1824 - 1909
Merchant and Banker.
Squire Bassett was born January 1, 1824 in Harrison County, Kentucky. In 1846, he came to Lexington to clerk in the Lexington Post Office and in 1848 he was appointed Postmaster for Lexington. A prominent supporter of Henry Clay (and later the Republican Party), he resigned from the Post Office in 1855 and established Squire Bassett & Sons (a retail shoe and boot business).
In 1870, Mr. Bassett was one of the organizers of the Fayette National Bank and during 1873 he was selected President of that institution. He led Fayette National for thirty-five years, resigning in December 1908 due to health reasons. During Mr. Bassett’s tenure as President, the bank's stock was one of the highest priced bank stocks in Lexington (an indication of his management ability). In 1886, Mr. Bassett was also a founder of the Security Trust and Safety Vault Company. At the time of his death in August 1909, he was a director of both institutions.
