Join the Black Historic Sites Committee for the unveiling of the Cornelius Henderson Historical Marker at Riverside Park (Riverside Park, 3085 W. Jefferson Ave. shelter 4, near the Ambassador Bridge, Detroit, Michigan, 48210).
Born in Detroit, Cornelius L. Henderson (c.1887-1976) was an African American civil engineer. He graduated in 1911 from the University of Michigan with a degree in civil engineering. Despite his degree from the University of Michigan, Henderson was unable to find employment. A chance encounter with a fellow graduate led him to apply to the Canadian Bridge Company, based in Walkerville, Ontario, just across the Detroit River. In 1927, Henderson was appointed chief structural engineer for the Canadian side of the Ambassador Bridge. He designed the Windsor approach to the bridge and supervised much of the installation of the bridge’s steel supports. He next served as the construction supervisor for the steel tubes that encompass the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, protecting it from the river above. Henderson spent his 47-year career with the Canadian Bridge Company. He worked on innumerable projects, including building bridges of all kinds, railroads, factories, residences, cemeteries, apartment buildings, and more throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world.