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- Santa Cruz Sentinel, California, 9 December 1934
Jerome E. Bassett of Soquel Observes 83d Birthday Anniversary
By Laura Rawson
Jerome E. Bassett of Porter avenue, Soquel, celebrated his 83d birthday anniversary yesterday and received the hearty good wishes of his relatives and hosts of friends upon the happy occasion. He has many interesting things to relate of this locality, where he has lived for the past 57 years, and has materially assisted in building up the community.
He was born in Taytheedah, Fondulac county, Wisconsin, December 8, 1851. His parents moved in 1866 to Minnesota, where his father bought a 300-acre farm. There were five children in the family and they early in life learned many tasks connected with farm life. Jerome went to school during the three months of the summer and four months of the winter it was in session, until he was 20 years old. These short school terms were made necessary so the children of the farmers (and all were farmers) could help about the work.
When he became of age, he rented a farm of his own. He came to California in 1877 and landed at Skyland and has lived in and around this vicinity ever since. He worked in David Burns? shingle mill near Laurel until 1879, when he went back to Minnesota and married Miss Nora E. Harvey.
The young married couple came to California and Mr. Bassett bought a piece of wild land in Skyland. The Old Spanish trail ran through his property. In 1881 he worked in Chase?s mill near the location Redwood Lodge now occupies. He told the writer how Hotel de Redwood acquired its high sounding name. One old fellow lived in a hollow redwood tree and he hung a shingle on it with the title, ?Hotel de Redwood.? This tree was of immense size and during the earthquake of 1903 it fell. Mr. Bassett and a friend measured the tree while it was still standing and it measured 59 feet in circumference.
Charley McKiernan, familiarly known as ?Mountain Charlie?, was his next employer and he ran an edging saw for him for two years. In 1885 the McEwen saw mill was built and Bassett ran edger there for two years. Comstock & Duffy mill was his place of employment at another time. These were all in the Skyland country. Bassett is a skilled carpenter and built a number of the fine homes in this district, which are still standing. He built homes for Prof. C.H. Allen of the San Jose State College, one for Colonel Thomas Slaughter, C.R. Stetson, A. C. Crane, now owned by one of the Rapp brothers. These are all well known early residents of the Skyland district.
He cleared off his wild land and set out fruit in the winter months. They splendid quality of Skyland fruits is recognized by dealers all over the state. The quaint little Skyland church, which is still used each Sunday, was built by popular subscription and Bassett assisted in building it be donating work. Rev. Mitchell was the first pastor and was well known as a widely traveled and highly cultured man.
In 1902 Bassett bought five acres of the old original Daubenbiss ranch, built a home on it and came down to Soquel to live. He still retained his Skyland property. The great problem in the Skyland district was to get a road through to meet the San Jose road, and the Stetson road was finally accomplished. C.R. Stetson, Prof. Allen and Bassett formed a company of three to put the project through. Prof. Allen was a civil engineer and a good surveyor. This road runs from King?s place to Young?s point. Popular subscriptions were raised for the work, which Ed Keath offered to do for $600. F. A. Hihn, always generous where public improvements were needed, sent a check for $50 and later increased it by another $50. They built the Amaya bridge, but were still short a mile of the San Jose road. Henry Daubenbiss was supervisor of Soquel district at this time and the county offered to pay half if those living in the district would pay the other half of the expense. This was done and the contract was let to W.A. Young and son, W.A. Young Jr. The road was connected with the San Jose road and their big worry on that score was over. But there was still a stretch of two and one quarter miles from Laurel to the San Jose road and the only way those living at Laurel could get out was by horseback.
F.A. Hihn again came to their rescue and said if they would build a mile of road toward Laurel, he would build the connecting link himself. The resident of the district divided it into rods and each built 20 rods, using pick and shovel. Bassett built 30 rods, Clayton Jones and his father built 40 rods, Dr. Eugene West, former owner of Hotel de Redwood, built 60 rods and the two and a quarter mile stretch was finally completed by the determined Skyland residents.
