Bascom Reunion to be held Saturday July 27, 2013

The 2013 Reunion will be held at the home of Clifford and Marcia (Bascom) Oster in Langdon, New Hampshire.  Their house is on the site of the old Bascom homestead known to the locals as where the house burned down.   The story of the struggles of the first Bascom family in this area is the topic of Rev. Eric Bascom's book, by the same name, "Up Where the House Burned Down".  James and Dora Bascom, the ancestors of the local Bascom's lived on this site.  It was a small Cape Cod style house, with sprawling attached barns, famous for a roof mounted windmill which James built.  The house burned in 1927, but the Bascom's moved to the adjacent farm,  and descendants have expanded onto farms and homes in all directions.

This site is also not far from Bascom Maple Farms in Acworth, New Hampshire where our previous hosts Bruce and Liz Bascom, held the reunion in 2010. The Bascom Maple Farms has been in the family since 1853 covering 7 generations, with maple sugaring being the main focus in the last 50 years.

Saturday's events will include a picnic lunch, tours of the sugar house, childrens games, silent auction, free ice cream with maple syrup, and a few new activities.  On Sunday morning there will be a church service at the historic and beautifully restored Acworth Congregational Church.  Rev. Eric Bascom will be the guest pastor, and other Bascoms are invited to participate in the choir. 

The Bascom genealogy has grown at an unprecedented pace since the past reunion three years ago.  Brad Bascom and Susie Szynalski have searched census records, newspaper archives, and Internet sites such as Ancestry, Find-A-Grave, and Genealogy Bank.  More than 2,000 Bascoms have been added, increasing the genealogy to 6,200 names.  Keeping with tradition, Brad is creating a 14 generation chart showing all known Bascom descendants of Thomas Bascom.   

There will be a display of historic photos of the local farm, photos from past reunions, and of other famous Bascoms. Brad will have a laptop at the genealogy table to assist folks with research and sharing of photos. We encourage you to bring old photos, and genealogy updates either on paper or on computer thumb-drives.  If you would like to check out the latest genealogy, it is on this web site BascomGenealogy.com, and check out the news on Facebook by searching for “Bascom Reunion Association”.

The silent auction is the one and only fund raiser at these reunions, and the 2010 auction was a great success. There were 114 items donated, and all were sold to through silent bids.  Please start thinking about what unique items you could bring to donate to the auction.  We need your help to fund the reunions. 

Rev. Eric Bascom will be at the reunion selling his books relating to family history.   There will be a memorial table for photos of our deceased family members who passed away since our last reunion. 

There is a facebook page for the Bascom Reunion Association which includes over 100 reunion photos from past reunions from the early 1980s to the most recent reunion in 2010.  For the curious, you may view a list of past reunions to see where they were held.  To find us on facebook, search "Bascom Reunion" or follow this link to the Bascom Reunion Association page. 

If you are unfamiliar with history of the Bascoms be sure to check out the other pages on this web site, including those for our immigrant ancestor Thomas Bascom, some Famous Bascoms, our coat of arms, and some extended Bascom family trivia.  If you are doing family research, start with the Online Bascom Genealogy, and also see the links to the digitized books available. 

 

DIRECTIONS to Bascom Reunion 2013  (639 Holden Hill Road, Langdon)

 From Keene, NH:

Travel north on Rt. 12A through Surry until 12A joins with Rt. 123.  Take left toward Alstead on Rt. 123; then take first right on 123A East.  Continue past Vilas Pool, then take first left on Crane Brook Road, passing the covered bridge.  Travel about 2 miles, take left at Bascom Hill Road, pass Bascom Dairy, and arrive at the Oster’s at top of next hill where Holden Hill Road meets Bascom Hill Road. (Bascom Corner)  Turn right for parking.

 From Vermont:

Travel on I-91 to Exit 5. Take ramp, then bear right. Ahead take right on Rt. 5, traveling south.  Take next left on VT 123 going through underpass and across Conn. River into NH.  Take left on Rt. 12/Rt.123, then take right on Rt. 123 S (Whitcomb Road) toward Alstead.  Cross river, turn right at blinking light to follow 123S.  Stay on Rt. 123 through the village of Alstead, then turn left onto Rt. 123A East.  Continue past Vilas Pool, then take first left onto Crane Brook Road, passing the covered bridge. Travel about 2 miles, take left at Bascom Hill Road, pass Bascom Dairy, and arrive at the Oster’s at top of next hill where Holden Hill Road meets Bascom Hill Road. (Bascom Corner) 

Alternate scenic route: As you enter Alstead Village, turn left at the junction of 12A N/Mechanic St.   Bear right on Village Road into Langdon, then continue straight ahead on Holden Hill Road.  Travel 3 miles to Oster's, where Bascom Hill Road meets Holden Hill Road.