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- La Grange County From History of Northeast Indiana
The Lewis Publishing Company (1920)
Orlando C. Bassett has spent his life in LaGrange County almost entirely as a farmer, though he is now associated as a partner with his son in a successful merchandise business at Applemanburg.
He was born in Milford Township May 19, 1867. His grandparents were George W. and Samantha Bassett, both natives of New York, the former born August 6, 1805, and the latter September 16, 1806. They were married September 28, 1826, and in the fall of 1833 moved to Brockport, New York. Some years later they came to LaGrange County and settled four miles east of LaGrange and subsequently moved to Milford Township, cleared and improved a good farm there and put up some excellent buildings for the time, including a good home, a bank barn, and other structures. On August 23, 1866, Lucas Bassett married Christina Wycuff. They were married by Squire Starkey. She was born in Pennsylvania July 22, 1850, a daughter of Jesse and Katherine Wucyff, who subsequently moved to Ashland County, Ohio, where her father died in 1862. She and her widowed mother then moved to Noble County, Indiana, where her mother died soon afterward. Lucas Bassett was a democrat in politics, casting his first vote for Buchanan. He died December 8, 1912. His children were Orlando, Cora Adele, Franklin, Emma J., George, Christina and Mabel.
Orlando C. Bassett was educated in the public schools of LaGrange County and after leaving the home place he bought forty-seven acres of the old Daniel Wert farm. He sold that and in 1901 bought 120 acres in Springfield Township from the John M. Wade estate. Another forty acres he acquired in 1902 and now has a 160 acre farm well developed for general crops and stock. In 1914 he bought his father's old place and occupied it a years and a half, when he sold and returned to his farm in Sprinfield Township where he now resides. Mr. Bassett on January 4, 1919, bought the mercantile business at Applemanburg, and his son Lloyd is now a manager of the store. Mr. Bassett has been an influential man in local affairs, and though a democrat he was elected township trustee, being the only trustee of that political faith in the township. He also served as assessor of Springfield Township for six years in succession.
March 19, 1889, he married Rosa Gross. She was born in Milford Township October 8, 1868, a daughter of William and Isabel (Francis) Gross. Her father was born in Pennsylvania in 1844 and her mother in Noble County, Indiana, October 1, 1848. The Gross family moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio where the father of William Gross was the hotel business and subsequently came to Milford Township and bought the farm known as the John Forst farm. After a few years the grandoarents moved to Tennessee, and acquired about 400 acres near Spring City, where both of them spent the rest of their days. William Gross remained in Milford Township, married there, and acquired a farm of eighty acres on which he lived until his death in 1884. His widow is still living, a resident of South Milford, where she bought the Wonders property. William Gross was a democrat and his parents were members of the Lutheran Church. Mrs. Rose Bassett is the oldest of her father's children. Her sister Mattie I. Was born April 21, 1870, and is the wife of Herbert Newnam of Milford Township and has one child, Grossie. Her other sister Nettie L., is the wife of George W. Lovett and has two sons, Jesse and Lester.
Mrs. Bassett's maternal grandfather, Samuel Francis was born in Bradford, Connecticut, June 14, 1811, and as a youth moved to Genessee County, New York, and from there in 1836, soon after his marriage to Sarah Combes, came to Indiana and settled in Swan Township of Noble County. He entered land from the Government, cleared and made a home there, and in 1853 bought about 200 acres of the old Colonel Cochran farm in Milford Township of LaGrange County. He lived there until 1874 when he moved to Kendalville where his wife died, and in 1879 he went to Fort Wayne and married Mary Miller. He died at Kendallville February 15, 1901. In the Francis family were seven children, Welton, Sylvester, Isabel, Elbridge, Eliza, Mattie and one son that died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Bassett have two children, Lloyd and Velma Luealla. Lloyd was born October 23, 1893, had a good education, being a graduate of the Springfield Township and the LaGrange High Schools. He was formerly manager of the Mount Pisgah Mercantile Association for two years, and then removed to Applemanburg to take charge of his father's business. On December 23, 1914, he married Miss Lucile Faust of Springfield Township. They have a daughter, Eileen, born December 2, 1916.
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