| Notes |
- William Henry Bassett was a circuit judge in Tuscola, Illinois for 16 years. He was also a Captain in the Union Army.
The second marriage to Marcie E. Thomas on 26 Dec 1894 may have been to a different William H. Bassett.
1850 Federal Census of District No. 2, Harrison County, Kentucky
Jonathan Bassett - 48 - M - Kentucky - Farmer 3800
Elizabeth - 47 - F - Kentucky
Elizabeth - 25 - F - Kentucky
Ellen - 20 - F - Kentucky
William - 18 - M - Kentucky
Thomas D. - 13 - M - Kentucky
Americus A. - 11 - M - Kentucky
Vrginia B. - 6 - F - Kentucky
1860 Federal Census of Arcola, Douglas County, Illinois
William H. Bassett - 28 - M - Kentucky - Farmer 2000 2500
Living with the John B. Gruelle Family
1870 Federal Census of Arcola, Douglas County, Illinois (9 Jul 1870)
W.J. Bassett - 39 - M - Kentucky - Farmer
Helen - 29 - F - Kentucky - Keeping House
John - 9 - M - Illinois
1880 Federal Census of Arcola, Douglas County, Illinois
William A. Bassett - 48 - M - KY-KY-KY - Head - Magistrate & Ins. Agent
Helen M. - 39 - F - KY-KY-GA - Wife - Milliner
Martin - 13 - M - IL-KY-KY - Son
County of Douglas, Illinois (1884)
The Arcola Record, the first newspaper to appear in the city, was inaugurated under the auspices of the Sellars Brothers of Tuscola in 1866 - the enterprise having been instituted by the subscription of liberal-minded citizens, without regard to political affinities; it was an indepdendent paper until the plant was bought by John M. Gruelle, which occurred soon after it was fairly started. For about seventeen years, Mr. Gruelle conducted it as an advocate of Republican principles, during which time, by close attention to the business interests of the office, and a due regard for those of his adopted county and city, he merited and received a fair share of success. He died in Arcola on the 23rd of October, 1883, in the prime of life, after nearly a year's illness. The paper is continued under the management of W.H. and J.H. Bassett, lessees, and bids fair to maintain its high character.
Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois (1900)
Judge W.H. Bassett was born Januay 12, 1832, on a farm in Harrison county, Kentucky, and there grew to manhood, receiving a common-school education. He later attended a commercial college in Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating May 12, 1854. Afterward he engaged in the mercantile business in Cynthiana, Kentucky. He came to what is now Douglas county, Illinois, in 1857, and was engaged in farming until 1862. At this time he enlisted in Company K, Seventy-ninth Illinois Infantry, and served to the close of the war, filling all the company offices from corporal to captain.
Upon returning from his army service our subject engaged in merchandising and farming in and near Arcola until 1882, when he was elected county judge. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1889. Politically Judge Bassett is a Republican, and religiously is an adherent of the Methodist Episcopal church, having joined that society at Millersburg, Kentucky, in 1856.
In 1860 our subject was married to Miss Nellie M. Gruell, and two children are the result of this union: Jonathan H., residing at Arthur, Illinois, and Martin H., residing at Mattoon, Illinois.
UNEXPECTED DEATH OF JUDGE BASSETT OCCURED AT TUSCOLA FRIDAY MORNING
14 Sep 1911
County of Douglas, Illinois (1884)
William H. Bassett, County Judge, was born January 12, 1832, in Harrison County, Ky. He graduated at Bartlett's Commercial College in 1854. He came to Coles (now Douglas) County in 1857, and farmed until he enlisted, July 21, 1862, Company K, Seventy-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry (Co. Buckner). He held all the offices from Corporal to Captain. While he was in rebel prison, he was commissioned as Captain, but was not mustered in. He took part in the battles of Stone River, Liberty Gap and Chickamauga. At the latter battle, September 19, 1863, he was captured, and spent eighteen months in prison; he was in Libby eight months, Macon four months, in Charleston under fire of our guns one month; was then taken to Columbia, where he remained until two days before Sherman's army came; thence removed to Raleigh, later to Goldsboro, and through our lines March 1, 1865. He then went to Benton Barracks, Mo., and remained there until the fall of Richmond; then, realizing that the war was over, he resigned, and returned to Arcola, his home. He has lived here most of the time since, and has been engaged in mercantile pursuits. He has frequently been honored by his fellow-citizens with office; he was Assessor of the township several terms, and held the office of Justice of the Peace from 1873 to 1882, when he was elected County Judge, which office he still holds. It is generally acknowledged that his official record has been marked by honesty, promptness and ability. He was married, in 1860, to Nellie M. Gruelle, from Kentucky; Jonathan H. and Hezekiah M. are their children. Both parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Bassett united with the church in Arcola by letter in 1858; he is now the only surviving member here who was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in this place at that time. The Judge has been an Odd Fellow for a number of years. Politically, he is a Republican. Jonathan, his son, was married on his twenty-first birthday to Miss Nora, daughter of Rev. J.W. and Mollie Perkins, of Arcola; Nellie is their only child. Jonathan is editor of the Arcola Record, one of the leading papers of the county.
1905 Coles County, Illinois History
Martin H. Bassett
BASSETT, Martin H., well-known editor and publisher, Mattoon, Coles County, Ill., was born at Arcola, Ill., June 15, 1867, and there received his education. His parents, William H. and Helen M. (Gruelle) Bassett, are natives of Cynthiana, Ky., and his grandparents, Jonathan and Elizabeth (Discher) Bassett, natives of the same State. Jonathan Bassett, the great-grandfather, was a Virginian. On the mother's side his grandfather, John B. Gruelle, was a native of Kentucky and his grandmother, Prudence (Moore) Gruelle, was born in Macon, Ga., the great-grandfather, William Gruelle, being a native of Lyons, France.
William H. Bassett, father of the subject of this sketch, is editor and publisher of the Charleston, Ill., "Plaindealer-Herald". During the Civil War he enlisted at Mattoon as a private in the Seventy-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry and was promoted to be Captain of Company K in that regiment. He later served twenty years as County Judge of Douglas County, Ill.
Mr. Bassett learned the printer's trade in the office of the Arcola (Ill.) "Record", becoming an apprentice therein at the age of eleven. He has since served as city editor of the Springfield (Ill.) "Evening Telegram", and from there he went to Chicago, where he served as police and court reporter on papers of that city. In 1895 he bought the "Arcola Record" in 1899 became connected with the "Mattoon Journal" and in August of that year in connection with Hon. Emery Andrews he bought that paper. On January 1, 1905, they sold "The Journal". On September 16, 1891, Mr. Bassett was united in marriage with Mary C. Logan, who was born in Arcola, Ill., where she received her early mental training, afterwards pursuing a course of study in the Oxford (Ohio) Female Seminary. One child resulted from this union: William, who was born in Arcola, Ill., July 17, 1896. Mrs. Bassett is a daughter of Samuel B. Logan, Deputy Sheriff of Coles County, just before Douglas county was created from it, and he was elected the first Sheriff of Douglas County. He enlisted in Mattoon in the Union Army for service in the Civil War; was also a soldier in the Mexican War.
In politics Mr. Bassett is a Republican. In fraternal circles he is identified with the Royal Areanum and the A.F. & A.M.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1832 - 1911 (79 years)