History of Henry County
Henry County, named in honor of Patrick Henry, the renowned patriot, was organized under the act of Feb. 2, 1824. The tract of land was 120 miles in length and had an average width of 40 miles. The surface is nearly level throughout with remarkable fertility. Underneath the top substance lies a rich, yellow clay containing large quantities of lime. It was once a section of the Black Swamp. At that time, the land was nearly worthless but after being drained it became a prime garden spot.
The country was settled slowly. In 1830, there were only 262 inhabitants in the whole county. Napoleon was founded in 1832 by Amos Andrews, who built a small cabin and called it a tavern. The canal helped the growth of the county in many ways.
In 1910, the population increased in many towns but in some it had decreased due to lack of business and the quick progress in other towns. The population of Ohio was 4,767,121. Napoleon's population was 4,007 while Liberty Center's was 647.