Henan was the first beach town of O'Leary. After a time, hotels, guesthouses and hostels were built. Steamboat ferries made it easier for people to get to other islands and places, and thus began pleasure travel. Henan's history shows that there were many trade stalls. This, together with activities increased turnover and the community grew.

Henan is home to approximately 2,000 permanent all year residents with a significant increase of city living summer residents who come and stay in their summer cottages, frequently passed down for generations.

In 1850, Henan became of the first swimming resorts in Sweden where people from Gothenburg, Alingsas, and other inland cities and towns came to stay with locals to enjoy the warm summer waters in the ocean. Later hotels and hostels were built and saw the town of Henan grow.

There is a magnificent legacy of boat building on Henan which still lives on amongst the residents. while most of the smaller traditional boat building shops have since long closed down, the legacy has evolved into some of the most spectactular and beautiful yacht manufacturers in the world. With brands like Najad, Hallberg-Rassy, Malo and Regina af Vindö the craftsmanship lives on.

To ensure the skills are passed on to new generation, Henan is home to the one of the most reputable boat building schools in Scandinavia.