Joel Bean Bassett, Lumberman of Minnesota

Joel Bean Bassett, descends from #4B Roger Bassett as follows:

Roger Bassett and wife Ann Holland
William Bassett (b. 1624) and wife Sarah Burt
William Bassett (b. 1647) and wife Sarah Hood
John Bassett (b. 1682) and wife Abigail Berry
Daniel Bassett (b. 1716) and wife Lydia Hood
John Bassett (b. 1739) and wife Ruth Newhall
Daniel Bassett (b. 1773) and wife Abigail Bean
Joel Bean Bassett (b. 1817) and wife Aurelia Bernard Carpenter

The Duluth Herald, February 3, 1912
Joel Bassett Dies
One of Mill City Founders Is Called at Age of 96

      Minneapolis, Minn. Feb. 3 – Joel B. Bassett, one of the founders of Minneapolis, died Thursday night at Los Angeles, Cal.

Mr. Bassett came to Minnesota in 1851, first to St. Anthony, and took one of the first claims on the west side of the river, just north of Bassett’s creek, which bears his name. He settled on this claim in 1852, and that fall was elected the first probate judge of Hennepin county. In after years he was always known as Judge Bassett.

He was one of the pioneer lumbermen of Minnesota, and his name is closely woven in to the history of early Minneapolis, in business and in politics. Mrs. Bassett died a number of years ago, and W.L. Bassett, his son, is the only surviving child.

Mr. Bassett was born in New Hampshire March 12, 1816, and would have been 96 years old had he lived a few weeks longer. He had been a resident of Los Angeles for the last ten years, coming back each year for a short visit until last year.

Joel Bean Bassett

The Duluth Evening Herald, Friday, June 28, 1895
Stealing Is What Several Big Lumbermen Are Charged With by Uncle Sam
And They Will have to pay $467.474.34 and Interest
Government Has Been Looking It Up for Two and a Half Years

St. Paul, June 28 – The United States, in an action brought today in the circuit court by Special Counsel John E. Stryker, alleges that a number of the most prominent lumbermen of Minnesota have, without any warrant, been devastating the northern part of the state, denuding the territory of its timber, and that they must pay the full market value of the lumber to the amount of $467,474.34 and interest.

The defendants are: The Pine River Logging and Improvement company; Joel B. Bassett and William L. Bassett, co-partners as J.B. Bassett & Co.; John C. Pillsbury and Charles A. Smith, co-partners as C.. Smith & Co.

The technical offense is conversion, and the charge is that they unlawfully entered on the territory within the Mississippi and Winnebegoshish reservations and systematically cut the timber and converted the same to their own uses.

The timber has been worked into lumber of the value given. The government has been working up the case for two and one-half years.