Bassett Family Association Database
Ezra Bassett
1799 - 1870 (70 years)-
Name Ezra Bassett Birth 12 Nov 1799 Florida or Rome, Berkshire County, Massachusetts 
Gender Male _UID 9439296CFD6CB94A87CE1FB5D2F24F0D178B Death 1870 Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Burial Fairview, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Notes - Ezra and Keziah Bassett bought 57 acres of land on the corner of Puritas Springs and Grayton Road in Rockport, Ohio. From the "Memorial to the Pioneer Women of Western Reserve" published in 1896, we have "Keziah Witt born in Massachusetts, 1806, married Ezra Bassett and came to Ohio in 1837, traveling by wagon to Troy, thence by canal to Buffalo, and then from there to Cleveland by steamer. The eldest daughter, Mrs. L. D. Nichols remembers a race between their steamer and a rival. Mrs. Bassett had five sons and two daughters. She lived in Rockport in 1890. Her daughter Marzilla became Mrs. L. D. Nichols, and Elizabeth, Mrs. Charles Jordan; both reside in Rockport."
1850 Federal Census of Rockport Township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (23 Oct 1850)
Ezra Bassett - 51 - M - Massachusetts - Farmer 3200
Abigail(?) - 45 - F - Massachusetts
Homer - 23 - M - Massachusetts - Farmer
Henry - 21 - M - Massachusetts
Charles - 16 - M - Massachusetts
Dwight - 14 - M - Massachusetts
John - 13 - M - Ohio
Marilla - 18 - F - Massachusetts
Elizabeth - 9 - F - Ohio
Bassett Family by Elizabeth Bassett McAlister
Ezra Bassett, an early settler in this part of Ohio, came from Florida, Massachusetts in the year 1829. He brought with him his family consisting of wife, Kesiah DeWitt Bassett, and five children, Homer, Henry, Marilla, Charles and Dwight. Three other children were born in Ohio, Elizabeth, John and William.
In coming to Ohio, they travelled by wagon from Florida, Massachusetts to Albany, New York From Albany to Buffalo via the Erie canal and from Buffalo to Cleveland by steam boat.
They settled on a farm of fifty-seven acres on the corner of Puritas Springs Boulevard and Grayton Road. Houses that they lived in are still standing. They bought land on both sides of Rocky River Drive, a fifty acre parcel on the West Side and Barber property of about one hundred acres. When Ezra Bassett died they were living in a pretty home in Brooklyn Village, now a part of Cleveland.
The children were brought up in a Christian home. Each day was reverently begun by the reading of Scriptures and followed by all kneeling in prayer. Several of the children attended Oberlin College. They attended a Baptist church which stood on the corner of Riverside Drive and Lorain Road and later they attended the church now known as the West Park Congregational Church. Ezra Bassett was a deacon in the church and held civic ofices.
Homer Bassett went back to New England and was city librarian in Waterbury, Connecticut for many years. He was also an author.
Henry joined the "forty niners" to California in search of gold. He made his home in California.
Marilla married Lorin Nichols and stayed in Rockport as did her sister Elizabeth who married Charles Jordan.
Charles and Dwight lived on the farms in Rocky River Drive.
John enlisted in the Civil War, was taken ill and died and his body was sent home for burial. A group of his comrades paid the expenses but Grandfather showed his appreciation by sending back to them one hundred dollars.
William, the youngest, also settled in Rockport.
Above the fireplace in the old house, and on either side were cupboards where grandmother kept good things to eat. Before we could talk, we used to point up to where the raisin cake was kept, and such cake and such bread I have never tasted anything so good since.
Person ID I1041 6B William Bassett of Connecticut Last Modified 29 Feb 2012
Father Ezra Bassett, b. 23 Mar 1774, Goshen, Litchfield County, CT d. 1834, Florida, Massachusetts (Age 59 years) Mother Sarah Blodgett d. 1817 Marriage Bef 1798 Family ID F439 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Keziah Witt, b. 12 Sep 1806, Florida, Berkshire County, Massachusetts d. 20 Nov 1890, Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Age 84 years) Marriage 18 May 1824 Children + 1. Homer Franklin Bassett, b. 2 Sep 1826, Florida, Berkshire County, Massachusetts d. 28 Jun 1902, Waterbury, Connecticut (Age 75 years)+ 2. Henry Dewitt Bassett, b. 28 Feb/Sep 1829, Florida, Berkshire County, Massachusetts d. 20 Jul 1895, Hayward, California (Age 66 years)+ 3. Marilla Jane Bassett, b. 25 Jun 1831, Florida, Berkshire County, Massachusetts d. 1911, Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Age 79 years)+ 4. Charles Edgar Bassett, b. 20 Apr 1833, Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio d. 10 Aug 1905, Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Age 72 years)+ 5. Dwight Ezra Bassett, b. 1837, Florida, Berkshire County, Massachusetts d. 9 Apr 1915, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Age 78 years)6. John Milton Bassett, b. 15 Jul 1838, Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio d. 2 Feb 1861, Ohio (Age 22 years)+ 7. Elizabeth Pamela Bassett, b. 27 May 1841, Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio d. 22 Mar 1916, Cuyahoga County. Ohio (Age 74 years)+ 8. William Mantell Bassett, b. 9 Dec 1851, Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio d. 1915 (Age 63 years)Family ID F444 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- Ezra and Keziah Bassett bought 57 acres of land on the corner of Puritas Springs and Grayton Road in Rockport, Ohio. From the "Memorial to the Pioneer Women of Western Reserve" published in 1896, we have "Keziah Witt born in Massachusetts, 1806, married Ezra Bassett and came to Ohio in 1837, traveling by wagon to Troy, thence by canal to Buffalo, and then from there to Cleveland by steamer. The eldest daughter, Mrs. L. D. Nichols remembers a race between their steamer and a rival. Mrs. Bassett had five sons and two daughters. She lived in Rockport in 1890. Her daughter Marzilla became Mrs. L. D. Nichols, and Elizabeth, Mrs. Charles Jordan; both reside in Rockport."