M-345: Homer Bassford Papers Finding Aid

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE

Homer S. Bassford was born on July 20, 1869 (or 1870 according to the Missouri History Museum) in Mexico, Missouri. He died in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 10, 1938. He married Etta C. Chase (1869-1938) of Cedar Falls, IA., in 1892. Mr. Bassford was a lifelong newspaperman, starting his career in Mexico, Missouri with the Mexico Ledger. He later became the Sunday editor and city editor of the Kansas City Times. Bassford next moved to St. Louis, where he became a staff correspondent for the St. Louis Republic and the Sunday editor, dramatic critic, and editorial manager of the St. Louis Times. Homer was the father of artist Wallace Bassford.

COLLECTION INVENTORY

Series 1: Correspondence 1900-1926; 0.05 linear feet, one folder

Series One consists of correspondence, mostly to Mr. Bassford, starting in 1900 and ending in 1926. The correspondence has been arranged chronologically. There are also both fragments of correspondence and correspondence with no date, which can be located at the end of the contents list.

  1. 9/7/1900 – to Homer Bassford, from John Robards
  2. 11/17/1901 – to Homer Bassford, from B---
  3. 12/29/1902 – to St. Louis Republic, from Senator George Graham Vest
  4. 4/29/1903 – to Mr. Editor, from Geo. F. DeVery
  5. 7/1/1904 – to Homer Bassford, from Rose Flynn
  6. 9/29/1904 – to Homer Bassford, from E. Karst
  7. 10/3/1904 – to Homer Bassford, from E. Karst
  8. 10/7/1904 – to Homer Bassford, from E. Karst
  9. 12/15/1904 – to Tex, from (Homer Bassford?)
  10. 1904, Sunday – to Mr. Bassford, from (?)
  11. 1/26/1905 – to Mr. Bassford, from Arnold Shanklin, American Consulate-General, Panama
  12. 5/8/1905 – to Homer Bassford, from (?) Clay
  13. 8/24/1905 – to Mr. Bassford, from John Schroers
  14. 6/13/1906 – to Homer, from Louis Hethers—
  15. -/11/1906 – to Mr. Knapp, from Henry Wattirson
  16. 1/27/1908 – to Homer Bassford, from Frederick (?)
  17. 3/13/1908 – to Homer Bassford, from Ralph T. Hale, Small, Maynard & Company
  18. 3/21/1908 – to Homer Bassford, from Ralph T. Hale, Small, Maynard & Company
  19. 4/15/1908 – to Homer Bassford, from John Schroers, St. Louis Times Evening Daily
  20. 4/16/1908 – to Mr. Schroers, from Homer Bassford, St. Louis Times Evening Daily
  21. 6/11/1908 – to Mr. Bassford, from Lewis
  22. 7/12/1908 – to Mr. Bassford, from Chas. (?)
  23. 8/8/1908 – to Homer Bassford, from (?)
  24. 8/19/1908 – to Homer. From Helen B—
  25. 11/24/1908 – to Mr. Bassford, from Carl L. Schurz
  26. 12/4/1908 – to Mr. Bassford, from Charles H. Grasty
  27. 12/18/1908 – to Homer Bassford, from Jos. Folk
  28. 7/27/1909 – to Dear Sir, from Thorvald Solberg, Register of Copyrights, Library of Congress
  29. 1/4/1910 – to Homer Bassford, from Colin M. Selph
  30. 2/26/1910 – to Carl L. Schurz, from (?)
  31. 2/1/1911 – to Homer, from Louis N—
  32. 2/7/1911 – to Homer Bassford, from (?)
  33. 9/29/1911 – to Homer, from (?)
  34. 1/22/1912 – to Homer Bassford, from Walter Hale
  35. 7/14/1912 – to Homer Bassford, from Walter Hale
  36. 8/18/1912 – to Benj. Schnurmacher, from (Homer Bassford)
  37. 5/1/1916 – to Homer, from Walter Hale
  38. 1/28/1919 – to Homer Bassford, from W. Henry
  39. 1/29/1919 – to Homer Bassford, from Clinton Edler
  40. 10/21/1919 – to Wallace Bassford, from HB
  41. 1/29/1921 – to Homer Bassford, from E.A. Shannon
