My second great-grandfather, Martin Bashor, was born in
Virginia, married in Tennessee where seven children were born, lived in
Missouri where three more children were born then moved to California, and died
in Colorado.
What happened during his 92 years, 6 months, 22 days?[1] Historical events during his life time were
many: James Monroe became the 5th
U.S. President in the year Martin was born and 20 more would follow; he lived
through cholera, typhoid and other epidemics; the Civil War; and saw the
invention of the railroad, telegraph, telephone, electric light bulb,
automobile and airplane.[2]
 |
| Martin Bashor and Susannah Sherfy Bashor Source: Hibsch Family Collection |
And, the man got around.
The Tennessee Years
Martin Bashor was born in Virginia in May 1817[3]; [4] He married Susannah Sherfy on 31 Aug 1843 in Washington County, Tennessee.[5] He ran a tannery[6] with a reported value of $500, producing 200 hides annually. The “kind of motive power, machinery, structure, or resource” was horse.[7]
 |
| Washington County, Tennessee circled in red Source: censusfinder.com (click to enlarge images) |
Martin Bashor was born in Virginia in May 1817[3]; [4] He married Susannah Sherfy on 31 Aug 1843 in Washington County, Tennessee.[5] He ran a tannery[6] with a reported value of $500, producing 200 hides annually. The “kind of motive power, machinery, structure, or resource” was horse.[7]
What does a horse do at a tannery?
The Missouri Years
Nearly two decades later, Martin, Susannah and their seven children moved to Empire Prairie, Andrew County, Missouri. They were considered early settlers of this town, having arrived in 1859.[8] The 1860[9] and 1870[10] censuses placed them in nearby Platte Township in Andrew County, Post Office: Whitesville. Martin was a farmer with a real estate value of $630 and personal estate value of $830.[11] Ten years later, Martin reported his real estate value at $5,000 and personal estate at $1,965.[12] What a nice return on investment or was the reporting inaccurate?
 |
| Andrew County, Missouri Source: censusfinder.com |
Nearly two decades later, Martin, Susannah and their seven children moved to Empire Prairie, Andrew County, Missouri. They were considered early settlers of this town, having arrived in 1859.[8] The 1860[9] and 1870[10] censuses placed them in nearby Platte Township in Andrew County, Post Office: Whitesville. Martin was a farmer with a real estate value of $630 and personal estate value of $830.[11] Ten years later, Martin reported his real estate value at $5,000 and personal estate at $1,965.[12] What a nice return on investment or was the reporting inaccurate?
Three more children were born in Missouri. In all, Martin and Susannah had nine
children:
Born in Tennessee
Amanda Bashor, about 1844
Alexander Washington Bashor, about 1845
Robert A. Bashor, about 1852
Margaret, about 1853
John S. Bashor, about 1855
Jacob C. Bashor, about 1857
Catherine, about 1859
Born in Missouri
Rebecca Bashor, about 1862
Martha Bashor, about 1864 (my great-grandmother)
Cordelia Bashor, about 1865
California Here We Come
The California Voter Registration records were very helpful in
placing Martin in Covina, Los Angeles County, California from 1888 - 1896.[13] He, Susannah and three daughters, Rebecca,
Martha and Cordelia, came to sunny southern California. Our family story was that the girls could not
remain in Missouri alone because they were unmarried. Martin was 70 years old and a farmer when he
first arrived in Covina.
The 1892 and 1896 Voter Registration records provided bonus
details - physical characteristics. Martin
5’8”, dark complexion, brown eyes, black hair (reported as iron gray in 1896),
and had a mole on left side of his nose. He was also able to read the constitution in
English and write his name.
 |
| Martin and Susannah Bashor residence Covina, California (Source: newspapers.com) |
Off to Colorado
Martin and Susannah’s last place of residence was Longmont
Town, Boulder County, Colorado.[14] They lived on Collyer Street next door to
Jacob and Ida Bashor. Martin was 83 now and had been married for 56 years. Susannah died in December 1900. Martin died ten years later.
His obituary appeared in the Longmont Ledger (Longmont,
Boulder County, Colorado) on 21 Jan 1910.
It was transcribed and posted on his memorial page on Find-a-Grave.com.[15]
BASHOR--At the home of his son, J. K. Bashor, Wednesday, January 19, 1910, of senility, Martin Bashor, aged 92 years, 6 months and 22 days.
BASHOR--At the home of his son, J. K. Bashor, Wednesday, January 19, 1910, of senility, Martin Bashor, aged 92 years, 6 months and 22 days.
Mr. Bashor has been
confined to the house for several years. He has long outlived the three-score
and ten allotted to human age.
Martin Bashor was
born in Shenandoah Co., Va., July 27, 1817, and was the youngest of fifteen
children and was the last survivor, twelve of them having an average life of 50
years.
Interment takes
place at Hygiene cemetery today.
The website covers Bashor family history and reunions. The
last reunion was held 16 August 2014 in Longmont, Colorado. I’ve tried to encourage my Rocky Mountain Cousin
to attend but no such luck….
Future Research
- Obtain records for marriage, land and church
- Determine possible reasons for moving to Missouri, California and Colorado
- Learn more about tanneries in Tennessee
Sources
[1] Find-a-Grave
– Martin Bashor Memorial #30528831
[3] Year:
1900; Census Place: Precinct 1, Boulder, Colorado; Roll: 121; Page: 2A;
Enumeration District: 0157; Ancestry.com.
[4]See
footnote #1
[5] Tennessee
State Marriages, 1780-2002. Ancestry.com
[6] From
1850 to 1870, the manufacturers schedule was called the “industry schedule.”
The purpose was to collect information about manufacturing, mining, fishing,
and mercantile, commercial, and trading businesses with an annual gross product
of $500 or more. For each census year ending on 1 June, the enumerators
recorded the name of the company or the owner; the kind of business; the amount
of capital invested; and the quantity and value of materials, labor, machinery,
and products. Szucs, Loretto Dennis.,
and Sandra Hargreaves. Luebking. The Source: A Guidebook to American
Genealogy. 3rd ed. Provo, UT: Ancestry, 2006. Online.
[7]
1850 U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, Washington, Tennessee;
Ancestry.com.
[8] EmpirePrairie Sesquicentennial [note Bonham family]
[9] Year:
1860; Census Place: Platte, Andrew, Missouri; Roll: M653_605; Page: 340; Image:
344; Line 2. Ancestry.com.
[10] Year:
1870; Census Place: Platte, Andrew, Missouri; Roll: M593_755; Page: 307B;
Image: 622; Line 23. Ancestry.com
[11] See
footnote #9
[12] See
footnote #10
[13] California
State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898;
Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 20; Ancestry.com.
[14]See
footnote #3
[15] See
footnote #1
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