James Bascombe Vernon (1858 - 1948)

Born 15 Aug 1858 in Andrews, Dallas Township, Huntington, Indiana, United States

Descendants

Died 11 Oct 1948 at age 90 in Medford, Jackson, Oregon, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Marcia Gray [send private message]

Biography

James Bascombe Vernon was born August 15, 1858 in Huntington County, Indiana.^[1] James Bascombe Vernon was born to John and Susan Ellis Vernon on a farm two miles south of Andrews, Indiana in Polk Township Huntington County Indiana. ^[2]Andrews is about eight miles southwest of Huntington and is located on the Wabash River.

James grew up on the farm and after finishing school he worked on a sawmill.^[3]

He married Josephine Weller on March 31, 1883 when he was 24 years old.^[4] Josephine was a school teacher before her marriage. It appears that they lived on the farm with his parents when they were first married.

In 1886 he became the assessor or Polk Township.

In 1889 James was appointed postmaster of Monument City. If you ever have a desire to visit Monument City, it can be found at the bottom of the Salamonie Reservoir. We have some relatives who were buried in the Monument City Cemetery and were moved in 1965 to a new location. When the reservoir is low, remain of Monument City are visible.

He and Josephine moved to Huntington around 1890 where he was assistant postmaster and worked in the city engineers office. They were the parents of five children. Inez born in 1884, Florence born in 1885, Gladys born in 1887, Aubrey born in 1892 and Kenneth born in 1898.

James was elected county surveyor in 1910, 1914 and 1916. He was appointed City Civil Engineer in 1894. At some point he worked as an engineer for the Chicago and Erie Railroad. He was also a mapmaker. Family lore says that he was responsible for blasting the rock to open up the roadway into Wabash, Indiana but I have found no proof of this.

If you ever want to take a tour of the homesteads of the Vernon family in Huntington, they lived at 735 Henry Street for about 30 years. They were living on a farm on Old Fort Wayne Road in 1920 but then moved to 254 Columbia Street. The last nine years of his life he lived at the Hotel Huntington.

He retired as city engineer at age 89 on January 1, 1948 and immediately left to make his home with his daughters in the west. While at the home of his daughter Florence Trees in Medford, Oregon, he fell and broke his leg. He died from complications of that injury on October 11, 1948 in Jackson County, Oregon.^[5] He was cremated and buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Huntington, Indiana.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page for James Bascombe Vernon (15 Aug 1858–11 Oct 1948), Find A Grave: Memorial #74023379, citing Mount Hope Cemetery, Huntington, Huntington County, Indiana, USA; Maintained by Nancy (Saylor) K (contributor 48247088).
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXXB-VHK : 28 May 2021), James B Vernon in entry for John Vernon, 1870.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH9H-B88 : 13 January 2022), James B. Vernon in household of John Vernon, Polk Township, Huntington, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
4. ↑ "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXJ9-C2S : 3 August 2022), James B Vernon and Josephine Weller, 30 Mar 1883; citing Huntington, Indiana, United States, Marriage License, Indiana Commission on Public Records, Indianapolis; FHL microfilm 004185609.
5. ↑ "Oregon Death Index, 1903-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZHY-96V : 11 December 2014), James B Vernon, 1948; from "Oregon, Death Index, 1898-2008," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2000); citing Jackson, Oregon, certificate number 11182, Oregon State Archives and Records Center, Salem.

See Also:

• Oregon Death Index 1898 - 2008
• US Census