Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Henderson, Daniel C 
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Author: Past and Present Will County IL; 1907

Daniel C. Henderson, deceased, was one of Joliet's native sons, having been 
born in the city when it had scarcely emerged from village-hood. He was, 
moreover, a representative of one of its oldest families, for his father, 
Judge Henderson, located here about 1836. Merit and ability gained him 
recognition in the field of newspaper endeavor, where his influence was 
broadly felt and the strong and salient characteristics of his manhood won him 
the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. Mr. Henderson was born in 
Joliet, May 31, 1845, his parents being Hon. Hugh and Helen A. (Myers) 
Henderson, who were married December 23, 1837. The father was born in Norway, 
Herkimer county, New York, June 9, 1809, and acquired his education in the 
seminary at Fairfield, New York. He afterward located at Little Falls, 
Herkimer county, where he began the study of law in the office of George 
Feeter, Esq., remaining there until 1836, when he came to Joliet. Shortly 
after his arrival here he was admitted to the bar and entered upon practice in 
connection with Judge Francis Goodspeed, of this city. He attained almost 
immediate prominence as a member of the legal profession, and in 1837 was 
elected county judge of Will county, which office he filled for a year. He was 
a member of the constitutional convention in 1845, and thus aided in framing 
the organic law of the state. In 1849 he was elected judge of the eleventh 
judicial circuit of Illinois and remained upon the bench until his death, 
which occurred October 19, 1854. He was a lawyer of broad erudition and upon 
the bench rendered decisions which were strictly fair and impartial, winning 
for him the endorsement of the bar and the confidence of the public. His wife, 
who also passed away in Joliet, was a member of the Myers family, pioneer 
residents of this city, who came from the state of New York. When only a boy 
Daniel C. Henderson began to learn the printers trade in Joliet and at the age 
of sixteen years went to Fairfield, New York, where he continued his 
education, attending good schools of that city for a few years. In 1866 he 
returned to Illinois, and going to Chicago, entered the employ of the firm of 
Horton & Leonard, printers. He there worked at the printers trade for four 
years, and in 1870 came again to Joliet. The following year he established the 
Joliet Record, a weekly democratic newspaper, which steadily increased in 
circulation and in its advertising patronage. He owned and managed the 
newspaper alone until 1882, when he sold a half interest to W. W. Stevens, 
desiring to go east. He then went to Watertown, New York, where on the 11th of 
October, 1880, he was united in marriage to Miss Rose Woodruff, a native of 
that city and a daughter of Charles T. and Mary A. (Clarke) Woodruff, the 
latter a native of England and the former of the state of New York. Mr. 
Woodruff belonged to one of the pioneer families of Watertown and there 
engaged in the manufacture of brick during the greater part of his life. In 
his later years, however, he retired and spent much time in visiting his 
children in different parts of the country, but both he and his wife passed 
away in Watertown. After his marriage Mr. Henderson returned to Joliet, where, 
in connection with Mr. Stevens, he continued the publication of the Record 
until 1882, when he sold his interest to his partner. He then became the city 
editor of the Joliet Republican, which paper was then owned by Major Woods, 
and occupied that position until 1897, when he resigned and became the Joliet 
correspondent for the Chicago newspapers, so continuing throughout his 
remaining days. He was well known in journalistic circles and was recognized 
as a prominent representative of newspaper life in this part of the state. 
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Henderson were born four children, but all have passed away 
with the exception of Dorothy May, who was born December 16, 1890, and resides 
with her mother. Hugh Charles passed away in 1882; Willis Clyde died in 
infancy; and Charles Woodruff died at the age of seventeen months. In early 
life Mr. Henderson gave his political allegiance to the democracy, but 
afterward became a republican and was a stanch advocate of its principles. 
Socially he was connected with the Knights of Pythias of Joliet and he held 
membership in the Episcopal church. He was long recognized as one of the 
leading business men of this city, where the Henderson family have been 
prominent for many years. Mrs. Henderson belongs to the Universalist church, 
while her daughter holds membership in the Presbyterian church. They own and 
occupy a nice residence at No. 305 Third avenue and are highly esteemed in 
this city by many friends. Mr. Henderson was one of the older native sons of 
Joliet and after a residence here of fifty-four years passed away on the 20th 
of March, 1899. He was a man of broad sympathy and kindliness and a man of 
wide general information, who kept in touch with the trend of modern thought 
and progress and left the impress of his individuality upon the journalistic 
interests of northern Illinois.

Additional Comments:
PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907

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