| Notes |
- History of The Western Reserve
By Harriet Taylor Upton (1910)
Edward Welton Bassett was born in Franklin township, Portage county, Ohio, March 19, 1834, a son of William and Eloise (Welton) Bassett. The parents were married in Connecticut on the 27th of February, 1817, and soon afterward they started on the overland journey with teams and wagons to the Western Reserve of Ohio, and, arriving in Portage county, they established their home in the then dense woods of Franklin township. In time they succeeded in clearing their farm there, and their names are enrolled among the earliest of pioneers of that community.
Edward W. Bassett, the third born of their four children, three sons and a daughter, became associated early in life with the Cleveland and Pittsburg Railroad as a brakeman, and he had previously worked as a driver on the Erie canal. He continued his railroading work with the Atlantic & Great Western Company as a conductor and messenger for twenty-four years, then for eight years as an express agent at Ravenna, and during six months was a United States express agent at Youngstown. Coming to the city of Kent in 1886, he remained with the American Express Company until his death, two years lter, on the 17th of August, 1888. He married at Norton, in Summit county, Ohio, on September 6, 1856, Harriet Brewster, and their two children were: Charles E., who died in infancy, and Georgianna, who became the wife of W.A. Simmons and resides in Rochester, New York. This wife died on the 21st of September, 1868, and on the 12th of January, 1870, Mr. Bassett was married to Adelia Woodard, who was born in Franklin township, December 20, 1838, a daughter of James and Maria (Hopkins) Woodard, natives respectively of Ravenna and of the state of Vermont. Her grandparents on the paternal side, Joshua and Rebecca (Wooden) Woodard, came from the New England states to Ohio in 1806, and her maternal grandparents, Rudd and Ann (Scott) Hopkins, were from Vermont. Joshua Woodard worked for a time in a woolen mill in Portage county, and then moved to Illinois, but he later returned and died in Kent. His son James was the first white child born in Ravenna township, and in his early life he began farm work. During a few years he was the proprietor of a hotel in Kent, and then, returning to the country, he purchased a farm just northwest of Kent and died there on the 2nd of September, 1882. He served two terms as sheriff of Portage county, His wife survived him but two years, and died on the 23rd of March, 1884. Of their family of ten children, five are now living, namely: Adelia, who became the wife of Mr. Bassett; Stella M., now Mrs. Newton Hall, of Kent; Lucy A., the wife of George Furry, of Kent; Mary E., the wife of Richard Williams, also of this city; and Charles, who owns the old home farm at Kent. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bassett: Harriet E., who died on th 17th of August, 1878, aged four years and seven months; Bertha, who died in infancy; and Carrie L., who was born on the 18th of March, 1881, and became the wife of Frank L. Gallaway. They reside with her mother, and he is engaged in the raising of celery. Mrs. Bassett resides in the home which her husband erected in 1871. He was a member of the Disciple church, and he was a Sir Knight Mason at Akron and a member of the Masonic order at Kent.
History of Portage County, Ohio (1885)
William Bassett, Jr., farmer, P.O. Kent, was born in Ravenna Township, this county, May 22, 1829; son of William and Eloisa (Welton) Bassett, natives of Oxford, New Haven County, Connecticut, former born September 18, 1794, latter August 4, 1798. They came to this county in 1817 and located in Rootstown Township where they lived about eight months, then moved to Franklin Township and settled on the place known as the Pritchard farm. They afterward exchanged the farm for property now occupied by the mother of our subject, which was then considered the poorest portion of the township. The farm comprises 263 acres of land, 200 of which are under cultivation. William Bassett, Sr., was a veteran of the war of 1812, Captain of the militia in Franklin Township in early times, and generally known as Captain Bassett. After his settlement in Franklin Township he taught a night school for two months, said to be the first school in the township. He had four children: WIlliam Jr., Harriet (deceased), Edward W., in Ravenna, and Horace P., in Warren. He was a thorough-going, pushing business man and at the time of the building of the Ohio Canal he contracted to furnish the stone for the locks. He died October 21, 1878, at the age of eighty-four; his widow, aged eighty-six, still resides on the old homestead. Our subject was reared in Franklin Township, this county, where he received a common school education and has always followed farming as an occupation. He was married, May 9, 1854, to Esther A., daughter of Deacon Barber Clark, of Franklin Township, this county, who died May 8, 1879, at the age of forty-eight years. Mr. Bassett is a member of the Congregational Church, with which he has been identified since 1859. He is a F.&A.M.; in politics a Republican.
