Brief Life History of William Smith
When William Smith Bassett was born on 5 July 1887, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States, his father, William Edward Bassett, was 35 and his mother, Catherine Gurney Smith, was 25. He married Sybella White Clayton on 5 July 1911, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son. He lived in Utah, Utah, United States in 1900 and Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States in 1930. He died on 10 December 1977, in Contra Costa, California, United States, at the age of 90.
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Family Time Line
Sources (22)
- William E. Bassett in household of William E. Bassett, "United States Census, 1900"
- William Smith Bassett, "Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1940"
- William Smith Bassett, "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
World Events (8)
1890 · The Sherman Antitrust Act
This Act tried to prevent the raising of prices by restricting trade. The purpose of the Act was to preserve a competitive marketplace to protect consumers from abuse.
1896 · Utah becomes a state
After three prior attempts to become a state, the United States Congress accepted Utah into the Union on one condition, that all forms of polygamy were to be banned. The territory agreed, and Utah became a state on January 4, 1896.
1911 · The Salt Lake Airport
The site for the Salt Lake International Airport started as a desolate area of the Valley that was originally used to herd sheep. A cinder-covered landing strip was subsequently created for the Great International Aviation Carnival that was held later in that same year. It brought many pioneers of the aviation industry. Aviator Glenn H. Curtiss brought his newly invented Seaplane to the carnival and demonstrated it to the public by taking off from the Great Salt Lake. It slowly grew until Charles Lindbergh visited that area. After his visit, the airfield changed into a Municipal Airport and started being a hub for most flights from New York to California. After World War II, the airport turned into an international hub for most flights in the Mountain West. In recent history, it sees around 30 million travelers each year and continues to grow in popularity by travelers to and from Utah. It became a hub for Delta Air Lines after its merger with Western Airlines.
Name Meaning
English (of Norman origin): from Old French basset ‘of low stature’, a diminutive of basse ‘low, short’, either a nickname for a short person or a status name for someone of humble origins.
Altered form of French Bessette 1 or Besset (see Bessette 2).
History: William Bassett (c. 1598–1667) came to Plymouth, MA, from Kent, England, in the 1620s; c. 1650 he moved to Duxbury and subesequently to Bridgewater. He had many prominent descendants, among them one of the earliest families on Martha's Vineyard. — The surname Bassett of French origin (see 2 above) is listed in the register of Huguenot ancestors recognized by the Huguenot Society of America.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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