The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-26
Traders Alley Loses
Bill by Death
Dealer and Lover of Horses
Made Business Pay, Even
in Gasoline Age.

DEATH today overlook William
II Henry, the one and last Indi-
annapolis horseman the automobile
never caught up with.
Bill Henry, known throughout
the midle west as the last survivor
of the colorful group of men who
we're the life and fun and business
backbone of the street called
Traders Alley, died at his home,
912 North Illinois street, of pneu-
monia at this morning.
Vast trucks rumbled through
Traders Alley pearl street between
Missouri and West streets) this
morning leaving faint trails of gas
oline fumes-wraiths to mock the
memory of the man who continued
to deal in horses and make big
money up to the day his last illness
seized him.
Forty draft horses, splendid speci-
mems, the kind Bill Henry combed
the middle west for, shifted about
in stalls at the Henry barns at 427
West Pearl street as if nervous over
what is to become of them now.
a WEEK ago today Mr.. Henry
IA was in Galesburg, Ill, buying
horses. He wired Mrs. Henry he
was ill and asked her to meet him
at the train Thursday. He rail-
lied Monday, but death stole quietly
to him this morning.
Mr.. Henry was born in Brown
county, near Nashville, fifty-tWo
years ago. He was II when his
father, William Henry Sr., brought
him to Indianapolis. He got job
for dollar a day in a livery stable.
A native love of good h0rsefesh
and ability to judge, carefully nur-
tured by his father led him to bust
ness success-that and the fact that
men soon learned that Bill Henry's
word was q bond. They tell lot
of stories about Bill Henry in Trad
ers Alley, but they are not based
on any victories in horse deals due
to sharp practices 1t was the Gus
tom two decades ago for practically
all wealthy men to have Mr.. Henry
appraise a horse before they
bought it.
For a time he operated a high
class livery stable at Washington
and West streets. About fifteen
years ago he established the place
in Traders Alley. It was quite the
thing in those days to rent a spank
ing team from Bill Henry's place
and gallivant around on week-ends.
CTRANGE contrasts marked the
- life of the man who fought his
way to leadership Of the hardliving
group of men who made Traders
Alley. Amidst freely flowing. liquor
he rarely drank. Around horses
most of his life, he did not follow
the ponies" He got his thrill out
of the beauty in a well built draft
animal.
Slowly, and as efficiently and
honestly as a Washington street
merchant. he attended to business,
sought new sources of supply and
opened up new, sure markets so that
when the motor industry engulfed
most Of his fellows his position was
inpregnable. Had he been alive
today he probably would have
shipped a carload of fine animals
to Buffalo.
The passing of Bill Henry re-
moved one of the few links with
pioneer days. A feature of his busi-
ness in the early days was trading
in oxen as well as horses.
DESIDES Mrs. Theodosia Henry,
- the widow, Mr.. Henry is sur
vived by his brothers, Ollie, a police
man, and James, and a sister, Mrs.
Jennie Connors, all Of indianapolis.
Funeral services will be held at the
residence at 2;30 p. m. Thursday
with burial in Crown Hill. Friends
are invited.