Butte County
Biographies
HENRY A. DYER
HENRY A. DYER.—The phenomenal growth of Butte County, and of the
city of Chico in particular, and the immense possibilities the future holds for
the development of the county’s resources, have attracted hither many business
men of ability and enterprise. H. A. Dyer, the proprietor of the
popular Dyer’s Cafe, is a representative man of this class. He was born in
Springfield, Greene County, Mo., on March 3, 1857, and inherits his
energy and business acumen from his ancestors. His grandfather, for whom Dyer
County, in Tennessee, was named, was the founder of Dyersburg, in that county
and state. His father, Isaac, was born and married in Tennessee, and removed to
Missouri, where he opened, and for some time successfully ran, the first hotel
and livery stable in Springfield. He was also a farmer and stockman.
Isaac Dyer married Margaret Gott, who was
born in Kentucky and died in Missouri. In their family of five children,
Henry A. Dyer was the second in order of birth.
Henry A. Dyer received a limited education
in the public schools in his native city. While his educational advantages were
limited, however, he is a well-educated man, being self-educated in the
broadest sense of the term. Thrown on his own resources, at thirteen years of
age he went to St. Louis and became an apprentice in the George Bayne mill.
Completing his apprenticeship, he returned to Springfield, where he became the
owner of a flour mill run by water power, which he continued to operate until
1883. A milling combine was formed in the state, forcing all the small mills
in. The assessments soon ate up the investment, and as a consequence he lost
his mill. He then came to California, in October, 1883, intending to go to work
for Mr. Bidwell; but owing to the small wages Mr. Bidwell was paying,
he came to Butte City that winter, and there engaged in farming, raising grain
until 1893. He was an active agent in the upbuilding
of Butte City. He built the Dyer House, the leading hotel of that city and the
finest hotel in the county, and also built the water works, and electric light
plant, the ice and cold storage plant, the meat market, and a blacksmith shop,
as well as the first garage in the town. He continued in business until the
fire of August 7, 1913, wiped out the business section of the city,
when he sustained a loss of fifty thousand dollars, with only thirteen thousand
dollars of insurance. He rebuilt the garage, blacksmith shop, and meat market,
and leased them; and in October of that year he removed to Chico, where he was
engaged in business until February, 1917. In October, 1916, he opened Dyer’s
Cafe, at 212 Main Street, remodeling it, putting in new fixtures and otherwise
improving it, and making it first class in all respects.
Mr. Dyer has been twice married. His first
wife, who was in maidenhood Nancy Bryant, died in California. Of the six
children that were born of this union, two are living: Irma, now residing in
Chico; and Ira, of Oakland, but now serving in the Aviation section of the
United States Signal Corps. At his second marriage, Mr. Dyer was united with
Mary Hamilton, of Oakland, who died in Butte City. The children by this
marriage are: Lena, now Mrs. Johnson, of Sacramento; Ella, living in
Chico; and Henry, who is in the United States Army. Mr. Dyer is a
Republican.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
09 July 2009.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1210-1211, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies