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- Coast Counties of Central California
The Lewis Publishing Company (1893)
Abner Bassett
Abner Bassett, deceased, was a pioneer of California. He came to the State in 1849. He was born in Maine, October 13, 1823, and he was one of twins, having a twin sisters, Jane, now Mrs. Bernice Burden, living near Fall River, Mississippi. Abner Bassett was a son of Jonathan and Sarah Bassett, of Fall River. His father was by trade a stonecutter, and did an extensive quarry business.
Abner and his twin sister were the fourth born of the family, they being born October 13, 1823. He married Miss Mary Ann Turner, a daughter of Ralph Turner, a calico ?block? printer by trade, and for several years he was the keeper of the United States tavern at Belvadier, Massachusetts, near Boston.
In 1849 Mr. Bassett came to California, went into the mines and engaged in contracting and building in partnership with J.S. Emery, now of Oakland, California, and they did an extensive business. They also built by contract for the Government the dry-dock on Mare Island, taking the granite rock for the same by water on a private ship from Point Lobos, south of Monterey. It was the use of the granite rock that led the purchasers (which were themselves) of the Rancho San Jose y Sur Chiquito, one of the most valuable places in Monterey county.
Our subject?s trip to California was made via Cape Horn, on the bark Mallery, which he and his brother Alfred, with a company, purchased, loaded with stores, and sailed from New York. The voyage to San Francisco harbor, covered a period of seven months.
Mrs. Bassett, August 8, 1853, arrived in San Francisco, following her husband by the same route on the clipper Shooting Star, bringing with her her son William T., then five years old. Mrs. Bassett was on the sea continuously for four months and twenty-two days. The clipper was not a passenger ship, and the party comprised the captain, with his bride, Mrs. Bassett and her son, and three others, including her brother, James Turner.
For nine years the family made their home in San Francisco. They then lived twenty-three years in Virginia City, Nevada, when Mr. Bassett had his exhausted mining interests, and with J.S. Emery erected one of the first quartz mills that crushed ore on the Comstock lead.
He was a man of great energy and executive ability. He had broad ideas of business, and was successful in this undertakings. He died September 22, 1870, in the prime of his life. Mrs. Bassett still survives, and is in good health, and lives at Pacific Grove, Monterey county.
Mr. and Mrs. Bassett had six sons and two daughters, as follows: William Thomas, who was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, June 4, 1848, and is now a member of Company F, Calvary, of the United States Army; Alice Annet, born in San Francisco, June 8, 1854, and is now a resident of that city; Edward and, and Abner, born March 1, 1857, the first white twins born in the Golden Gate City; Edward is foreman of a coal mine, and Abner is now superintendent of the Carmelo Land and Coal Company of Monterey. He was reared in Virginia City, Nevada, and became an expert mining engineer, and managed the construction of the most extensive mine shafts in the Comstock lead mines, one being 3,368 feet deep ? the deepest perpendicular shaft in the world. He married Catherine Mahoney March 9, 1888; she is a native of New York. They have one son, Edward Franklyn, born at Pacific Grove, California, march 19, 1890. The next born in Mr. Bassett?s family is Mary Watt, born also in San Francisco, March 12, 1859, and is now living in that city, married; Charles, born also in that city, April 16, 1861, learned locomotive engineering and was employed in this capacity by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company until 1882; next for a time he ran stationary engines, and later pursued mining in Idaho, from 1884 to 1888, when he disposed of his mining interests and is now living at Hailey, Alturas county, Idaho. He married in Idaho Miss Brella S. Stone, a native of Humboldt county, California, and they have one daughter, Bessie, born May 22, 1883. Frank, the youngest of Mr. Bassett?s children, was born at Virginia City, Nevada, March 30, 1867, died at Ketchum, Alturas county, Idaho, December 26, 1888, of typhoid pneumonia.
1860 Federal Census of 8th District, San Francisco, California (9 Jun 1860)
Abner Bassett 35 M Maine Contractor 8,000 600
Mary A. 35 F Massachusetts
William 12 M Massachusetts
Alice 5 F California
Abner 3 M California
Ellen Noland 25 F Ireland Servant
Edward Bassett 3 M California
Mary 1 F California
Maria Turner 57 F England
Peter Turner 13 M Massachusetts
John Hallen 22 M Ireland Servant
1870 Federal Census of Odd Hill, Storey County, Nevada (8 Jul 1870)
A. Bassett 41 M Maine
Mary 43 F Massachusetts K.H.
Wm. B. 21 M Massachusetts Empl. Mill
Alice A. 16 F California
Abner (twin) 13 M California School
Edw. (twin) 13 M California School
Chas. 6 M California
Mary 11 F California School
Fred 5 M Nevada
Frank 3 M Nevada
Abner was 46 years, 11 months and 9 days of age when he died.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1823 - 1870 (46 years)