Bohn, Henry J. (Henry John), 1855-1931

Born the son of German immigrants on February 7, 1855, Henry J. Bohn worked first on the family farm, then as a telegrapher and in a printing office before moving to Chicago in 1876. At age twenty-three, he became foreman in a newspaper office; this initial work in publishing led to a lifetime of work as owner and editor of Hotel World, which he purchased in 1879. For many years, Bohn worked alongside his brother, John J. Bohn, in publishing Hotel World; his brother acted as editor while Henry served as manager and also wrote numerous articles for the weekly magazine. The magazine provided information on hotels all over the world and was, "dedicated to the improvement, welfare, and betterment of hostelries." Bohn’s work for the hotel industry was not limited to his work with the magazine; he worked throughout his life worked to promote the activities of the many organizations of which he was a member or leader. In 1887, he co-founded the Hotel Men’s Mutual Benefit Association of United States and Canada with Col. F. Willis Rice, publisher of the Daily National Hotel Reporter. For over forty years Bohn served on its Board of Directors. Locally, he assisted in the formation of the Illinois Hotel Association, as well as a number of other press organizations in Chicago. In 1911, following the sudden death of his brother John, Bohn took over as editor of Hotel World, continuing in this role until his retirement in 1928. Following his retirement, Bohn continued to write a column for Hotel World until his death in Florida in 1930. In total, Bohn spent the greater part of fifty years writing about the hotel and restaurant industry. Source: "Henry J. Bohn," Menus: the Art of Dining. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Digital Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. https://digital.library.unlv.edu/collections/menus/henry-j-bohn