| Notes |
- Excerpt from Autobiography of Isaac Newton Bassett
They [my father's family] first settled on the Ohio River bottom just west of Portsmouth on the Kentucky side where they remained for several years. At that time, Portsmouth was hardly known and just West of it was the village of Alexandria which for a few years was the rival of Portsmouth, but finally became extinct. I remembered seeing some of the old deserted buildings: substantial stone structures, in my boyhood days. It was just opposite this village that my father's family settled and the place was flourishing then. In this village, my maternal grandfather Hall settled and there my father became acquainted with my Mother, Frances Asbury Hall, fell in love, and married her in 1818.
My Mother's Family:
As I have already said, my Mother's maiden name was Hall. Her father Eskridge Hall came to America from England. He was also a local Methodist preacher. I do not know where he first settled, but he was in Alexandria, Scioto Co. Ohio in 1818 when my Father married Francis Asbury, his daughter. Grandfather Hall had in all, four daughters and two sons.
John Hall the oldest son when 17 years old ran away from home in order to go into the volunteer service in the war of 1812. He served during the war or the greater part of it. He was in the Battle of New Orleans and received a wound, which broke his skull, and it was trepanned by beating out a 25-cent piece to take the place of the bone removed. He recovered but his family knew nothing about his wounds until long after. He never wrote home and did not return until 1830. He had become addicted to drinking intoxicants and was somewhat obnoxious on that account. I can just remember of his coming to my father's house about 1831 when I was six years old. He remained some months with my father's family but left during the year and was never heard of afterwards. My father said he was quite intelligent and related some very interesting events in his life, but I cannot relate them. The other son Richard died when 16 years old.
Mary Hall, my mother's sister was married to Jacob Dixon, a Methodist preacher. He was well educated - was a graduate of Ohio University was of a poetic temperament but erratic. He edited a small volume of how own poems, about 1834, among them, some beautiful lines on the death of my Mother. I am sorry that I do not own a copy of this little book. I think my brother John has a copy. Sometime before 1840 Uncle Dixon studied medicine, and from this time until his death which occurred in or about 1850. He continued to practice medicine.
Mary Hall Dixon's oldest daughter Eliza married Bigger (?) Head about 1843. He lived in Highland Co. Ohio and moved to Jasper Co. Iowa in 1852 buying a quarter section of land near where the little village of Prairie City is now located. She became blind a few years afterward and died there about 1870. She had a number of children - the oldest Albert was living in Arkansas a year ago. I do not know how many are living nor where the others are located. I visited them in 1864. I think there were two boys and four girls.
Eskridge Dixon, the oldest son of Mary Hall Dixon entered the ministry when he was 23 years old and was a member of one of the Ohio Conferences of the M.E. church in the itinerant ministry until his death, which happened about 1888. He was sensible, able man, a student and filled with many important pulpits. At one time he was on the circuit where my father's first wife's father resided in Scioto Co. Ohio. He was married but I do not know whether he left any children or not. I never saw him but once. He visited my Father's family in 1844 or 1845.
Joseph, the second son, was as erratic as his father, was well educated in the common schools of Ohio with special instruction from his father. He was talented and had a fine command of language. I was quite well acquainted with him. He visited us in 1846, or perhaps 1845 and then went to Cincinnati. He had written a little romantic story which he sold to the Cincinnati Enquirer, a Democratic Newspaper, this under the Editorial of (?) Brough, a brother of John Brough, afterwards Governor of Ohio. Although a Whig, he was employed by the Enquirer as bookkeeper and to write events for two or three years. During this time my business took me to Cincinnati frequently and I often remained for a week or more and was with him quite often. In the fall of 1849 he came to my house in Quincy, KY as clerk in a store for myself & Brother Allen. I was married and he boarded with me. A few months later he was employed to teach school there and continued to board with me for nearly a year. He had contracted the habits of strong drink and sometimes to excess but only twice while he was with us did I know of his using it, both times he took too much. He finally left and went to Marion, Ohio where he taught school, joined the Methodist Church and resolved to quit drink. From there he went to New Boston, Illinois in the fall of 1850 or spring of 1851-52. He taught school in the Eliza School district in the fall and winter of 1851-2. He had been trained to exhort by the M.E. church and finally to preach and had preached a few sermons but just before I came out there in April 1852 he had indulged in drink with some convivial friends and it created considerable excitement. I found him greatly depressed in spirit. I encouraged him all I could and urged him to go forward and avoid the error again. The people forgave him and he was engaged as clerk and salesman by Wm Drury - the wealthy man who has just died - in a store in a New Boston. He determined to enter the itinerant ministry and in September sent in his name to the Rock River conference for an appointment. Howard Mory the minister who had filled the pulpit of New Boston the preceding year secured him the appointment to Moline Station in Illinois, Howard Mory being appointed to Rock Island Station. He was a great admirer of Joseph Dixon's talent and thus hoped to be near him so to be with him frequently and exchange pulpits; but the old habit came on again and while Manuel Mory was absent to Conference, Cousin Joseph again got intoxicated. Mr. Mory was greatly mortified and disappointed. Cousin Joseph did not wait to see him, but against the protests of his best friends he left Illinois. I had moved with my family to Mercer County before he left and tried to prevail on him not to go, but all in vain. He left without taking his trunk and was not heard from for six months. He then sent for his trunk and in a short time was heard from at Des Moines Iowa, where he was engaged on the Iowa State Register then under the control of (?) Sypher afterwards a carpetbagger in Louisiana and member of Congress from there after the war.
