"An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country; Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, 
Adams  and Franklin Counties; State of Washington". Spokane, Western Historical
Publishing  Company, Publishers, 1904.

HON. JOHN D. BASSETT, one of the most widely known bankers in the State of
Washington, now living in Ritzville, was born in Plainfield, Connecticut,
January 6, 1858, and is descended fron an old English family, which came to
Connecticut and settled in Guilford in 1660. His father, William E. Bassett, a
Congregational minister, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and his mother,
Mary (Dowd) Bassett, was also a native of the "Wooden Nutmeg State," and came of
one of the old New England families. The father died in 1881 and the mother five
years later in Norflolk, Connecticut.
     For forty years Mr. Bassett lived in the state of his birth, and was
educated in the public schools, Williston seminary, the seminary of East
Hampton, Massachusetts, and one year in Yale. In Norflolk he was engaged for
several years in the mercantile business and silk manufacturing, being at the
time and is yet secretary and treasurer of the Aetna Silk Company. In 1891 he
came to Washington and established the Snohomish National Bank, Snohomish, and
the Adams County Bank, which in 1901 was converted into a national bank at
Ritzville, of which he is president. He also at this time organized the First
National Bank of Waterville, of which he was cashier some months. He is now
president of the First National Bank of Ritzville, the Odesssa State Bank, the
Bank of Lind, the Prosser State Bank, and the Farmeers' Bank at Hatton,
Washington. He is treasurer of the Sprague Mercantile Company, Sprague,
Washington; president of the Ritzville Library and Improvement Association; and
president of the Chamber of Commerce.
     After leaving school in 1879 Mr. Bassett was for eighteen months employed
in the banking house of Cowles & Eldridge, in Norfolk, and in 1881 he went to
Minnesota, where he studied law with C. M. Start, now a member of the Minnesota
supreme court. He was never admitted to practice, however, but went from
Minnesota to Kansas, where he remained two months and returned to the state of
his birth. Here he became secretary of the Norfolk Shear Company, and on January
1, 1883, he engaged in the general merchandise business with the firm of Clark &
Bassett, in which he was extremely prosperous. In 1890 he sold his interest in
business to his partner, and spent the following year in organizing banks at
Hartington and Ogalala, Nebraska, and at Dunlap, Iowa.
     John D. Bassett has no brothers, but has one sister, Rebecca B., wife of
Dr.Plumb-Brown, Springfield, Massachusetts.
     On September 30, 1896, John D. Bassett was married to Alice W. Case, a
native of Barkhamstead, Connecticut. Her father also was born in that state.
This union has been blessed with three children, Joseph E., Mary D. and Emma S.
     In fraternity circles Mr. Bassett is affiliated with the Western State
lodge, No. 37, Norfolk, Connecticut, A. F. and A. M., and both he and his wife
are members of the Eastern Star. They are also prominent spirits in the local
Congregational church, of which our subject is a deacon.
     Mr. John D. Bassett has been unusually prominent and active in political
cirlces, both in his native state and the state of his adoption. He represented
his district in the Connecticut State legislature in 1886-87, and was active in
all educational measues and clerk of the temperance committee. He was
superintendent of schools and town treasurer for several years; and was
registrar of voters ten years. He has been a Republican all his life, and in
addition to the above offices was chairman of the Republican central committee
from the eighteenth senatorial district of his native state.


Submitted by: Georgia Harter Williams, georgiahw@earthlink.net