BASSETT, JOHN WILLIAM AND ELSIE JANE (SPRINGER)

(See William and Edward Bassett stories for early history)

John William Bassett was born in Ohio 1847 and migrated to Hooker County spend-ing approximately 30 years enroute. While living in Iowa he met and married Adeline Fleming in Atchison County, Missouri in 1872. A son, Benjamin Brutus was born to them. They were divorced and John went on to Red Willow County, Nebraska with the wagon train in about 1880. John met and married Elsie Jane Springer, a migrant born at Milan, Missouri in 1883 at Indianola. John purchased 40 acres of land where they lived while in Red Willow County.

Bessie Maud was born to them in 1883 and died in 1884. She was buried near McCook, Nebraska. In 1885 Frank Eugene was born and Cora Alice arrived in 1888.

A wagon train left for the McPherson County area where free land was available. They settled in a large wet valley in northwest McPherson County which became known as the Bassett Valley. John took a claim of 160 acres in Grant County, located about a mile to the southeast of the present Margaret Vinton Ranch buildings in the southeastern corner.

Nathan Ellsworth was born in 1890 and since there was to be a school in Bassett Valley, the family sold the property to G.W. Swiggardt, an established rancher in the area, and moved to the southwest of Cody Lake so that Frank could attend school. The school was located in the east end of Bassett Valley, Dist. #5 in McPherson County which was taught by Enda Winhuret. They lived on an 80 acre tract of land belonging to Quinns and used an adjoining 80 acres of free land. Minnie Theora was born in 1892 while they were living there.

John was a hunter and trapper by trade and they moved to the North Dismal River where there was an abundance of wild game. The family built a dugout and lived there mainly on wild game and fish with whatever they could raise from a garden. They were very poor and other more fortunate families gave them handed down clothing and other necessities. During this time it is not known where the children attended school since school records are scarce and unavailable.

Delbert Sheridan was born in 1895, Robert Evans in 1897 and Clarence Dewey (Clyde) in 1900.

Sometime between 1900 and 1905, the family moved to the north where they took a claim of 640 acres which lay in the west end of Benjamin French's valley and partly in Frances Sexton's holdings. margaret May was born to them about 1904 or 1905 and contracted scarlet fever when about 3 or 4 years of age. She died and was buried on a hill in a pasture just to the northwest of Benjamin French's buildings. There are no records of her birth or death and she was not included in the 1910 census, but Jennie (Boyer) Wright who lived some distance to the west, recalls seeing her and remembers her illness and death.

John received his Patent on the land in 1911 and sold the land shortly after. The family then moved back to southwestern Hooker County or southeastern Grant County near Elva, Nebraska, where he died the same year. He was taken to Eclipse Cemetery in southwestern Hooker County on the Chauncy Tucker Ranch and buried. It is on a hill overlooking the South Dismal River. The children, now teenagers, attended the haney School somewhere in Southwest Hook-er County during the terms of 1915-16 and 1916-17.

Elsie filed on a land claim, probably about 1915, that lay just to the west of the A.J. Gragg property. Her boys built her a house and she lived there until they were pretty well grown and filing on their own land.

The land was sold in about 1920 and they moved her house to the Bob Phelps place that Frank and Maude had purchased, where she lived until her death in 1924. Elsie was buried at Eclipse Cemetery beside husband John.