| Notes |
- Mark Bassett, son of John Davies and Thamson (Rowe) Bassett, was born 1
Aug 1848 in St. Teath, Cornwall. He died 26 Sep 1926 in Hanford,
California. He married Helena Lander, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca
(Stevens) Lander, on 3 Oct 1872. She was born 14 Sep 1852 in Cornwall.
She died 26 Dec 1934 in Hanford, California. They are both buried at the
Grangeville Cemetery in Hanford, California.
The Mark Bassett family left St. Teath, Cornwall, no later than mid 1883
for Ontario, Canada, where in Tilbury in 1891, Ellen married Jonas
Malott. There are still many Malotts in that area and a Malott cemetery.
Ellen remained behind with her new husband when the family moved to
California in 1891, where they farmed west of Hanford, at first renting
the Railsback Ranch near Grangeville. Archie reported that Mark Sr. and
the older boys came as an advance party, working in Fresno or Fowler for
a brief time in fruit packing houses before the others followed from
Canada. The Bassett house in Hanford was built in 1900, a Victorian 2-
story wooden building with 8 bedrooms and one bath upstairs, on the
ranch at the NW outskirts of town. They raised Percheron horses, Poland-
China hobs, crops, fruit trees, grains, Etc., and exhibited at state and
county fairs. When Archie and Vera married in 1919, Mark and Helena
moved to a house in town on Reddington St. (subsequently owned by Lucile
Fahay) and the newlyweds took over the family home and ranch, yet with
Mark, Jr., still living there. Mark Jr. soon married and moved to his
own small house 100 yards north of the family home. Leslie and Earle
lived in the family home until the property was foreclosed in 1929.
(Mortgages had been taken out by Mark Sr. to enable other sons to buy
their own ranches, but the crash and depression wiped everything out).
Archie and family then moved to Modesto, where he was in charge of the
Hatmark Ranch, 10 miles west of town. That did not last long. After
Modesto, they moved to Fresno, living on the Helm Ranch on Kearnye
Blvd., west of town, for many years, until during World War II, Archie
changed to the Adobe Ranch, 10 miles east of Madera. Since Vera worked
for the Ration Board during the War, they also rented a house in Fresno,
then bought another small house in town. When the war ended they settled
at the Adobe Ranch. In 1959, they moved into Madera, where Vera worked
as secretary for the Methodist Church and Archie for the Dept. of
Agriculture, measuring crop acreage.
History of Tulare and Kings Counties California
Historic Record Company (1913)
Mark Bassett
A native of England, Mark Bassett, who has achieved more than state-wide
reputation as a breeder of horses, cattle, hogs and poultry and whose
ranch three miles north of Hanford is one of the show-places of that
part of Kings county, was born August 1, 1848. He remained there until
1880, becoming a farmer, then came to Canada and located in Ontario,
where he farmed eleven years, until he made his way across the continent
to California. He came to Kings county in 1895 from Fresno county and
bought one hundred and sixty acres of land two miles north of Hanford,
one hundred and sixty acres four miles north, and eighty acres at
Armona. His one hundred and sixty-acre homestead has one hundred acres
in orchard and vineyard; the other one hundred and sixty acres is in
alfalfa except forty acres which is given to fruit; and his eighty acres
at Armona is devoted to the cultivation of fruits and grapes. He has a
total of eighty acres in vineyard and one hundred and twenty acres in
apricots and peaches. Soon after he came to the county he began raising
thorough-bred Poland-China hogs. He imported his original stock and now
has forty registered sows. During the past six years he exhibited hogs
at various state fairs and it is of record that he took first prize at
the Seattle Exposition in 1909. His hogs and chickens have taken
Hundreds of first prizes at fairs and exhibitions in Oregon, Washington
and California, and are known for their excellence throughout the entire
coast country. He also makes a specialty of Percheron horses and is the
owner of a thoroughbred stallion and owns a share in another. His
chickens are barred Plymouth Rocks and black Minorcas. His land is all
well improved and his home is one of the most attractive in this
vicinity.
From time to time Mr. Bassett has very public spiritedly interested
himself in numerous enterprises. He is a stockholder in the Lucerne
Creamery, in the Armona Fruit and Raisin Packing Co. and in the Farmers
and Merchants' Bank of Hanford, and is a member of the Kings County
Chamber of Commerce.
In October, 1872, Mr. Bassett married Miss Helena Lander, a member of
old English families, who has borne him twelve children, ten of whom are
living: Helen, wife of J. Malott; Mabel, who married Frank Pursell;
William George; Mark, Jr.; John; Bertha, wife of John Day; Edith, who
married Louis Nieson; Ernest; Guy, and Archie.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1848 - 1926 (78 years)