Cook County IL Archives Biographies.....Bassett, Nelson M 1838 - 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com February 21, 2006, 2:55 am

Author: Goodspeed, W.A., & Healy, D.D. (Eds.)

Nelson M. Bassett, builder, Austin, Ill., was born in Dutchess county, New 
York, June 4, 1838, a son of George and (Humiston) Bassett, of New England 
ancestory in both lines of descent. In 1842, when he was 4 years old, he was 
brought by his parents to Kane county, Illinois, where his father was a 
contractor and bridge builder and later superintendent of bridges and 
buildings for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway company. In 1848 the family 
moved to Chicago and thence, in 1850, to Batavia, Ill. In Chicago they lived 
near the site of the Rookery building and Nelson attended a school near the 
site of McVicker's theater and later the Jones school on Clark street. He 
gained a practical knowledge of bridge building and at 18 was employed by the 
Chicago & Northwestern Railroad company, on its old Galena & Chicago Union 
line. Then, after a course in Sloan's Business college, he became bookkeeper 
for John S. Reed. Later, till 1869, he was employed in the building department 
of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad. From that time until 1884 he was 
general storekeeper for that road. Then, with John M. Rice as a partner, he 
began building contracting. In 1885 he built the postoffice building at Des 
Moines, la., and in quick succession thereafter the postoffice buildings at 
St. Joseph, Mo., Leavenworth and Fort Scott, Kan., and Lansing, Mich., besides 
others. He also largely planned and did the contract work on two large factory 
buildings for the Appleton Manufacturing company at Batavia, Ill., four 
buildings for the United States Wind Engine and Pump company, two large 
buildings for the Newton Wagon company and boiler rooms for Key & Chapell, and 
constructed at Batavia, Ill., a concrete dam 230 feet long. Latterly he has 
erected many fine residences at Glencoe and elsewhere. Under the Cicero 
township organization Mr. Bassett held the office of trustee for some years 
and town clerk for one year; also as school director and trustee. He was an 
early taxpayer at Austin and was active in organizing the village government. 
In 1866, when he settled here, Chicago extended westward only to Western 
avenue. At what is now the intersection of Central and Ohio streets, Austin 
(then called Austinville), he built in the summer of that year the first 
residence in the vicinity. Then about the only notable thing thereabout was 
the factory of the United States Clock company, of which C. C. P. Holden was 
president, and W. A. Giles secretary. The building was isolated on (now) Park 
avenue near Lake street. The nucleus of the present suburb grew up on twenty-
five acres of land west of Central avenue, given to the clock company by H. W. 
Austin, for whom the place was named, and fifteen acres east of Central 
avenue, given to the same concern by C. C. Merrick. When Mr. Bassett located 
there he was building depots on the Galena division of the Chicago & 
Northwestern railroad. He saw the rapid development of the suburb and has 
aided practically and materially in all its advancement.

Mr. Bassett is a Mason and a member of the Blue lodge and Commandery at Oak 
Park. He married, at Batavia, Ill., November 4, 1861, Miss Helen A. Worthley, 
who was born in Vermont, January 9, 1842, one of the three children of Thomas 
D. and Atilda (Hyde) Worthley. Thomas D. Worthley, son of Thomas Worthley, was 
of Welsh stock. Thomas saw service in the War of 1812 and later lived at Ware, 
N. H., which probably was his birthplace. There Thomas D. was born May 16, 
1814. He was by trade a carpenter and joiner. In 1854 he brought his family to 
Illinois. He lived and worked at his trade in Batavia until 1862, when he 
moved to Chicago and bought property on Elizabeth street. He died in Chicago 
September 10, 1898. His two sons were named Edwin Hyde and Charles B. 
Worthley. The former was a Union soldier in the Civil war. Atilda Hyde, 
daughter of James and Eunice (Pennock) Hyde, was born at Stratford, Vt, April 
23, 1815. Her father enlisted at 17 for service in the Revolutionary war, 
served under Washington six years and ten months, rising to be an ensign, and 
was honorably discharged at the end of the struggle. His wife bore him 
seventeen children, all of whom lived to maturity. Mr. and Mrs. Bassett have 
had seven children: George Dow, Cora M., Nellie A., Adah H., Eloise, Norman M. 
and James J. Mrs. Bassett is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.


Additional Comments:
Goodspeed, W.A., & Healy, D.D. (Eds.). (1909). History of Cook County, 
Illinois. Chicago: The Goodspeed Historical Association.

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