| Notes |
- By Henry Dwight Bassett:
At The Glen, in 1850, the R.E. Clark Company was founded. The owners
were George Ray Bassett, Ruben Clark and Erastus Clark, who, supposedly, were
equal partners. George Ray Bassett was at the head of the company and looked
after the financial end as general manager. The factory, which was put up as
a cotton wicking factory, was a three story frame building, about 80' long by
40' wide, without basement. The first floor contained the factory, the second
floor was used as storage. The building was equipped with a hand elevator,
which was operated from the first to third floor. The R.E. Clark Company
originally made old fashioned steel hoes, with wrought shanks, riveted to the
blades and later made all sorts of forks, rakes and hoes. They also made their
own handles for their tools. These products were marketed all throughout the
east. The products were labeled with the manufacturer's label. The factory
employed 15 or 16 men. The handles were made with a cathead lathe which was
made by Babcock and St. John of Leonardsville, New York. Other machinery
consisted of three trip hammers for drawing the fork tines, all being run by
water power which came from the west branch of the Unadilla River. Coal oil
lamps were used for lighting purposes. Some of the employees were Charl
Burns, "Boxie" Pat Burns, Holden Campbell, who draw for tines and Henry Dwight
Bassett (brother of George Ray Bassett), who riveted shanks onto the hoes. The
Burns brothers were fork polishers.
Later, the R.E. Clark Company became Bassett, Dwelle and Company, then
Bassett, Gates, and Company, and still later, G.R. Bassett and Company, the
"company" being William Lewis Bassett. Later the firm name was chang
Leonardsville Manufacturing Company. About 1869 the factory burned down, but
was rebuilt promptly on the same site and was larger, being regard
regular handle and tool factory. Five or six hammers and more machinery in
proportion were installed and they continued to make forks, rakes and hoes.
These products were taken by wagon to Utica and Ilion, New York, were they
were sold to retailers. The new factory employed about forty men, some of them
being Holden Campbell, Superintendent, Jim Jordan, straw boss and Samuel
Brand. The building housing this factory was about 125' long by 45' wide. In
the assembling, the handle was driven on to the shank or tan
Later, the factory burned down again, but was not rebuilt. Henry
Dwight Bassett and George Ray Bassett bought the machinery that was left after
the fire and moved it to Utica, this being in 1870. The machinery consisted of
two presses for cutting out corn cutter or corn knife blades and two polishing
lathes. After being taken to Utica, the machinery was moved into the Culver
Building on Charlotte Street near the canal and it is thought it may still be
there. Henry Dwight Bassett and George Ray Bassett operated the machine
there for two years. Before Henry Dwight Bassett left Utica, he sold his
interest in the machinery to Mr. Dwelle, the father of the former partner of
George Ray Bassett. The new partner continued the business for a few years and
then George Ray Bassett moved to Piqua, Ohio, and vicinity and engaged in the
handle business. Later, his son, Herbert Hoxie Bassett joined him and they
operated the Piqua Handle Company.
During one winter Henry Dwight Bassett took a hand sled with him from
The Glen to Unadilla Forks and returned with 100 pounds of rivets, walking on
the snow crust over the tops of the fences, without the use of snow shoes.
There was a hoe factory at Unadilla forks, as well as The Gle
Herbert H. Bassett worked in the fork and hoe factory at The Glen and
then worked under his father, George Ray Bassett and Henry Dwight Bassett in
the fork and hoe factory in Utica.
1860 Federal Census of Brookfield, Madison County, New York (5 Jul 186
George B. Basset 33 M New York Hoe Manufacturer 2000 200
Sarah 27 F New York
Herbert 3 F New York
Abner Burton 60 M Vermont Blacksmith
1870 Federal Census of Brookfield, Madison County, New York (18 Aug 1870)
George R. Bassett 41 M New York Manufacturer Agr. Impl. 2000 1250
Sarah 38 F New York Keeping House
Herbert 13 M New York
Pauline 9 F New York
Lee 7 M New York
Cornelia 3 F New York
Fanny Calkins 18 F New York Domestic Servant
Living next door
John Bassett 23 M New York Makes Agricural Implements
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Bassett Family Association Database
1827 - Deceased