William Henri Mädel was born in 1844 at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana.

William Henri Mädel was enumerated with Henry Mädel, as "Hy W Mädel", on the 1850 U.S. Census at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, he was listed as a six-year-old white male born in Louisiana.

He may have served in the Civil War in the Louisiana Artillery, Hutton's Company (Crescent Arty., Co. A) as a corporal at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, in 1861 This unit became the Seventh Louisiana field artillery in August, 1864, and Company E, siege train, army of the Trans-Mississippi at a later date. More research is necessary to determine if this 'H. Madel' is the correct William Henry or Henry William Madel.

William Henri Mädel married Margaret Reilly, daughter of James Reilly and Bridget Agnes (--?--), circa 1864 at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Margaret and William Henri Mädel lived in 1866 at 163 Rampart Street, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Their daughter, Mary, was residing with them. He was working as a barber. He was a barber on a riverboat circa 1867 at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. He appeared on the poll tax roll at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, in 1869 in ward 2, page 43.

William Henri Mädel is a head of household on the 1870 U. S. Census at Ward 3, Jefferson, Marion County, Texas, he was identified as a 26-year-old white male born in Louisiana, both of his parents were foreign born, he was employed as a clerk in a store and could not read or write. Enumerated with William were Margaret Reilly and Mary Ellen Madel.

Margaret and William Henri Mädel lived in 1870 at Jefferson, Marion County, Texas. Residing with them was their daughter Mary. He died on August 12, 1872 at Jefferson, Marion County, Texas, cause of death was "inflamation of the brain." He was buried on August 13, 1872 at Oakwood Cemetery, Jefferson, Marion County, Texas, recorded in book 1 page 58, buried in block X which was designated as "free ground." The cemetery is owned by the City of Jefferson. He left Margaret Reilly as his widow in August, 1872 at Jefferson, Marion County, Texas.

He was 28 years old at time of death. His wife Margaret Reilly, stated he worked on a riverboat between New Orleans and Jefferson, Texas.

He was listed in the New Orleans City Register in the following years:

Marie Madel Berg often said that he owned a slave named "Buttercup."

Jefferson, Texas is in East Texas between Shreveport, Louisiana and Longview, Texas on the Big Cypress Bayou. The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, of which the Madel family was a member in 1870, is the oldest parish in the Dallas Diocese, started by Father Jean Marie Giraud in 1863.

In the late 1860's Jefferson was second only to Galveston as a shipping port in Texas. River transportation was available to New Orleans to the south and to the north on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.