General Notes

Cause of Death:<CAUS> Cerebral Hemorrhage
[basham.ged]
1870 Census Scioto County Ohio Family 179
1880 Census Scioto County Ohio Page 174 Family 140
1900 Census Scioto County Ohio E D 116/3
1920 Census Scioto County Ohio; E D 159, Sheet 3
Info From Ruth Basham Courtright Letter
Info From Andrie La Bodie Basham Letter
James G. Basham was born April 11, 1862 near Empire furnace, Scioto Cou
nt y, Ohio. He is a son of John W. Basham and Florence Hansford Basham. H
is p arents were born and reared in Kanawha County, West Virginia, ca
me to Scio to County in 1861 and settled near Empire furnace. His mother w
as of Engli sh descent and his father of Irish descent. He was rear
ed on a farm unt il he was ten years of age. His mother died when he was h
ardly a year o ld and he was reared by his grandparents. He moved to Sciot
oville, Ohi o, in 1872, started to school at the age of ten, and receiv
ed a teacher 's certificate at the early age of sixteen; but continu
ed in school unt il eighteen years of age, when he accepted a positi
on as clerk in a groce ry store in Irontown, Ohio. This position he held f
or three years.
At the age of twenty-one, he purchased a grocery store at Ironton, O
hi o, but owing to the depression of business generally, discontinued busi
ne ss at the close of the same year. Soon after, he came to Scioto Count
y, a nd taught school, until 1885, when he was appointed postmaster at Sci
otovi lle, Ohio, under President Cleveland's administration. During h
is te rm as postmaster, he was elected clerk of Porter township by the lar
gest m ajority (98) ever given a democratic candidate. In 1898, he was ele
cted Ju stice of the Peace in Porter township by a majority of 53. His pro
minen ce as a democrat gradually grew, until he was selected by that par
ty as th eir candidate for Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas again
st F. L. Sike s, but was defeated. In 1899, he was the democratic candida
te for Proba te Judge but was defeated by Harry Ball. He is a prominent me
mber of the C hurch of Christ at Sciotoville, Ohio, at various times holdi
ng the most im portant offices of that church.
He married Rose E. Evans, October 2,1892, who died December 27, 1
89 4. He was again married to Lula Pierce, January 8, 1898, by whom he h
as t wo children; J. Frank born March 10, 1899, and Bertha M. born M
ay 30 190 0. Mr. Basham is well informed and keeps in touch with current e
vent s. He enjoys the confidence of the community in which he resides to t
he fu llest extent and is regarded as one of the best citizens of the coun
ty. H is example and influence is uniformly for the public good and for pr
ogres s. "History of Scioto County Ohio"; 1900, page 898