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- FAMILY HISTORY TOLD BY KATE NEVADA BASSETT HUNT
Sometime in April 1865, our folks - the Harris and Bassett families -
set forth from Springfield, Illinois and joined a wagon train at some point in
Missouri. My mother's family (Harris) joined them also. When the train was
made up, there were 225 wagons, many drawn by oxen, but there were horses too.
They were divided into groups of 25 wagons and each group had a Captain. My
father, Nymphas, was Captain of our group and secretary of the Compan
believe I've heard some one say Grandfather (Bernard Handy Bassett) was
Captain of the Wagon Train.
They organized as a Company and set forth. The plan was to make
certain points for an early camp but if they came near a stream that had to be
crossed they made the crossing before camping so as to run no risk of t
stream rising over night, also to have the animals all in good condition to
get off for a good start on the morrow.
They grouped the wagons in a circle with the women and children and
supplies that were unloaded within the circle. My Aunt Jennie, who was 16 at
the time, said sometimes as they were making camp the Indians would come
riding about, shooting arrows into the air. The men would go out and shoot at
some special object to show what they could do with guns. They would give the
Indians food or beads as they could, and in all their trek never had any
trouble with them. Aunt Jennie said she rode horseback quite a good deal as
did many others.
When they reached the Platte River, my cousin Martha Harris was born.
Her father was my mother's brother, David Harris. Soon after that the train
divided, part of them going via the Oregon Trail (the Harris families went
that way), while the Bassett families kept on via Colorado, Utah and Nevada,
and there I (Kate) came into the picture. The camp was made on the bank of the
Truckee River near Reno, and I was born August 22nd. My father's oldest sister
and her husband had made the crossing earlier and were located not far from
there. In the morning, Uncle Jesse came to camp and they took mother and me to
their place for ten days or so, then they joined the wagon train and all came
into California.
The family had planned to go into Napa County, but my Uncle Jefferson
Bassett who was badly crippled from rheumatism was so badly off when th
reached Solano County they had to stop. A family by the name of Hawkins who
were located there insisted that Grandmother and Uncle Jefferson and little
Kate should go into their house to try to make him more comfortable, and they
did.
Grandfather and his sons and in-laws looked about and located on what
was called the Plains, east of what developed into the town of Elmira. That
was in September and it was six months from the time they left their homes in
Illinois until they were again in a house in California. They had been camping
near the Hawkins ranch.
My father was a carpenter so he built houses for the new settlers, but
my mother wasn't so very well and another girl was born in February 1867 -
Pauline - my brother Guy came September 10, 1870. The last of May or first of
June 1872, Father decided to take us to Oregon to see mother's folks. Again we
set out in a covered wagon and made Cottage Grove, Oregon in a three-weeks
drive. Stayed on at Grandfather Harris and Father helped with the farm work
till after harvest when we went to Springfield where we stayed till the last
of May in 1872, when we went to Albany where Father had some special building
on the University buildings. In October we moved back to Grandfather's farm
east of Springfield. In April of 1873, my younger brother, Glenn Otis, was
born and in July our mother passed away. In October we moved to a farm over on
the McKenzie River where we stayed until April of 1874 when we moved to
Springfield again when the first bridge was begun across the Willamette River
there. It was a covered bridge and Father was on its construction till
completed. We lived in three different houses in Springfield; then went into a
house down the River where we lived till February of 1878. Sister Mary married
Eugene L. Howe of Creswell on July 19, 1877 so Father decided to return to
California with we four youngsters. In February 1878, we came via steamer from
Portland to San Francisco. Soon after reaching Elmira where our Bassett
grandparents lived, we children were distributed among our relatives. (Insert
by Evelyn Piculell: I believe at this time my father Glenn was taken by a Mrs.
Sparks of Silverton, Oregon, to raise.)
In 1879 I went to Vacaville and was with a family, helping with the
children and going to school. When vacation came, I returned to Elmira for a
while but in early 1880 Mr. Cutler of Vacaville wanted me to return there and
stay with his wife as he was away a good deal and she was very frail, so I
went and continued there through grammar and high school and Teacher's College
where I finished in 1884 when I secured my Teacher's Certificate; and on July
28, 1884 began teaching the 1st grade in Vacaville School. There I taught in
different grades from 1st to fourth till May 1891 when I went to Oakland that
Fall and prepared for Teacher's examination in Alameda County. I began
teaching in Harrison Street School in August of 1892 and continued there till
May of 1903; just about a month before John Hunt and I were married on June
24, 1903.
As you know, that event took place under a lovely Bread of Heaven tree
in front of Aunt Hattie's home on Oleander Place in Vaca Valley (John's Aunt
Hattie). After the reception and refreshments, we departed in a one hor
buggy for Fairfield where we left Old Dobbin in the livery stable and took the
train to San Francisco. The next day went to see some of my dear friends in
Oakland, a great surprise to them, then via train to San Jose where my Aunt
Jennie Raymond and daughters lived. Next day came on to Los Angeles and were
given a reception and shower by John's Osteopathic friends in the offices of
Drs. Dan and Cora Tasker and himself in the Grant Building. John had secured a
cottage on Park Grove Avenue before going north so we soon bought furnishings
and located there, and in the Fall Aunt Hattie joined us, having sold h
place in Vaca Valley. In January of 1905, we moved into our own home in a new
subdivision of Los Angeles (Virgil Avenue just off Wilshire Blvd) and have
lived here ever since.
In 1909 I took my first trip East with Aunt Hattie. Left L.A. last of
May and returned via Canada-Pennsylvania in August. John came East,
unexpectedly in July to make the return with me. Aunt Hattie stayed on till
the last of September or first of October. The A.P. Kimball's coming on with
her. They staid here for six months while they built a house on Corondolet
Street.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1865 - 1962 (96 years)
d. 28 Mar 1896, Oakland, Alameda County, California