He remained on the Register for quite a number of years, almost the editor in 1864-65 when it was in charge of (?) Palmer who later was a member of Congress and afterwards post master of Chicago and has just been appointed National Printer at Washington D.C.
Joseph Dixon married Mary Doughty in 1858 or 59 in Aledo Ill at my home. His wife was a daughter of Reverend Thomas Doughty, a Methodist minister and was a sister of Josephine Cunningham and Lucien B. Doughty of Aledo. He became blind about 1869-70. After his blindness he edited a book "Lights and Shadows" describing incidents of his life and experiences. Also engaged in lecturing to some extent but did not attain to any notoriety as his afflictions and dissipation had impaired his once brilliant intelligence. He died some years ago and his wife died since. He left two children;; the eldest is living in Des Moines Iowa.
A daughter left is married but I do not know where she is or if she is yet living.
Mary Jane, a daughter of aunt Mary Dixon married a main by the name of Smith. They moved to Adel,, Dallas Co, Iowa in 1853-54. She has since died. Her husband is living there yet.
William H. Dixon's third son of Mary Dixon is living in New Boston where he has been since 1857. He was a tailor by trade and has followed that all this time. He has always been strictly temperate and a moral, upright citizen. He was married to Jane Beach in 1857. Both are alive and have four sons, Clarence, Clifford, Sharon and Fred. All living in New Boston and Fred is at this time coroner of Mercer Co. All are married.
George, the fourth son of Mary Dixon came to Illinois with his brother Wm in 1857. He became insane a few years afterwards and was sent to the insane asylum at Jacksonville, Ill in 1852. Afterwards to an asylum in Ohio and has since died. This is all of Aunt Mary Hall Dixon's family.
My Mother's sister Nancy was married to Samuel Willets. She was his third wife and somewhat advanced in age before she was married - over forty I think.
Shortly after the marriage Samuel Willits moved to Mercer Co Ill. - about 1839-1840 and settled near New Boston on a farm. Sam L. Willets had six children by his former wives but my Aunt Nancy never had any children.
Samuel Willett's children were Sarah, by his first wife, married to Davis who died leaving her a widow with some five children. She never married again. I think she died about ten years ago. One of her daughters, Levinia, is the wife of Leonidas Volney Willets and nephew of Sam L. Willets and lives at Watsonville, California. Nancy another daughter of Sarah David died shortly after marriage.
I do not know what has become of her three sons. Sam L. Willet's second daughter Jane married Sam L. Sheriff who resided in New Boston. She died soon after not leaving any children.
George, oldest son of Sam L. Willets married a girl named Iris. He died about 1850 not leaving any children.
Charles Willets, another son married Rachel Thornton a sister of Hiram W. Thornton of Millersburg, Illinois and Aunt of GeorgeThornton. He had several children who are mostly living in Iowa. Rachel died and he was married a second time, and has several children by his second wife. Charles was a prosperous farmer here in Illinois, afterwards in Iowa. He is now living at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and at this writing April 11th he is expected to live but a few days (he died in April 1897).
Jesse Willets, another son of Samuel Willets, married Mary A. Shields and resided in Mercer co until his death about 8 years ago. His widow still lives in New Boston (died 1899) and he has several children living in Mercer co. Ill.
Job Willets, youngest son of Sam L. Willets married first a Miss Prentiss, sister of Stanton V. Prentiss in New Boston, afterwards a Craft. He moved to Chicago a number of years ago and died there leaving his widow and several children.
Sarah, my mother's third sister, was married to John Ware settled in Piketon, Oho and died there. She left one child only, Eskridge Ware. I do not know whether he is dead or not but presume he is dead as he was older than I am.
Mr Grandfather Hall was married a second time to a widow and his second wife had a daughter by her former marriage, Sarah who was first married to a Doughty, afterwards to William Avery. She had one daughter only by Doughty who was married to his cousin Thomas Henry Doughty in New Boston. They had several children, one of whom is the wife of Dr. Tovie of Galesburg. This completes the history, so far as I know of my mother's family and brings me down to Father and Mother and their decedents.
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Bassett Family Association Database
