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- 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
1870 Federal Census of Rockport Township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (12 Aug 1870)
Dwight Bassett - 26 - M - Massachusetts - Farmer
Sarah - 30 - F - Vermont
Burton - 7 - M - Ohio
Henry - 5 - M - Ohio
Lilly J. - 4 - F - Ohio
Living next door
Kesiah Bassett - 63 - F - Massachusetts 15,000 480
William M. - 18 - M - Ohio - Farmer
1880 Federal Census of Rockport, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
William Bassett - 28 - M - OH-MA-MA - Head - Farmer
Carrie - 23 - F - OH-OH-OH - Wife - Keeping House
Russell - 4 - M - OH-OH-OH - Son
Kasiah - 73 - F - MA-MA-MA - Mother
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.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1806 - 1890 (84 years)