Walker/Henshaw House

 

This home (shown in 1907) on South Main Street was constructed by the end of 1899 and was the home of William H. Walker (November 10, 1863-November 10, 1953). Walker, an alderman from 1899 to 1902, also served as the city’s treasurer from 1908 to 1910 and was twice mayor of Dickson (1902-1904 and 1914-1915).  He was the head bookkeeper for the Tennessee Products Corporation for several years; ran a dry goods store on the east side of North Main; and owned and operated the W. H. Walker Grocery Store on the east side of South Main for 28 years.

 

For 16 years he served as executive secretary for the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce. While at the Chamber in 1932, Mr. Walker noticed an ad in one of the Nashville papers, stating that employment would be given to approximately 500 people in a town that would furnish a building. After Mr. Walker answered the ad, Henry I. Siegel from Scranton, Pennsylvania, arrived at the hardware store operated by Mayor Dan Beasley, reiterating that if the town would furnish him a building, he would put approximately five hundred people to work. Since this was in the midst of the Depression and very few people had jobs, the town needed a factory. This was the beginning of the H.I.S. Pants Factory in Dickson.

 

The residence was later occupied by W. H. Walker’s daughter and son-in-law, Henry and Mary Walker Henshaw, who continued to operate Walker’s Grocery. They later constructed a new building next to their residence on Main Street and moved the business to the west side of the street. The home and store building are still standing.

 

Photo and text provided by Alan Ragan