A common practice in archaeology is to name a site after some prominent feature in the area, such as a spring, canyon, mountain, or even a town. When a site is on private land, archaeologists often name it after the landowners. This was the case with Henderson.

When I first became aware of the site, in the early 1980s, the ranch was owned by Matthew and Karen Henderson. A few years later, they decided to sell it, but were worried that the new landowners might open a section to developers, endangering the site. To assure that the pueblo would not be destroyed, they generously donated the site and surrounding 15 acres of land to the Archaeological Conservancy, a nonprofit organization based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that is devoted entirely to the acquisition and protection of endangered archaeological sites throughout the United States.

The Conservancy now protects the Henderson Site from vandalism and commercial development, assuring that this precious and fragile part of our national cultural heritage will be around for future generations to enjoy and study--Prof. John D. Speth.