Today in Tri-cities history! Born in The Netherlands, March 20, 1870, Henry Dornbos (shown here) was the son of Louis and Martha Perdok Dornbos. Henry attended school in The Netherlands, and after coming to America began working in factories when only 12 years old. He worked at Silas Kilbourn’s mill as a youth and lost an eye when a barrel stave flew back and hit him. It forced him to change his vocation and on May 2, 1889 he established a fish business in Grand Haven in association with his brother, Gerrit L. Dornbos, under the name, H. J. Dornbos and Brother.
At first he smoked the fish in his backyard. Later he sold the products in a basket from house to house and eventually became the largest wholesale fish dealer in the world, with products being shipped throughout the country. At its peak, the company handled approximately a million and a half pounds of fish annually, mostly smoked fish. After 1940 the company handled more than 300,000 pounds of Alaskan salmon, shipped frozen by boat from Alaska to the Pacific Coast and then by train to Grand Haven. During the company’s process of smoking, the natural color of the fish was retained. The business was destroyed by a botulism epidemic in 1963 that eventually led to its closing.
In 1909 the Dornbos brothers helped organized the Peoples Savings Bank in Grand Haven, with Henry as Vice President and Gerrit L. as first Vice President. In 1936 Henry became President and Chairman of the Board. He was a Republican, member of Chamber of Commerce, Citizens History Association. and Second Christian Reformed Church. His favorite recreation was travel and he toured throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He spent his winter months in California and Florida.
Henry died at his home at 608 Washington on November 16, 1944 and was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery.
At first he smoked the fish in his backyard. Later he sold the products in a basket from house to house and eventually became the largest wholesale fish dealer in the world, with products being shipped throughout the country. At its peak, the company handled approximately a million and a half pounds of fish annually, mostly smoked fish. After 1940 the company handled more than 300,000 pounds of Alaskan salmon, shipped frozen by boat from Alaska to the Pacific Coast and then by train to Grand Haven. During the company’s process of smoking, the natural color of the fish was retained. The business was destroyed by a botulism epidemic in 1963 that eventually led to its closing.
In 1909 the Dornbos brothers helped organized the Peoples Savings Bank in Grand Haven, with Henry as Vice President and Gerrit L. as first Vice President. In 1936 Henry became President and Chairman of the Board. He was a Republican, member of Chamber of Commerce, Citizens History Association. and Second Christian Reformed Church. His favorite recreation was travel and he toured throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He spent his winter months in California and Florida.
Henry died at his home at 608 Washington on November 16, 1944 and was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery.
Today in Tri-cities history! Born in The Netherlands, March 20, 1870, Henry Dornbos (shown here) was the son of Louis and Martha Perdok Dornbos. Henry attended school in The Netherlands, and after coming to America began working in factories when only 12 years old. He worked at Silas Kilbourn’s mill as a youth and lost an eye when a barrel stave flew back and hit him. It forced him to change his vocation and on May 2, 1889 he established a fish business in Grand Haven in association with his brother, Gerrit L. Dornbos, under the name, H. J. Dornbos and Brother.
At first he smoked the fish in his backyard. Later he sold the products in a basket from house to house and eventually became the largest wholesale fish dealer in the world, with products being shipped throughout the country. At its peak, the company handled approximately a million and a half pounds of fish annually, mostly smoked fish. After 1940 the company handled more than 300,000 pounds of Alaskan salmon, shipped frozen by boat from Alaska to the Pacific Coast and then by train to Grand Haven. During the company’s process of smoking, the natural color of the fish was retained. The business was destroyed by a botulism epidemic in 1963 that eventually led to its closing.
In 1909 the Dornbos brothers helped organized the Peoples Savings Bank in Grand Haven, with Henry as Vice President and Gerrit L. as first Vice President. In 1936 Henry became President and Chairman of the Board. He was a Republican, member of Chamber of Commerce, Citizens History Association. and Second Christian Reformed Church. His favorite recreation was travel and he toured throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He spent his winter months in California and Florida.
Henry died at his home at 608 Washington on November 16, 1944 and was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery.
At first he smoked the fish in his backyard. Later he sold the products in a basket from house to house and eventually became the largest wholesale fish dealer in the world, with products being shipped throughout the country. At its peak, the company handled approximately a million and a half pounds of fish annually, mostly smoked fish. After 1940 the company handled more than 300,000 pounds of Alaskan salmon, shipped frozen by boat from Alaska to the Pacific Coast and then by train to Grand Haven. During the company’s process of smoking, the natural color of the fish was retained. The business was destroyed by a botulism epidemic in 1963 that eventually led to its closing.
In 1909 the Dornbos brothers helped organized the Peoples Savings Bank in Grand Haven, with Henry as Vice President and Gerrit L. as first Vice President. In 1936 Henry became President and Chairman of the Board. He was a Republican, member of Chamber of Commerce, Citizens History Association. and Second Christian Reformed Church. His favorite recreation was travel and he toured throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He spent his winter months in California and Florida.
Henry died at his home at 608 Washington on November 16, 1944 and was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery.
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