Biography - J. H. BASSETT
J. H. Bassett is the editor and proprietor of the Arthur Graphic, which
he bought and took charge of October 1, 1899. The paper was founded in
April, 1887, by T. J. Haney, and was edited and owned by him until he sold
it to Mr. Bassett. In 1883 he bought the Arcola Record, which he ran until
1886, when he sold it to P. L. Henry. Mr. Bassett was three years and a half
in the public printing office at Washington, under the administration of
President Harrison, at the end of which time he resigned and came home. In
1891 he and his father then again purchased the Record and ran it until
1895, selling to B. F. Wamsley. In 1897 he and his brother, M. H. Bassett,
who owned the Mattoon Daily Journal, again purchased the Record and Mr.
Bassett had sole charge of the paper until January 1, 1899, when the paper
was sold to Nathan Collins and son. The Arthur Graphic was originally a
five-column newspaper, but has recently been made six by the present
proprietor, who has in other ways overhauled the paper and office and
considerably increased the circulation.
Mr. Bassett was born in Arcola township, this county, July 19, 1861. In 1882
he married Miss Nora Perkins, who died in 1887. To this union was born one
child, Nellie. He again married, in 1895, Miss Maggie Degnan, of
Springfield, Illinois, becoming his wife. To them three children have been
born, Bessie, Martin and Mary. The Arthur Graphic has a circulation of about
five hundred, is well edited and is a very popular local newspaper.
Extracted 16 Jan 2020 by Norma Hass from the Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois, published in 1900, pages 264-265.
