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- The Basshams were not the first settlers in Lawrence County, Tenn but they were among the earliest settlers. It is believed that they arrived in the Third Civil District of Lawrence County, Tennessee in the late 1820's and settled in what is now known as the Mt. Zion church area near the Giles County, Tennessee border. It is not clear how all the early Bassham families are interrelated. However, it is believed that two or three unrelated families migrated to the area from Virginia and Kentucky.
James Richard Bassham, the principal of this paper, descended from two separate lines of Basshams. His paternal grandfather, James Bassham was born about 1787 in Virginia and his maternal grandfather, Richard Bassham, was born also in Virginia about 1790. James Richard Bassham's father, James Monroe Bassham, was born in Tennessee in 1817 and his mother, Tempa Malinda Bassham, was also born in Tennessee in 1823. It is believed that James Monroe and Tempa were born in Lawrence County,Tennessee, but there is no proof of this.
James Richard Bassham severed his deep roots with Lawrence County, Tennessee in 1902 and moved his family to Fulton County, Arkansas. It is possible that the actual move took place in late 1902 after the harvest of that year. In any event, he is known to have received mail there in January 1903. The reason for this move was not clearly understood. It seems strange that he would take such a step since he had no close relatives living in Arkansas. However, relatives who corresponded with him after the move said he never mentioned any regret in his letters. James Richard Bassham never revisited his old home again. From document written by Johnny Clopton King in April 1988 Document stored with Johnny C King letters.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=lesliesc&id=I49601
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