Henry Lewis Pierson was born on August 15, 1807, in Ramapo, New York, to Jeremiah Pierson. His father was a steel manufacturer who owned $87,000 of real estate by 1850. According to an early biographer, he “assisted on the survey that led to the building of the Erie Railroad,” and he served as a director of the Erie Company. He married Helen Maria Pierson on December 16, 1830, and they had at least five children: George, born around 1834; Helen, born around 1836; Charles, born on September 6, 1837; Sarah, born around 1838; and John, born on February 25, 1839. His wife died around 1845. He worked as a merchant in Ramapo, and he served as president of the Ramapo Iron Works. By 1860, he owned $50,000 of real estate and $200,000 of personal property. He supported the Whig Party and, later, the Republican Party, and he joined the Union League during the Civil War. He died in New York City, New York, on December 28, 1893.