and which
was very dear to him.  In the year 1851 he resigned his charge, returned to
Missouri and would have re-located in that State had it not been for the
existence of slavery in that commonwealth:  he felt that no man was free in
slave holding communities, not even the slave holder himself.  On the eighth of
April, 1852, he, with his family, wife and five children, viz:  Washington I.,
James J., Sarah C., Iphigenia and John F., bade adieu to friends and relatives
and started from Bowling Green, Pike county, for the far-off territory of
Oregon, outfitted with a baggage wagon drawn by a fine pair of cattle and a
light spring wagon drawn by a pair of horses.  Waiting ten days at St. Joseph
for his company, after that delay traveling regularly, through an unbroken
wilderness, without seeing a single habitation of white settlers, except at a
military or trading post, until reaching The Dalles on the Columbia river, which
occurred on the twenty-ninth day of September, 1852.  There was a six months'
journey through a country inhabited only by wild beasts and savage men, which
involved the necessity of fording rivers, climbing mountains, exposure to
storms, fevers, cholera and death.  Arrived in Portland October twelfth; located
in Yamhill county, took a homestead land claim, lived on it four years, sold
out, moved into Lane county and settled in Eugene City where he and his wife now
reside.  Their children (a third daughter, Dora, born in Yamhill county) all
grown and all living.  In 1858 Mr. Henderson was elected county superintendent
of public schools; was appointed and served some three years as a clerk in the
surveyor-general's office; in 1864 was nominated as candidate for congress by
the republican State convention held in Albany; accepted the nomination and made
the canvass of the State against Col. James K.Kelly, of the democratic party and
was elected by a majority of 2,800 votes.  In December, 1865, he took his seat
in the thirty-ninth congress, serving on the committees on the Pacific railroad,
mines and mining, Indian affairs, and the special committee on the death of
President Lincoln.  At the close of his term, having strictly and faithfully
performed the duties of his station, he returned to his home and family in
Eugene City, Oregon, and now in the 74th year of his age, employing his time in
reading, preaching, lecturing, writing for various periodicals, and manual
labor.
 
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in May 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.