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Prosperity through cultural literacy. Contact Encyclopedia Louisiana |
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1772-1825 |
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Prosperity through cultural literacy. Contact Encyclopedia Louisiana |
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1772-1825 |
| 1772 |
Stephen Henderson is born in Dunblane, Scotland. |
| 1790 |
Stephen Henderson comes to Louisiana about 1790. |
| 1800 |
Stephen Henderson establishes merchantile partnership with William Kenner. |
| 1803 |
He becomes a citizen in 1803. He invests shrewdly in real estate, cotton presses, and batture land along the city wharves, a warehouse at Exchange Alley and Bienville and property between present day Common and Howard and at the corner of Royal and Canal. |
| 1811 November |
Henderson is a member of the first state constitutional convention. |
| 1825 |
He marries Eleonore Zelia Destrehan, half his age, and the Hendersons later inherit Destrehan Plantation in the 1820s. |
| 1830 |
Henderson also acquires a home at 39 Canal Street (now the site of the U. S. Customhouse), several plantations valued at $400,000 and between 600 and 700 slaves. But his wife dies young and he builds an impressive tomb at St. Charles Borromeo Church near Destrehan. |
| 1838 March 10 |
Henderson dies a few years later, leaving a long and complex will. His huge fortune was contested for years, even beyond the Civil War and most of the money ends up as lawyer's fees. Destrehan manor was sold to his wife's brother-in-law despite his Henderson's desire to turn it into an industrial emporium that would teach industry to his slaves. |