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Show Page 5 Herbert Bassett suffered from asthma, and in 1871 the Bassetts decided to move from Arkansas, where they were then living, to California in the hope Mr. Bassett's health would improve. On the way they stopped to visit Herbert's brother Samuel. The Bassetts never reached California. They lived for a few years in Wyoming, where Ann's sister, Josephine, and brother, Sam, were born. They then moved to Brown's Park after deciding that the air of Colorado would be better for Mr. Bassett's health than that of California. Upon arriving in the Park, they moved into Uncle Sam's cabin, where they stayed for a year. It was in this primitive dwelling that Elizabeth Bassett gave birth to her daughter Ann. These surroundings were far different from those Mrs. Bassett had known most of her life. Elizabeth Bassett was the granddaughter of a judge and had been pampered by slaves until the Civil War. She nevertheless made a remarkable pioneer. As lively and fearless as her husband was gentle, she was a stately, charming woman who made friends easily. Outspoken and independent, she strongly believed that women should be allowed to vote. Since Colorado did not allow this until 1893, she bought property in the nearby Territory of Wyoming, where women had been voting since 1870. During election years Elizabeth Bassett travelled to Wyoming, where, as a landowner, she could cast her ballot. Ann's early years were not quite as humble as her beginning |