William Benton Henderson (September 17, 1839 – May 7, 1909) was a cattleman, merchant, and prominent figure in the history of Tampa, Florida.

He was a member of the firm of Miller & Henderson, then the largest store south of Jacksonville, which housed Tampa's first telegraph.

Henderson was instrumental in bringing cigar manufacturers Gavino Gutierrez, Ignacio Haya, and Vicente Martinez Ybor to Tampa.

He was a part of the Beckwith, Henderson and Warren real estate agency, and held several pieces of land.

[5] School was cancelled at 10:00 am on the day of the 1848 hurricane, which Henderson recalled made people "hug the ground" in order to move.

In order to support the family, at just 12 years old Henderson took a job at Kennedy & Darling's store, at the corner of Whiting and Tampa streets.

[10] Gettis's law partner in Tampa was Henry L. Mitchell, who married Caroline Spencer's sister.

[13] In 1866, Henderson opened a general store and sold meat to the Federal troops occupying the garrison.

[16][17] Henderson ran a steamboat which shipped cattle to Cuba and thereby provided Tampa most of its contact with the outside world.

[17] Cigar manufacturers Ignacio Haya and Vicente Martinez Ybor had intended to move their business to Galveston.

Gavino Gutierrez brought them to Tampa and they visited the store, where they were offered some property by Henderson and W. C. Brown of the Circuit Court.

[16] Brown, Henderson, and A. J. Knight were appointed by the Board of Trade to raise $4,000 to bring the cigar business to Tampa.

[21][22] With his wife's cousin John B. Spencer, Henderson founded the Tampa Harness and Wagon Company around 1880.

[28] On May 8, 1886, a fire destroyed all the buildings on the block bounded by Franklin, Whiting, Tampa, and Washington streets, with the exception of the First National Bank.

W. J. Carpenter noted in his eulogy "No man can write the history of Tampa or of South Florida and leave his name out.