Biographies:   Henry Clay VAN HOVENBERG, Eau Claire, Eau Claire Co., WI 

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Henry Clay Van Hovenberg, deceased, one of th every early settlers of this
part of Wisconsin, and closely identified with the primitive struggles of
the city and county of Eau Claire, was born September 25, 1831, in 
Schenectady county, New York, and was the son of Dewitt and Katherine
(Becker) Van Hovenberg, and grandson of Rudolph and Lydia (Van Dyck) Van
Hovenberg.  He was educated in the county schools and the city of 
Schenectady, and in 1842 came west to Wisconsin with his parents and 
settled in Green Lake county.  There Henry Clay Van Hovenberg followed the
occupation of farming until about twenty years of age, when becoming allured
by the current stories of Eau Claire, he came here in 1856, and for more than
half a century made this his home.  For five or six years after locating here,
he followed the business of carpenter and joiner, also taking up the work
of millwright.  He became associated with Mr. Flavius Mills, and they 
started the publication of the Chippewa Valley News, which in 1869 became 
the Eau Claire News, the publication of which was continued by them until
1870, when Mr. Van Hovenberg sold his interest to W. F. Bailey.

Mr. Van Hovenberg took an active part in the organization of the town
government of west Eau Claire and was for many years engaged in the implement
business with the late Jacob Strum, which business had been closed out
somewhat prior to the death of Mr. Van Hovenberg.  He was for many years 
largely interested in real estate in Eau Claire and was prosperous and 
successful in all his business ventures.  He was prominent in the Congrega-
tional church, and at times conducted services at school houses and missions, 
and was a member of the New York Society of Cincinnati.  His grandfather,
Rudolph Van Hovenberg, was one of the original members of the New York 
Society of Cincinnati, having signed the roll in 1783.  A portion of his 
journal while with the Sullivan expedition is found in Cook's journals of
the military expeditions of Major General John Sullivan.

In 1860 Mr. Van Hovenberg married Mary Eliza Pease, who died in 1873.  To 
this union were born the following children: Dewitt Joseph, who died 
September 28, 1913, at the age of 52 years; Mary Elizabeth married Eli W.
Keck, on December 29, 1908; Katherine was married June 15, 1899 to Harold
Winthrop Brown and resides at Dover, New Hampsire; Margaret, who was married
July 8, 1891, to Frank Asa Morrill, resides in Norwood, Massachusetts, and
Karl Henry, who is a practicing lawyer and a professor in the public schools
of Chicago.  In September, 1880, Mr. Van Hovenberg was again married, this
time to Mrs. Sarah Stinehfield Teague, who still survives and makes her
home in the city of Eau Claire.  Mr. Van Hovenberg died January 3, 1910.

--Taken from "The History of Eau Claire County, 1914, Past & Present",
page 890 - 892