| Notes |
- Yates County, Newspaper, 1930
WM. Basset Early Rushville Settler
Helped Found Congregational Church
The family names and stories' connected with the early history of Rushville are of interest to all her sons and daughters, yet how few of the former are now listed among her inhabitants, and how seldom do we find new information concerning any of them.
The names of Mower, Sawyer, Morse, and Reed have gone entirely from this community; the names of Loomis, Blair, Holton, Green, Whitman and Pratt are still heard, although not always descended from the early settlers of those names; and the names Gilbert and Bassett are perpetuated only as names of two of Rushville?s streets, yet by families of these names, with a few others, were the first homes made in the wilderness.
Among these earliest settlers was William Bassett, one of the founders of Rushville Congregational church, and the first school teacher in what is now Potter. Although four of his sons and six of his daughters grew to manhood and womanhood in this village, the only descendant now residing in this section is Mrs. Frank Becker of Vine Valley; and her brother, Oscar Bassett of Rochester, is the only one of the name near here.
The name of William Bassett is one of those most often mentioned in the early records of village history; and the following obituary printed in 1862 on his death has recently been found in an old scrapbook:
An Octogenarian Gone
Died at Rushville, February 11, 1862, William Bassett, Esq., in his 90th year.
He was a native of Martha?s Vineyard, Mass., and was four years old when independence was declared. His father was an officer in the war of the Revolution in which he made great sacrifices and suffered much. He was in the Battle of Saratoga and the taking of Burgoyne. In the winter of 1780 [sic 1778] which was the coldest ever known in this country, he was engaged in the service on an armed vessel which was overtaken with a snowstorm with such extreme cold that the vessel became wholly unmanageable from the large accumulations of ice upon her deck?s and in her rigging, and though near the shore so that her alarm guns were heard on the land, no help could reach them, and after suffering beyond the powers of language to describe for some days, 74 of the sufferers froze to death among whom was the father of the deceased. His body was obtained and found a resting place among the graves of the Pilgrims of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, from whom he was a lineal descendant.
At the age of 16 the deceased (William Bassett) accompanied an uncle to
Westmoreland, a few miles west of the city of Utica, through which he passed when there were but two small houses where the city now stands. Here in the wilderness he attended the first religious meeting ever held in the country, and which he always remembered with interest.
In 1793, then being 21 years old; he left Westmoreland for a settlement; near Rushville, then the town of Augusta. Being guided by trails and Indian paths, he missed his way at Seneca Falls and reached Palmyra before he discovered his mistake. On reaching the place of his destination, he found but one white family in the present limits of the village, with a goodly number of Indian wigwams, which were more or less occupied by the natives of the forest.
At that early day he selected and purchased a most beautiful tract of (figures blurred) acres of land on which a part of the village of Rushville now stands, which he occupied and with his own hands made into one of the most desirable and valuable farms in the county, which he continued to own and to occupy till his death, a term of over 65 years.
He lived to see a beautiful village with its churches and schools spring up where he had seen only the wild Indian and the wild animals and the poisonous reptiles of the forest. In bringing about this great change, he contributed a most important share. Here he became the father of 12 children, 10 of whom lived to mature age; one of the latter is now the worthy county clerk.
He is still remembered by some of the oldest inhabitants as the first school teacher to whom they are indebted for their first rudimental instruction. In all the enterprises for the development of the county, in business, religion and education, he always took his full share of responsibility and sacrifice. He held many offices of trust, both military and civil, in which he made himself very useful, and especially as a peacemaker.
Esquire Bassett made a profession of religion in early life and united with the Congregational church whose polity he cherished with especial regard to the end of his pilgrimage. He was always earnest, sincere and active in all his religious duties, believing that Christianity could never make compromises with sin. He embraced all reforms that promised to improve the condition of men and to make them better. Slavery and intemperance never found favor with him.
With a vigorous constitution, and being temperate and regular in all his habits and thus obeying the laws of his being, he was enabled to reach a good old age, and at last yielded up life as the candle goeth out without a struggle. Having lived the life of the righteous, he died the death of the righteous and has gone to his reward. His memory will long be cherished with tender affection by the bereaved family, by the church, and by a large circle of friends and citizens.
? Rushville Editor.
1850 Federal Census of Potter, Yates County, New York (13 Aug 1850)
William Bassett 78 M Massachusetts Farmer 8000
Samuel 41 M New York
Emily 45 F New York
Betsey 36 F New York
Elizabeth Woodbury 14 F Illinois
Thomas Kelley 45 M Ireland
1860 Federal Census of Potter, Yates County, New York (3 Aug 1860)
William Bassett 87 M Massachusetts Farmer 9600 2115
Emily 56 F New York Servant
Samuel 52 M New York Farmer
Elizabeth Woodbury 24 F Illinois Servant 200
William Bassett
(Taken from the "History of Yates County, New Yor
William Bassett, older brother of Fortunatus II, was born on the
Island of Martha's Vineyard, 11 Jul 1772. He married Ann Blair of Chester,
Mass., in 1796. She was born in 1776, and died 5 Feb 1848, Rushville, N.Y.
William Bassett died Feb. 1862 at 89 years of age in Rushville, N.Y. They are
both buried in the French Cemetery at Rushville. He left his paternal home
while very young, stopping in Connecticut until manhood, when he came to
Westmoreland, and then to Augusta in 1794, where he married and settled on the
homestead farm near Rushville, on lot 11, farm range five. They spent their
days and reared their family of twelve children, ten of whom reached adult age,
Nathaniel T., Polly, Sally, Emily, Alexander, Samuel, Calista, Betsy, Thomas
H., and Anna.