  42. 4/25/1922 – to Homer Bassford, from A.W. Harris
  43. 9/2/1922 – to Homer Bassford, from Joe Gold-
  44. 12/19/1922 – to Mr. Bassford, from Frederich W. Carr
  45. 5/22/1923 – to Dear Friend, from F.D.G. (Frederick D. Gardner)
  46. 6/23/1923 – to Guy Golterman, from (Homer Bassford)
  47. 6/27/1923 – to Homer, from Floyd E. Jawbs
  48. 6/3/1923 – to Homer, from Guy G. (Golterman)
  49. 8/18/1923 – to Homer, from G
  50. 10/2/1923 – to Homer, from Channing Pollock
  51. 4/30/1924 – to Homer, from (?)
  52. 4/30/1924 – to Homer, from Cecil
  53. 5/2/1924 – to Homer, from W.B.
  54. 5/7/1924 – to Homer, from Guy G.
  55. 5/29/1924 – to Homer, from Frederick D. Gardner
  56. 10/22/1924 – to Mr. Bassford, from H.H. Irish
  57. 10/23/1924 – to Mr. Homer, from WB
  58. 10/29/1924 – to Mr. Bassford, from H.H. Irish
  59. 11/26/1924 – to Mr. Bassford, from H.H. Irish
  60. 1/16/1925 – to (Homer Bassford), from Harry –
  61. 4/27/1925 – to Mr. Bassford, from Grace Gale
  62. 4/30/1925 – to Mr. Bassford, from Grace Gale
  63. 1/20/1926 – to Mr. Bassford, from Frederick D. Gardner
  64. 1/21/1926 – to Dear Sir (Channing Pollock), from Richard Spamer
  65. 1/22/1926 – to Homer, from Channing Pollock
  66. 1/23/1926 – to Mr. Spamer, from (Channing Pollock)
  67. 5/26/1926 – to Homer, from J- Johnston
  68. 10/8/1926 – to HB, from Alfred Head
  69. No date – to Mr. Bassford, from Helen Bertram
  70. No date – to (?), from (?) (fragment)
  71. 11/16/---- - to Br. Schurz, from –
  72. No date – to Homer Bassford, from Frances Peralta
  73. No date – to (?), from Raswia Heuley
  74. No date – to Homer, from W.B.
  75. --/25/26/19-- - to Homer, from G.-
  76. -/-/19-- - to (?), from Geo. C. Heuch
  77. 14 – to Bassford, from Paul Uristach
  78. 22 – to Homer, from – Blythe
  79. No date – to Mr. Bassford, from J.A. Graham
  80. 30 – to Homer, from – Blythe
  81. No date – to Homer Bassford, from Laura H. Thompson
  82. No date – to (?), from Helen Morgan
  83. 27 – to Valmond, from L-
  84. No date – to Mr. Bassford, from Z.A.
  85. No date – to Mr. Bassford, from Z.A.
  86. No date – to (?), from Louis N--- (fragment)
  87. No date – to Mr. Bassford, from Paul Wilstach
  88. No date – to Homer, from Harry B. Hawes

Series 2: Records 1909-1923; 0.1 linear feet, one file folder

Series 2 consists of various records from Mr. Bassford's life. The series is varied in nature, containing any paper record found in the collection that is not correspondence, dating from 1909 to 1923.

  1. May 20, 1909 - guest membership to Pacific - Union Club
  2. Rediscovering St. Louis - Episcopal Cathedral
  3. Rediscovering St. Louis - The Old Cathedral
  4. Rediscovering St. Louis - The House in Which Grant was Married
  5. Certificate of Membership - Mercantile Club
  6. Honorary Appointment by the Governor - delegate to the League to Enforce Peace
  7. Invitation of Chicago Grand Opera Company to Gala Performance and to meet Signor Cleofonte Campanini
  8. Star-Chronicle Publishing Company - Assets and Liabilities
  9. June 1923 - J.J. Leviathan invitation to trial trip

Series 3: Photographs; 0.1 linear feet, one file folder

Series 3 consists of 23 photographs of presumably Mr. Bassford and his family and property. Very few photos are labelled. Those which were labelled are described in the contents list.

  1. Crater Lake
  2. Ferdinand and Isabella (pigs)
  3. Mother and Dad Bassford and sister Florence