Sanders, Henry L.
(born: 1852)Sanders was born near Lexington, KY. His company was referred to as the "white jacket manufacturer of Indianapolis." Sanders' jacket business began after his wife made white jackets for him to wear for his job at the Grand Hotel in Indianapolis; her work was so admired and requested by other employees that, in 1889, Sanders opened a men's furnishing department. The following year Sanders purchased the first of many sewing machines and employed others to make the merchandise sold in his store. His son Edward, a teenager, became the salesman who traveled to nearby states soliciting orders. Sanders' business employed 40 persons who manufactured jackets and other clothing, including white khaki uniforms. For more see The Negro in Business, by B. T. Washington, pp. 240-242; and Who's Who in Colored America, 1933-37.