| Notes |
- Excerpt from Autobiography of Isaac Newton Bassett
My Mother's Family:
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.
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Bassett Family Association Database
