El
Dorado County
Biographies
GEORGE H. HENSER
When a life-record is ended it is
customary to take in review the principal events which form the history and to
make an estimate upon the character of him who has passed away. George Henry Henser,
long a resident of Georgetown, but now deceased, was regarded as one of the
prominent and influential men of his community.
His efforts contributed in no small degree to the upbuilding
and progress of Georgetown and El Dorado County. He came to California in 1851 and from that
time until his death bore his part in the work of public progress.
A native of Germany he was born in
1829 and in his native land acquired his education and learned the baker’s
trade. Upon his arrival in San Francisco
in 1851 he followed the same pursuit and there engaged in business for a few
years. He was married in that city in
1854 to Miss Mary Lahr, a native of Germany, born on the river Rhine in 1835. She came to California in 1854, and after their
marriage they located on Mormon Island, in Sacramento County, where Mr. Henser conducted bakery and store until 1869. That year witnessed their arrival in Georgetown,
where he built the American Hotel, in partnership with John Bundshale. This partnership was continued until 1876 and
a successful business was carried on, the firm receiving a liberal patronage
from the traveling public. In that year
Mr. Henser was called to his final rest, passing away
in the forty-seventh year of his age. He
was an upright, industrious citizen, and in his well-conducted business affairs
gained a deserved prosperity. He also
had a wide acquaintance among the citizens of this county and with the
traveling public and was held in warm regard by all who knew him.
Mr. Henser
is survived by his widow and two of their three children. Henry, the elder, was born at Mormon Island,
Sacramento County, March 4, 1859, and is a prominent stock raiser living in
Georgetown. He is also one of the
supervisors of his county and is a leading member of the Masonic
fraternity. He wedded Miss Mary Gunn and
they have three children: Edna, Lynet and Georgia.
The one daughter of the family, Katie, became the wife of Joseph Forbes
and died at the age of thirty-nine years, leaving two children, George Oscar
and Sadie. The younger son, William
Albert Henser, was born in 1863, was educated in
Georgetown and became his father’s assistant in the hotel, and at the latter’s
death, in connection with his mother, assumed the management of the hotel. The hotel property was destroyed by fire on
the 3rd of April, 1899. They
had but a small insurance and their loss was a heavy one, but on the old site
they at once began the erection of a splendid new hotel, of modern design,
commodious and well equipped. They enjoy
a large share of the business that comes to the town. The building is two and one-half stories
high, contains thirty-four rooms and is forty-six by eighty feet on the ground
floor. The rooms are large, with high
ceilings, are well ventilated, and the place is neatly finished throughout with
new furniture. The first meal was served
therein on the 10th of July, 1899, and the hotel has since enjoyed
the reputation of being a first-class house and one of the best in the county.
William Henser,
who is the proprietor of the hotel and its able and
popular manager, is a Native Son of the Golden West and is past president of
his parlor, in which he has been honored with the office of treasurer for the
last ten years. He belongs to both the
subordinate lodge and encampment of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
has likewise taken the Rebekah degrees. His political support is unfalteringly given
to the Republican Party, but the emolument of public office
have had no attraction for him.
His mother is now in her sixty-fifth year. She was to her husband a most excellent
helpmate and her efforts contributed in no small degree to his success. She possesses many excellent qualities and
her circle of friends in Georgetown is very extensive.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 718-719. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2011
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden
Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies