Introduction

Biography

Henry was the son of Me­tho­dist pas­tor Will­iam Ward Ninde and Ma­ry Ninde, and hus­band of Eli­za Ann Law­ton (mar­ried 1869).

His fa­mi­ly lived in Os­we­go, New York for two years; Sy­ra­cuse, New York, for an­oth­er two years; and one year in Low­ville, New York; be­fore mov­ing to Rome, New York, in 1841.

Henry ev­en­tu­al­ly be­came a ci­vil en­gin­eer and worked on the Black Ri­ver Ca­nal and did sur­vey work for the De­troit-Mil­wau­kee Rail­road. He al­so work­ed in teach­ing and print­ing, and at one point ran the post of­fice in Rome.

He served in the mi­li­tia in the Am­eri­can ci­vil war era (1861–68), was in­volved in the tem­per­ance move­ment, helped start the lo­cal branch of the Young Men’s Chris­tian As­so­cia­tion, and was elect­ed coun­ty school com­mis­sion­er.