Bassett followed his chosen work of carpentry was foreman for L.M. Barnes, Santa Cruz contractor and builder. In 1907 he sold his home on the Dabuenbiss tract and moved to Seabright avenue and Clinton street. He was in partnership with O.R. Robinson as contractors and builders. He sold his Seabright property and moved to his present home on Porter avenue, Soquel.
His wife was a much loved member of the community and her death 12 years ago brought sadness to many hearts. One son, Frank H. Bassett, lived in Montana, where he has a sheep ranch, and one daughter, Mrs. Ida Mitchell, and her husband, Lester Mitchell, live in the Bassett home.
The father and daughter are great chums and yesterday when I visited their home Mrs. Mitchell was engaged in baking a big cake to celebrate the happy anniversary.
His grandfather was a veteran of 1812 and one of the oldest pensioners of that war.
Bassett joined the Soquel lodge of Odd Fellows in the early nineties and has been a highly honored member for 43 years. He has held every office in the lodge except that of recording secretary. He lived in Skyland at that time and only missed two lodge nights in his 11 years of office. It took him two and a half hours to drive home and often it was bitter cold and raining, and a coat of blackness seemed to envelop the earth. But he would tie his lines and old ?Selim? a dappled gray horse, would take him safely home. A few times he was overturned in his cart, where stumps would catch the cart, but no harm ever came to him. He says he still likes horses better than automobiles, although he drives the latter rather than the former now-a-days.
When the Encampment was organized in Soquel he held the office of chief patriarch. He was also first scribe in the encampment. The I.O.O. F. hall stood where the present Odd Fellows hall stands, although the former one was burned down. The Encampment later gave up its charter and went into the Santa Cruz order. He is also a charter member of the Highland Grange.
He recalls during the Civil War when he was a young lad, of riding horseback with his father to Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin, of having a rider stop them to tell them of Lincoln?s assassination. His father, Francis Bassett, entered the Civil War with a company from Wisconsin. There were not many telegrams sent in those days and the news of the day was learned from various sources.
Another experience he recalls was when working in a field about a mile and a half from his home seven men on horseback with fine horses and all carrying guns, asked the direction of a certain road. He supposed the men were cattle buyers. He afterward learned it was Jesse James and his gang and they were looking for the eighth member of their party. They made their famous raid on Northfield that night. Two of their number were killed and the others captured, except the James boys.
Asked about wild animals in the early days of Skyland he replied there were some mountain lions and some grizzly bears farther in the hills. Mr. Bassett has a hobby which has given him much pleasure for 45 years. He collects stamps and his wonderful collection would be the envy of small boys throughout the land. Many of this stamps are very valuable now.
It was a pleasure to have in interview with Mr. Bassett, who has a wonderful fund of information about his part of the country and knows the roads from A to Z. He is receiving honors from his lodge friends this birthday.
1880 Federal Census of Prescott, Faribault County, Minnesota
Jerome Basset 28 M WI NY NY Head Farmer
Nora 17 F CN CN CN Wife Keeping House
1900 Federal Census of Soquel Twp., Santa Cruz County, CA (11 Jun 1900)
Jerome F. Bassett 48 M Dec 1851 WI NY NY Head Farmer
Nora E. 37 F Jan 1863 CN CN CN Wife (1864)
Francis H. 18 M Aug 1881 CA WI CN Son
Ida M. 13 F Apr 1887 CA WI CN Daughter At School
(Married 20 years, 2 children, 2 living)
1910 Federal Census of 6th Ward, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, CA (26 Apr 1910)
Jerome F. Bassett 57 M WI NY NY Head Carpenter House
Nora 48 F CN CN CN Wife
Frank 27 M CA WI CN Son Brass Works
Ida 22 F CA WI CN Daughter
(Living at 202 Seabright Ave.) (Married 30 years, 2 children, 2 living)
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Bassett Family Association Database
1851 - 1940 (88 years)