According to census records Henry Franklin Horn was born in Missouri. The earliest record found for him is the 1850 census where he is shown in Howard County Missouri at the age of 19 living with the Robert C. Ancell family. The next is a Stockton, California real estate transaction dated 27 January 1857 registering a property deed to Henry Horn and a partner as buyers by John C. Cabanifs(sp.?), seller. There are four more transfers of real estate in 1857 in which Henry was either the purchaser or seller. His partners in these transactions were John Crofton and/or Thomas Cunningham, the San Joaquin County Sheriff.

The records documenting the life of Henry Franklin Horn and his wife Hanora are not many. At this time it is not known where they met and married nor do we know when Henry or Hanora arrived in California since they both were born elsewhere. Stockton was incorporated as a city in the same year that California became a state, 1850. Seven years later Henry Horn was acquiring property and establishing himself as a business man in the booming gold rush town. Perhaps he came as a prospector as so many others did at that time.

The five real estate transactions in 1857 appear to involve a parcel of land that H. F. Horn and his partners acquired and then re-sold. It appears that Horn kept at least one part of the land because in 1860 he was listed on the Stockton tax delinquency list. We have not found a transaction in the San Joaquin County Recorder's office that shows sale of the property on which he owed taxes.

From the 1860 census we know he was born in Missouri in 1830, his wife was born in Ireland in 1834. His occupation is given as a saddle tree manufacturer. The family lived with two male boarders, J.L. Ashcroft, age 20 from Missouri and Wm. Applegarth, age 30 from Canada. Their occupations were the same as their landlord and perhaps worked for him. A one year old son Henry F. Horn is also shown in the census.

From 1864 through 1869 Henry F. Horn appears in Langley's City Directories for San Francisco:

1864-65
Horn, Henry laborer with Alexander Lemore. (Lemore owned a brick yard.)

1866
Horn, Henry F. carpenter dwl 111 Sixth

1867-68
Horn, Henry F. carpenter dwl 948 Howard

1868-69
Horn, Henry F. carpenter dwl 563 Natoma Horn,
Hanora, Mrs. dressmaker, dwl 563 Natoma.

Since Horn's daughter Anna was born in Stockton in 1865, it appears the person shown in the 1864-65 listing may not have been our Henry F. Horn. Both the manner the name was printed (without the middle initial) and the occupation indicate this was a different Horn.

The San Joaquin Genealogical Society published a series of books documenting newspaper announcements of births, marriages, deaths and other miscellaneous records of the county from 1850 to 1946. Mention of Henry F. Horn is found in Gold Rush Days Volume III Miscellaneous Records 1856-1862 on page 66.

July 31, 1859, Horn, Henry F. member see Stockton Engine Company No. 1 reorganized May 31, 1853, 64 members.

May 2, 1860, Horn, H.F. on Stockton delinquency tax list.

A listing was also found in Old Cemeteries of San Joaquin County, Volume II page 95:

Stockton Rural Cemetery
Horn, Henry F. buried June 28, 1870, age 39.

The History of San Joaquin County by George H. Tinkham, published in 1923 by Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California contains a reference to Henry Horn on page 133:

H.F. Horn (saddletree maker) member of Weber Engine Company. Weber Engine Company organized in 1850.

He also appears in the Great Register of San Joaquin County, Supplement for 1869, listed as a carpenter living in Stockton and registered in Ward 3 on 7 April 1869 just a year before his death.

The Henry F. Horn family does not appear in the 1870 census of San Joaquin County because Henry died 27 June 1870. Notice of his death appeared in the Stockton Daily Evening Herald on Tuesday, 18 June 1870.

Died: In this city, June 27th, Henry F. Horn, aged 39 years, a native of Howard county, Missouri. St Louis and Jefferson City papers please copy.

Died.-Yesterday, Henry F. Horn, one of the early settlers of Stockton, departed this life, dying from consumption. The deceased was warmly esteemed by all who knew him. He was a good citizen, an honest man, and a warm and firm friend. He leaves a wife and two children to mourn his loss.

At Half-Mast - In respect to the memory of Henry F. Horn, an exempt member of Weber Engine Company, No. 1, who died of consumption last evening, the flags of the Fire Department have been displayed at half-mast today.

On Wednesday, June 29th the Stockton Daily Evening Herald printed the notice of his funeral:

Funeral.-The funeral of H.F. Horn, deceased, an exempt member of Weber Engine Company, No. 1, took place from his late residence, this afternoon, and was largely attended by delegates from the different Companies of the Fire Department.

Hanora Horn placed a lovely marker on her husband's grave with an inscription that says:

Sacred to the memory of HENRY F. HORN, A native of Howard County Missouri, DIED June 27, 1870, Aged 39 Years. Erected by his affectionate wife Hanora Horn. My husband is gone but why should I weep. No sorrow or pain will break his calm sleep. Ours then be that faith which bows neath the rod, And looks through the gloom to a merciful God.

After her husband's death, Hanora again moved to San Francisco. She is found in the 1871 San Francisco Directory listed as a widow dwelling at the N W corner of Tehama and Fifth. In 1872 Hanora is listed on page 333 of the San Francisco Directory; she is shown as a dressmaker residing at 311 Sixth. On the same page is listed a H. F. Horn, carpenter for the H.C. League living at 230 Kearney. Hanora's son was only thirteen years old at that time. As young as that seems by today's standards, it is possible the teenager was helping to support his mother and sister.

The last printed record we've found of Hanora is in the 1876-77 Langley's Directory of San Francisco. At that time she lived at Ns Precita Av nr San Bruno Road.

The only record of Hanora's maiden name appears in the Roster of California Pioneers by the Native Daughters of the Golden West, Volume 8, page 103. The information was provided by Alice Meagher Horn, wife of Hanora's son, Henry.

Hanora died in San Francisco 24 March 1885. She was buried originally at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in the city. Her body was moved to the Horn family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery in 1913 when San Francisco passed a law prohibiting cemeteries in the city limits.

Searching the census records of Missouri for more information about Henry Horn's family has not proved fruitful because census records before 1850 list only the heads of families and the numbers of males and females counted. Not knowing his father's name presents a problem for research at this time. The search is not over.