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio (1893)
Horace P. Bassett, formerly proprietor of one of the leading livery stables in Warren, Ohio, is a native of Portage County, this State, born June 17, 1838.
William and Eloise (Welton) Bassett, the parents of H.P., were natives of Connecticut. William Bassett drove an ox team from Connecticut to Ohio as early as 1817, and settled on a tract of wild land. Here he cut away the forest and developed a farm of 266 acres, and on this farm he passed the rest of his life, and died at the age of eighty-five years. He was a prominent man in this county, and for some time served as Captain of the Militia. He was in the war of 1812, having entered the service when he was sixteen years old. The Bassett family are descended from an old English family that settled in New England at an early day. William Bassett was a prominent member of the Freesoil party, and he also took considerable interest in the educational affairs of his day. He was a man of great prowess, was a great wrestler, and was known all over the country for his remarkable physique. His wife died at the age of eight-seven years. She was a member of the Episcopal Church. Of their four children we make record as followws: William, a farmer near Kent, Ohio, was for many years a railroad conductor, and is now prominently identified with local affairs; Harriet, deceased; Edward W., a railroad conductor for many years, was employed as express manager at the time of his death, which occured at Kent in 1887; and Horace P., with whose name we begin this sketch.
Horace P. Bassett remained on his father's farm until he was twenty years old, receiving his education in the public schools and at Hiram College. At the age of twenty he accepted a position with Harris, Hanford & Co., dealers in blank books, papers, etc., and for two years was employed as their traveling salesman. In 1860 he came to Warren, and was soon afterward employed as traveling salesman for James B. Dunlap, grocer, in whose employ he remained three years. He was then employed by another grocery firm, Anderson & Rupps, with whom he continued until 1864. That year he engaged in the livery business, succeeding A.S. Robins, which business he continued up to May, 1893. In 1873, he combned undertaking with his livery business, and carried on both until January, 1893, when he sold the undertaking department to Taylor & Pierce. Mr. Bassett is an authority on horses, his opinion frequently being sought and always valued. He owns a fine stallion, known far and near as "Black Allie".
Mr. Bassett also devotes considerable time to looking after his farm, in Portage county, of 340 acres. He and his brother William own the old home place. He is also interested somewhat in the life-insurance business, representing the United States Life Insurance Company.
Politically, Mr. Bassett is a Republican. Fraternally, he is a member of the A.F.&A.M. Erie Lodge, No. 3; I.O.O.F., No. 29; K. of P., No. 30; and American Mechanics, No. 4. He is Past Grand in the I.O.O.P. and Past Chancellor of the K. of P.
Mr. Bassett was married in 1860, to Miss Justine L., daughter of Washington Brewster, a native of Summit county, Ohio. They have had four children, three of whom are living: Jennie B., Charles H. and Helen J. William is deceased. Jennie B. is the wife of E.W. Christy of Cleveland, Ohio, manager of the United States Life Insurance Company.
1850 Federal Census of Franklin Township, Portage County, Ohio
William Bassett - 54 - M - Connecticut - Farmer 4000
Louisa - 51 - F - Connecticut
William Jr. - 21 - M - Ohio
Edward W. - 16 - M - Ohio
Horace P. - 12 - M - Ohio
1860 Federal Census of Franklin Township, Portage County, Ohio (17 Jul 1860)
Edward R. Bassett - 26 - M - Ohio - RR Laborer 500 50
Harriett O. - 25 - F - New York
Georgianna R.B. - 5/12 - F - Ohio
Justine Brewster - 20 - F - Ohio - Seamstress
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Bassett Family Association Database
1834 - 1888 (54 years)