The Hendersons One Family’s Legacy: Faith, Virtue, Loyalty Pioneers and Patriots

Pioneers and patriots, the Henderson family left behind a legacy of historical treasures in word and deed, allowing an unprecedented look into the past. Their Victorian-era plantation home, constructed in the 1800s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a living monument to those who walked its halls in an unbroken chain of five generations. Family patriarch Alexander Henderson arrived in Virginia in the 1700s, earning the title of Father of the American Chain Store, counting founding fathers George Washington and George Mason among his friends. He sent three of his sons to what was then the wilds of the Mid-Ohio Valley. The Hendersons took part in what may be the only duel recorded north of the Ohio River and played a role in thwarting the treasonous exploits of Aaron Burr. Some family members also served on both sides during the Civil War, surviving turmoil, treachery, and tragedy.

Pamela Douglas Brust graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and worked for more than 35 years as a news reporter/photographer. She has received numerous awards for her writing including coverage of government proceedings, courts, and social service agencies. She most recently received an Arts and Letters Award from the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. After spending more than a year working on a preservation project for the Henderson Hall archives, she volunteered to stay on as a historian/research assistant eventually asking permission of the advisory board to write a book about the Henderson family. All the labor and research involved in compiling this book was donated and all proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards the preservation of historic Henderson Hall - a true national treasure. Pamela and her husband Tim live in Ohio. Her sons Timothy Douglas and Patrick Ian are both teachers.