“Henry Lyons was born in the City of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the year 1849, and was a son of Mr. and Mrs.Isaac Lyons, both of whom passed the closing years of their lives at Danville, Kentucky, where their sons Henry and Samuel had cared for them with earnest filial devotion in the gracious evening of their lives. The remains of the parents and both of the sons rest in the Jewish Cemetery at Cincinnati, Ohio. The sons were closely associated in business for many years and both were numbered among the most honored and influential citizens of Danville, to whose civic and material advancement and prosperity they had contributed in generous measure. In his youth, Henry Lyons profited fully by the somewhat limited educational advantages that were afforded him, and he early gained full fellowship with honest toil and endeavor. In 1866 he came to Danville, Kentucky, and as a youth of seventeen years here formed a partnership with Samuel Straus, his cousin, and opened a clothing store. Within a short time thereafter he assumed full ownership of the business, which he continued individually and with marked success until 1887 when he was succeeded by his brother Samuel, who had long been associated with him in the enterprise. He then went to California for a period of rest and recuperation, as his health had become much impaired, and upon his return to Danville, about four months later, in April 1887, his physical powers were up to good standard and he was ready to enter once more the field of vigorous business. He resumed his alliance with his brother, and they soon enlarged the scope of their business by opening a second store. They conducted these two mercantile establishments with characteristic ability and attending success until 1895 when they sold their clothing store to J. L. Frohman & Company, the members of which firm came to Danville from the City of Chicago, Illinois. The mercantile business had been conducted by the brothers under the firm name of Henry & Samuel Lyons. On the 10th of June, 1895, a partnership was formed by Henry and Samuel Lyons and John M. Nichols, and they established the Danville Steam Laundry, with modern equipment and service. They developed this enterprise into one of the most important and successful of the kind in the state. On the 4th of October, 1902, the large and prosperous business was incorporated under the title of the Danville Steam Laundry, and since June 19, 1909 the present corporate title has obtained — the Danville Laundry and Dry Cleaning Company. Samuel Lyons became president of the company, Henry Lyons, the secretary and treasurer, and John M. Nichols, the general manager. Henry Lyons, as before noted, died on the 9th of December, 1912, and his namesake, Henry Lyons Nichols, succeeded him as secretary and treasurer of the company. The personnel of the executive corps of this corporation thereafter continued unchanged until the sudden death of Samuel Lyons, the honored president, on the 25th of July, 1920, and with the necessary reorganization then entailed the present officers were chosen, as here noted: John M. Nichols, president; W. [Walter] Barrett Nichols, vice-president and assistant secretary; R.[Richard] Bush Nichols, manager; and Henry Lyons Nichols, secretary, and treasurer. Henry Lyons became one of the substantial capitalists and loyal and influential citizens of this section of Kentucky, and both he and his brother Samuel were foremost in the field of worthy charity and philanthropy, as well as in that of civic liberality and progressiveness. Of their varied activities and benefactions, more specific mention will be found in the memoir to Samuel Lyons, which immediately follows this review. The brothers played a large part in the business and social life of Danville and honored the state of their adoption by their generous, kindly and noble lives.”

Source: History of Kentucky, Volume 5. William Elsey Connelley, Ellis Merton Coulter. American Historical Society, 1922, pp.146-147.