Henry Hentsch, a Swiss born into a prominent banking family on July 23, 1818, became important in San Francisco banking, real estate, and other endeavors, including assaying. In January 1854 he sailed for New York, then from New York to Panama. After connecting at Panama, he continued by steamer in the Pacific, arriving in San Francisco. Soon, he established a small banking office. His assay office was “annexed” to the banking facilities.

Hentsch’s banking and assaying business was successful. By June 1859 he was also the official consul for Switzerland. In January 1863 advertisements noted that Hentsch and Francis Berton had established Hentsch & Berton, bankers and assayers, now located at 432 Montgomery Street. On January 20, 1873, the partnership became the San Francisco branch of the Swiss-American Bank. By that time Henry Hentsch had moved back to Switzerland, where he was in charge of the bank’s Geneva office, while Berton managed the San Francisco facility.