Placer
County
Biographies
HENRY W. BESSAC
Henry William Bessac
is the proprietor, publisher and editor of the News Messenger, a weekly journal
issued each Friday at Lincoln, Placer County.
He is a native of Wisconsin, born at Randolph Center, on the 1st
of April, 1850, and is of French lineage, although for several generations the
family has been in America. The father,
Henry L. Bessac, was a native of Hudson, New York,
and became one of the first settlers of central Wisconsin, being numbered among
the pioneer farmers there. He married
Amanda Mosher, also a native of Hudson, where the paternal grandfather of our
subject had located at an early day, since which time representatives of the
name have ever been found there. Henry
L. Bessac died of typhoid fever at the age of
thirty-two, leaving a wife and three children, and the mother was called to the
home beyond at the age of forty. One son
died and the daughter, now Mrs. Maritta Alliger, is living in Wisconsin.
Henry W. Bessac
spent his boyhood days in Hudson, New York, acquiring his education in the
public schools there. He began his
newspaper career on the old Hudson Star in 1864, a celebrated journal of that
time, and since has been connected with various papers in the western and
northwestern states. He has owned and
sold fourteen different papers published in towns from British Columbia to
Mexico. He was at one time the owner of
the Santa Ana Herald, the Ontario Observer and also established the Vidette in Montesano, Washington. In the spring of 1894 he came to Lincoln, and
being favorably impressed with the town and its people he is now doing good
work for this section of the country as the editor and publisher of the News
Messenger. This is an independent paper
devoted to the interests of Lincoln and Placer County. The journal is a six-column, eight-page
paper, and has an excellent circulation and large advertising patronage. It is well conducted after the most modern
methods, and is a bright and entertaining sheet that supports all measures and
movements for the public good.
In 1874 Mr. Bessac
married Miss Virginia Bagnall, a native of Ohio and
at the time a teacher in the public schools of Wisconsin, and unto them have
been born eight children: Henry William,
a leading school teacher of Placer County; Virginia G., who is occupying the
position of bookkeeper; Anna O., who is attending schools in Stockton; H. Bremner, of Lincoln; Richard D., who is in his father’s
office; and Grace E., Charles N. and Eugene P., who are at home. The family have a
pleasant residence in Lincoln and a large circle of friends. Mr. Bessac has been
a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1874 and is a past master of the
order. He is also an attendant of the
Methodist Church and contributes to church and charitable work in a liberal
manner.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 442-443. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.