Henry Van Asselt settled in the Seattle area in 1851, intending to make his living through agriculture. When his first homestead was burned in the Battle of Seattle of 1856, he left the area for the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where he polished his cabinet-making skills. He opened up a cabinet shop upon his return to Seattle, and his furniture was under demand by other Seattle settlers such as Dexter Horton and Arthur Denny. In addition to his furniture-making business, Van Asselt was known for helping to build the first road from Seattle across the Cascades to Ellensburg. He also donated the site for the city's first Courthouse and for the first Methodist Church.