He was the son of Riverius Messenger and Hannah Filley. He married Malinda Sargent, daughter of Seth Sargent, October 31, 1858 in Jackson, Michigan. Malinda died in 1867. Henry then married Frances Louisa Palmer on March 8, 1868 in Marion, Ohio. She was the daughter of Reuben and Frances Bickford Palmer.
Henry Newton Messenger served with Co. I, 174th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.
Henry was on 10 years of age when his father started out for California and the boy was thrown upon his own resources. He had little education of a formal sort, but was widely read. He helped in the support of his family until he was 19.
In 1869 he moved his family to Cass County, Missouri, then to Kansas, overland by mule team and wagon. Their first home in Kingman County was a dugout, later followed by a sod house. Lumber for the roof was paid for with money earned by picking up buffalo bones and selling them. Eventually, Henry was owner of a fine residence and a finely improved homestead.2