Bass - Marquis
Marquis L. BASS, MD.
Source: HW Beckwith History of Montgomery County, Indiana (Chicago: HH Hil, 1881) p 310
Marquis L. BASS, physician and surgeon, Crawfordsville, was b. July 5, 1831 in Vermont. When 21 he came W. and traveled for about two years. In 1853 he began the study o medicine with Dr. R. S. NEWTON, containing 3 years and in Feb 1857, grad. from the Ohio Eclectic Med. Inst. After this he practiced medicine, and also spent 3 years in the So. The Dr. settled in this co. in 1861, and lived in Yountsville four years, Waynetown 6 years and settled in the city of Crawfordsville in 1871. He has had a large practice, and is the proprietor of of the medicines known as "Dr. Bass' Great Remedies. " While practicing at Yountsville he performed a surgical operation which makes an interesting item in his history. A veteran soldier by the name of George BUNKER was home on furlough, and while out hunting shot his arm, shattering the bone and grazing an artery. The artery burst and the arm had to be amputated and as the roads were muddy the Dr. could not get his instruments in time; so with jack-knife and carpenter's saw he performed the operation in about 15 minutes, between sundown and dark. Jesse TITUS administered the chloroform. Elijah CLARK examined the pulse, and Caleb STONEBREAKER helped bind the arteries. The man was able to walk around in 10 days and his arm healed and got well all right. - typed by kbz
Source: Zach, Karen Bazzani. Montgomery Medicine Men. Crawfordsville, Indiana: Montgomery COunty Historical Society, 2002
Marquis was the son of Alpheus and Sally (Copeland) Bass, born in Braintree (Orange County) Vermont July 5, 1831. Descendants of brothers and sisters of Marquis spread to all part of the United States. At the age of 21, Marquis began the study of medicine with Dr. A.S. Newton, later graduating from the Ohio Eclectic Medical School. He had great faith in looking at the whole of a problem versus just, "Oh, you have a stomach ache, take some laudunum." For thee years, he practiced medicine in the South. He is found in the 1860 Jefferson County, Arkansas census. In 1861, possibly due to his political feelings at the outbreak of the Civil War, he came to Montgomery County, settling in Yountsville, then Waynetown where he stayed several years. His wife at that time was Sarah Elizabeth Johnson. She died shortly after their arrival on March 30, 1862 and is buried in the O'Neal Cemetery. He would marry four more times: Rebecca Smith, Nancy Berry, daughter of Dr. James Berry; Eliza Jane, last name unknown and Sallie Myrick, totalling five wives and three children (Mary and Carrie, both dying young and Marquis, Jr) in 17 years. In 1871, he moved to Crawfordsville. His office in 1878 was at 15 West Main Street. About this time, he patented and sold, "Dr. Bass' Great Remedies." By 1880, he had formed a partnership with a young man from Lynchburg, Virginia whose first name I can not find (Dr. Lippencott). An interesting operation hit the papers when Dr. Bass performed surgery on a Civil War veteran, George Bunker. While hunting, Bunker was shot in the arm, shattering a bone and grazing an artery making amputation a quick necessity. The roads were so muddy that Dr. Bass could not get to his office for proper instruments so he whipped out the jack knife and carpenter saw, performed the operation in 15 minutes while the sun was setting. Jesse Titus administered the chloroform; Elijah Clark kept on eye on George's pulse and Caleb Stonebraker was found binding arteries. Bunker was up and about in less than 10 days. Bass was active in the Masonic Fraternity and the local Methodist Church. He died at a reasonably young age, 52, after suffering greatly with consumption. Elder Vancleave preached the funeral and Dr. Bass' remains are not buried with any of his wives, but instead alone in Oak Hill.
Source: Crawfordsville Star, June 19, 1879 p 1
Information has been filed before the US District Attorney at Indianapolis that Dr. Marquis L. Bass of this city with selling patent medicines without going through with the trifling formality prescribed by law of attaching an occassional revenue stamp. If the allegations are true, Dr. Bass will possibly find himself in deep water - kbz
Family Fact Sheet
Marquis L. Bass was born July 5, 1831 in Vermont. In 1853 he began the study of medicine and in February 1857 graduated from the Ohio Eclectic Medical School. He came to this County in 1861 and lived in Yountsville four years, Waynetown six and then had a large practice in Crawfordsville starting in 1871. He was the proprietor of the medicines known as "Dr. Bass's Famous Remedies."
1878 Montgomery County, Indiana Atlas (Chicago: JH
Beers, p 53)
BASS, M. L., PO Crawfordsville, Physician and Surgeon native of Orange Co, Vermont settled in co. 1861.
Bass, Marcus L.(sic)
County: Montgomery (Crawfordsville)
Sources: Indiana State Board of Health 1882
Record# 9720 in database 19th Indiana Century Physicians