Henry, Simon William

Born in Ireland in 1834, Simon William Henry learned blacksmithing in Canada and Michigan before immigrating to California in 1859, settling in Fresno County later that year. In the early county seat of Millerton, he operated a hotel, livery stable, and blacksmith shop while also engaging in ranching. Relocating to Fresno in 1874, he constructed Henry’s Hotel and later established a prominent blacksmith shop and livery business that served the rapidly growing town.

Beyond his commercial enterprises, Henry was a public-spirited citizen who donated and personally installed all the ironwork for Fresno’s early Episcopal Church. An active figure in local civic and political affairs, he pursued farming and teaming in his later years until his passing in 1918. Married to Annie Mitchell in 1862, he raised a prominent family whose members continued to reside and work across the San Joaquin Valley.