History

Henrietta was platted in 1868, and named after Henrietta Watkins, the wife of a first settler. A variant name was “Henry”. A post office called Henry was established in 1869, and the name was changed to Henrietta in 1908.

Henrietta was a thriving small town in the early days and saw its largest population in the 20’s and 30’s. There were restaurants, grocery stores, barbershops, a bakery, hotel, movie theater, go kart track and more.

A fire in the late 50’s engulfed an entire city block and the population started to decline. Steps remain from the fire that people often use to sit on and watch passing trains.

Most people today remember Henrietta when they still had their own school and Henrietta Bulldogs as the mascot. The walkway over Highway 13, the baseball fields, Henrietta drive-in and bowling alley, Village In and all the many businesses from the 60’s through the 80’s that attracted visitors from all around the area.

The 90s brought another blow to Henrietta just like many other small towns along the Missouri River. The Great Flood of 1993 inundated the surrounding farmland and part of the town. There are six entry ways into Henrietta and five of them were underwater.

The foundational businesses that have anchored Henrietta through the years like Taber’s Products, US Granules and Hockemeier Seeds provide the town with economic stability. Even with the relocation of Highway 13, Henrietta still stands strong.