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David Henderson

David Henderson's biography can be found on page 271 of  the History of Huntingdon 
and Blair Counties, Penna. by J. Simpson Africa published by Louis H. Everts of 
Philadelphia, PA in 1883. 


David Henderson was born June 30, 1797, in Bald Eagle Valley, in what is now Taylor 
township, Centre Co., PA.  His father, Robert Henderson, was a native of the Emerald 
Isle, and emigrated to this country from County Derry during the Revolutionary War.  
He reared a family of nine sons and one daughter.  He died when David, the subject of 
this memoir, was but seven years old, leaving him at that tender age to the charity of 
a cold, unfeeling world.  When fourteen years of age he was employed by the Anshutz Iron 
Company at Huntingdon Furnace to carry their mail to and from Alexandria, PA, which was 
then their nearest post-office.  This position he filled for one year, at the expiration 
of which time he was apprenticed to Joseph Wagner to learn the shoemaking business.  After 
serving three years and learning his trade, he for a time worked as a journeyman shoemaker.  
He then for the purpose of bettering his fortune went to the State of Ohio, accomplishing 
most of the distance on foot.  Arrived at his destination he worked for some time at his 
trade.  He was then prostrated by a severe attack of sickness, on recovering from which he 
concluded to retrace his steps to the land of his nativity.  Purchasing a horse for forty 
dollars he made the homeward journey on horseback, arriving at Wallace's Tavern, near Union 
Furnace, with but twelve and one-half cents in his purse.  This he paid for a feed for his 
horse, then made his way to Half-Moon Valley, where he joined his mother in her humble home.

Soon after he commenced working at his trade in Franklin township, on the premises now owned 
by Judge Laporte, his only capital being the forty dollars received for his horse.  Here he 
did a large amount of work for the extensive iron-works in that neighborhood, viz., 
Pennsylvania, Bald Eagle, and Huntingdon Furnaces and Coleraine Forges.  It was at a time 
when the work had to be done entirely by hand, and he employed as many as eighteen journeymen 
at one time.  He received his pay in bar-iron, which he wagoned to Pittsburgh twice a year.  
About the time he thought the teams would have reached the summit of the Allegheny Mountains 
he would start on foot, overtake and preceed them to Pittsburgh, where he would sell his 
iron, purchase leather, etc., to reload his wagons for their homeward trip.  In 1821 he 
married Margaret Conrad, a most estimable lady, who, after a life of exemplary Christian 
piety and usefulness, died April 10, 1877, at the age of seventy-seven years.  Mr. 
Henderson in 1831 commenced farming on the farm now known as the homestead, one and a half 
miles frm the village of Spruce Creek, in Franklin township, Huntingdon Co., PA.  For the 
farm he paid the then large sum of seventeen hundred dollars.  To the pursuit thus adopted 
by him he ever afterwards devoted his undivided energies.  He never speculated nor engaged 
in any other business, and in time became, as is now said by many, one of the most 
successful farmers in the county, paying for one farm only to buy and in time to pay for 
another.  In the year 1864 he purchased property in the village of Spruce Creek, to which 
he removed and where he spent the last years of his life, dying Oct. 7, 1882.  At the time 
of his death he was possessed of considerable wealth of real and personal estate.  He was 
the father of a large family of children, four sons and four daughters being still living.  
He died surrounded with all the comforts of life which wealth, domestic happiness, and 
filial affection were capable of affording, and universally esteemed and respected.  Mr. 
Henderson was a man of genial disposition, social habits, and kindly nature.  In his 
after-years he became very fond of entertaining his friends with the reminiscences and 
experience of early life, an interesting fund of which a good memory had blessed him with.  
He commenced the battle for life under adverse circumstances, but fought it bravely and 
well with none of the modern advantages of an early education.  Without money or friends, 
and with nothing to rely upon but his own resources, his success in life was owing 
entirely to diligence in business, untiring industry, and that keen insight into human 
nature and the practical business affairs of life with which nature had endowed him; and 
he is an evidence of what may be accomplished by prudence, economy, and industry, habits 
which, if strictly observed and properly cultivated, cannot fail of ultimate success.