William Bassett was among the early founders of the Presbyterian
Church at Rushville, and together with his wife, a life long member. He filled
the office of Justice of Peace many years, and various other positions in the
town, always retaining the confidence of his neighbors and associates, and was
always regarded as a worthy head and father in the community where he h
spent his life.
WILLIAM BASSETT
(AMERICA'S FIRST RUSHVILLE)
By Robert Elbridge Moody (1991)
Early in 1793 another settler arrived to take up land within the
limits of the present Village of Rushville. This was William Bassett, whose
farm was located from Main Street eastward on both sides of the present
Bassett Street. Bassett, when he arrived in Federal Hollow, was only twenty-
one and unmarried. His father had been a soldier of the Revolution and was
present at Burgoyne's surrender. Later he enlisted in the Navy and in t
winter of 1780 was shipwrecked off the Massachusetts coast. His body was
recovered and buried in the burial ground of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, from
some of whom he was descended. Thus at the age of eight, William Bassett was
left without a father. He left home at an early age and for a time lived in
Connecticut. Then at the age of sixteen he went with one of his uncl
Westmoreland, Oneida County, New York. There he became acquainted wi
number of men who later became pioneers in the Federal Hollow regio
He never forgot his journey to Federal Hollow, for in Seneca Falls he
took the wrong trail, and before he discovered his mistake, he was in Palmyra
many miles from his intended destination. When at last he arrived in Federal
Hollow, he found only the Gilberts and several Indian families living within
the limits of the present Village of Rushville.
HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY, NEW YORK
William Bassett was born on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, in 1772.
He married Ann Blair of Chester, Mass., in 1796. She was born in 1776, and
died in 1845. William Bassett died in 1862. He left his paternal home very
young, stopping in Connecticut until near manhood, when he came to
Westmoreland, and thence to Augusta in 1794, where he married and settled on
the homestead farm near Rushville, on lot 11, farm range five. There th
spent their days and reared their family of twelve children, ten of whom
reached adult age, Nathaniel T. Polly, Sally, Emily, Alexander, Samuel,
Calista, Betsy, Thomas H. and Anna.
Nathaniel T. married Jerusha Hoty of Rushville, and settled finally at
Evans, Erie Co., where both died in 1863, leaving one child, Harriet M., who
married Philander B. Catlin of that place.
Polly born in 1800, married Nathaniel Sabin of Gorham, in 1825, and
settled in Gorham, where both died leaving three children, William B., Jerome
A. and Francis A.
Sally born in 1801, married David Gordon of Rushville, where they lived
having two children, Samuel B. and Calista A. Samuel B., born in 1834,
enlisted in the late war as a musician, served thirteen months, re-enlisted,
and contracted a disease of which he died after leaving the army, in 1865.
Calista A. married Dewitt Krebs of Fremont, Ohio, where they settled and she
died.
Emily born in 1803, lives at the homestead, unmarrie
Alexander born in 1805, married Cynthia D., daughter of Alexand
Parkman of Potter, in 1830. She was born in Aurelius, Cayuga Co., in 1810.
They settled in what is now known as Vine Valley, where they still reside.
Their children are Emma G., Oscar G., Henry A. and Lydia A. Emma G. born in
1832, married in 1856, Lester Adams, son of John Adams, and settled on his
paternal homestead. Mr. Adams is one of the progressive and intelligent
farmers of the town, and a worthy citizen. His wife is a woman of intelligence
and poetical talent. Oscar G. born in 1934, enlisted in Co. G, 8th, NY
Cavalry, under Lieut. Frank O. Chamberlain of Rushville, as first Corporal. He
contracted disease while in the service, and died in hospital at the Relay
House, Md., August 16, 1862. Henry A. born in 1838, married in 1864, Sarah E.
Kilpatrick of Middlesex. They reside on the homestead and have one chil
Emma. Lydia A. born in 1841, married in 1866, Asa Sackett of Rushville. She
died in 1867.
Alexander Bassett has always been a prominent man in the County. He
served three years as County Clerk, and was previously County Superintendent
of Schools.
Samuel born in 1807, resides on the old homestead near Rushville, and
is unmarried.
Calista D. born in 1809, died single in 1845.
Betsey born in 1811, married William P. Bassett of Italy, and they
reside at Rushville.
Thomas H. was born in 1813. He entered the printing office of Abraham
H. Bennett at Penn Yan, and served an apprenticeship. In 1832, he managed the
Democrat as editor. Subsequently he had charge of the "Western Star", a new
and rival paper, which he conducted for a time, and also a small litera
miscellany, to which he contributed many of his best articles. After closing
his connection with the Western Star, he resided at Buffalo and employed his
time and talent, in various prose and poetical essays, some of which possessed
a high merit. He emigrated to Goshen, Indiana, and established the Gosh
Democrat in 1836. Subsequently he was editor of the South Bend Free Press,
Misawaka Tocsin and Niles Republican. He married at Michigan City an
estimable widow lady, Julia Woodbury, who died suddenly at his paternal home,
while on a visit in 1844. He followed her to an early grave in 1845. Thomas
Bassett was a man of marked literary talent. He was early and intimately
associated with the young men of Yates county of his time, and all bore in
pleasant memory his genial qualities, and deeply mourned the early eclipse of
his genius.
Anna born in 1818, married Benjamin H. Sabin of Gorham, where they
settled, but now reside with their family at Hamlin, Mich. They have two sons,
Nathaniel E. and Timothy F.
William Bassett was among the early founders of the Presbyterian
Church at Rushville, and together with his wife a life-long member. He filled
the office of Justice of the Peace many years, and various other positions in
the town, always retaining the confidence of his neighbors and associates, and
was always regarded as worthy head and father in the community where he had
spent his adult life.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1772 - 1862 (89 years)