Alexander Henderson, 95 year old of Wayne Township

Alexander Henderson, known as Uncle Alex, was a beloved member of the Waynetown area. He was born in North Carolina in 1815, but lived in Indiana by 1828. Henderson was a farmer with $12,000 in Real Estate Value (Land in Sec 4 of Wayne) and $2,000 in Personal Estate in 1870; was a member of the Methodist Church; and was an uncompromising Democrat. Uncle Alex was quoted as saying, "I am a man of very steady habits. I rise at 4 o'clock, winter and summer. Never took a drink of whiskey, never a chew of tobacco, never smoked a cigar, never fired a gun, and never owed a store bill over night in my life." At the time of his death in March 1911 he was the oldest man in Wayne Township probably due to his sturdy Quaker stock. Since he was a farmer, his family was large, but he was left with only five living children (he lost his wife thirteen years prior) by 1911.

Photo provided by Shirley Fruits