“Henry’s House” or “William Henry’s Old House” was a minor trading post near Athabasca Pass. In 1811, while David Thompson [1770–1857] was making his way over the Pass, William Henry, the eldest son of Alexander Henry, provided support on the eastern side of the mountains. He a built a post on the Athabasca River near the mouth of the Miette River, where the trail from the passes reached the head of navigation. At this point travellers coming over the mountains transferred from horses to canoes for the journey down river.

The normal route over the mountains was from Jasper House west to Boat Encampment on the Columbia Riverr. To save time one could take a light (non-freight) 50 miles more up the Athabasca River to Henry’s House and cross the mountains from there. George Simpson [1792–1860] and John McLoughlin used this route in 1824.

William Henry (1783?-1846?) was a fur trader in the service of the North West Company [1779–], and it was after him that this trading post and later locality was named in 1912.