Henderson

City and seat of Henderson County, in northwestern Kentucky; population (1990) 25,900. Henderson is built on bluffs south of the Ohio River, 11 km/7 mi south-southwest of Evansville, Indiana.

Henderson was founded in 1797 by the Transylvania Company. Its economy is based on corn, soybeans, livestock, and tobacco as well as oil, coal, plastics, and chemicals. Thoroughbred and harness racing takes place at Ellis Park and Riverside Downs. The naturalist and artist John James Audubon ran a general store here (1810–19), in the period when he completed his first bird drawings. John James Audubon State Park, immediately to the northeast of the city, was founded to commemorate him.

Henderson

City in Clark County, southeastern Nevada, a suburb 18 km/11 mi southeast of Las Vegas; population (2000) 175,400. Henderson is Nevada's leading industrial centre.

Henderson was established during World War II to house workers at a huge government magnesium plant nearby. In 1951 the plant was converted to titanium production. Other products made here include various chemicals for industry and the military, such as chlorine, hydrogen, and ammonium perchlorate. Insecticides and jet and rocket fuels are also manufactured. Henderson benefits from tourism to the nearby Lake Mead National Recreational Area and also has a large residential area.

Henderson

Town in Jefferson County, northern New York State, 93 km/58 mi north of Syracuse; population (1990) 1,300.

During the War of 1812, the nearby village of Henderson Harbour, on a sheltered bay of Lake Ontario, was the scene of a military engagement, as American gunners tried to pin down British troops on Horse Island, off Sacket's Harbour. The area is known for its sport and commercial fishing and lakeside state parks.

Henderson

City and seat of Vance County, in northern North Carolina, 58 km/36 mi northeast of Durham; population (2000) 16,100. Situated in the bright-leaf tobacco belt, it manufactures tobacco and cotton products, fertilizer, flour, and trucks, and is also the headquarters of a regional discount store chain.

Henderson

City and seat of Chester County, in southwestern Tennessee; population (1990) 4,800. Henderson, an agricultural market centre, is located 26 km/16 mi southeast of Jackson, near the South Fork of the Forked Deer River Freed–Hardeman College was established here in 1908.

Henderson

City and seat of Rusk County, in eastern Texas, 31 mi/50 km east-southeast of Tyler; population (1990) 11,100. Settled in 1844, it is situated in an area known for its production of cattle, cotton, and oil. It also has some light industry and is the home of the Texas Baptist Institute.