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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY, MISSOURI
(By Alexander H. Waller 1920)
Church A. Bassett, who is now engaged in farming on his place, two and
one-half miles southeast of Moberly, has been a resident of Randolph County
for 40 years and is one of the old time employees of the Wabash Railroad
Company. Mr. Bassett was born in Winslow, Maine, Dec. 17, 1845, and is a son
of William C. and Nancy (Pickins) Bassett.
William C. Bassett was born in Bridgewater, Mass, and during his
lifetime was extensively engaged in buying and selling cattle, an occupation
which was known as a drover in the early days. He bought and drove more cattle
out of the state of Maine that any other buyer of his time. There we
railroads then for the shipment of cattle and he drove them to market at
Brighton, Cambridge, and other Massachusetts towns. In later life he came west
and died in Shelbyville in June, 1873. Nancy (Pickins) Bassett was born in
Middleboro, Mass., and was there married to Mr. Bassett. She died in Moberly
at the home of her son, Church A. Bassett.
Church A. Bassett was one of a family of nine children born to his
parents and was the seventh in order of birth. He was educated in the public
schools of Winslow, Maine and Waterville Academy. He remained at home with his
parents until he was 28 years old when he was married and some time afterwards
came west and lived in Illinois for a time. In 1880, he came to Moberly and
entered the employ of the Wabash Railroad Company and served in various
capacities with that company and was a locomotive fireman for a numb
years. He is the owner of 160 acres of land and in recent years he has resided
in Moberly and operated his farm two and one-half miles southwest of Moberly.
Mr. Bassett was married at Maumee, Ohio, Nov. 13, 1873, to Chloe A
Emery, a daughter of Samuel and Henrietta A. (Reese) Emery, both natives of
Ohio and now deceased. Samuel Emery was a union soldier during the Civil War.
Mrs. Bassett was born in Ohio, March 2, 1849. Mr. and Mrs. Bassett have one
adopted daughter, which they reared as their own child, Clara. She married
Oscar Koblitz, manager of the shoe department of the Henry Levy Company of
Moberly.
Mr. Bassett is a Republican and one of the old time members of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers. During the Civil War he
served in the 131st Ohio Regiment, which was known as the home guards, for 90
days. He is one of the substantial and highly respected citizens of Randolph
County.
Mr. Bassett made a trip to Alaska, of which he gives the following
brief account: "I left Moberly the 1st day of March, 1898, went on the steamer
Seattle from Seattle to Skagway. From Skagway we started for the scales and
west over the summit the 9th of April, then on to Lake Bennett. Made a boat
there to hold 11 tons, sawing our own lumber, and reached Dawson the 24th of
April. I went to Eagle City, reaching there the 1st of July, and located, then
went more than 2,000 miles with dog teams. When I left Eagle City I was the
oldest resident there. Later I went to St. Michaels and Nome. West 80 miles
from Nome to Fisk river, which empties into the Arctic, carrying our packs on
our backs. We sailed on Behring Sea, then Pacific Ocean, back to Seattl
after spending 2 ½ years in Alaska. While there I took dinner with Indi
Chief Sam. Had ticket No. 1 at the big dinner at Eagle City, which I still
have. United States soldiers were stationed at the military post."
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Bassett Family Association Database
1845 - 1924 (78 years)