James Madison “Old Pard” Bassett (1830–1903): Battled the "Big 4" Railroad Monopolies

Bassett family gravestone and headshot

Plot 12 Lot 38 (headstone reads "Ella: Wife of JM Bassett)

James “Old Pard” Bassett was one of the most colorful and combative figures in early Oakland politics, remembered for his bitter feud with railroad magnate Collis P. Huntington and his role in the long-running battles over control of the city’s waterfront. A former Oakland City Council member, entrepreneur, and prolific letter writer, Bassett spent decades railing against the influence of the railroads and the corruption he believed they brought to California’s civic life.

The nickname “Old Pard”—short for “Old Partner”—was a common term of camaraderie among pioneers and soldiers in the West. To be someone’s “pard” was to be their trusted comrade. Bassett adopted it as both a badge of familiarity and a populist calling card, signing his many published diatribes against political and corporate power as “Old Pard.” His letters, filled with humor, sarcasm, and righteous indignation, appeared regularly in Bay Area newspapers, attacking monopolies and celebrating the common man.

At the center of Bassett’s crusades stood Collis Potter Huntington, one of California’s “Big Four” railroad barons, along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker. These men built the Central Pacific Railroad and controlled much of the West’s transportation infrastructure. To Bassett, Huntington represented everything wrong with unchecked corporate power—political manipulation, land grabs, and disregard for public rights. Their feud, waged in both courtrooms and newspapers, became legendary.

Oyster Beds on Oakland/San Leandro waterfront

The dispute centered on valuable property at First and Webster Streets on Oakland’s waterfront, where the Southern Pacific Railroad sought to monopolize shipping and ferry access. The land had been first occupied by James M. Dameron, a squatter who, along with Willard C. Doane, fought to protect it against railroad-backed interests. Dameron and Doane, joined at times by Bassett and former Mayor John L. Davie, even armed themselves to defend the property. The litigation over the site dragged on for nearly twenty years, with dozens of competing claims filed. When the courts finally settled the matter, the title went to San Francisco businessman Charles H. Holbrook Jr., ending one of the Bay Area’s most tangled property disputes.

Bassett relished every moment of his opposition to Huntington. In one widely circulated letter headlined “Bassett Even on Huntington,” he declared victory over his “ancient enemy” after a favorable court ruling, proclaiming that “this decision is more on the side of the people than I anticipated.” To Bassett, the fight was always about more than land—it was about the people’s right to resist monopoly and corruption. His fiery language and tireless agitation made him both admired and despised, a gadfly whose words echoed the populist sentiment of the age.

Beyond his waterfront battles, Bassett served a single term on the Oakland City Council, where his plainspoken style and independent streak set him apart. He clashed frequently with colleagues and business interests, championing causes that others found impractical but which he believed served the public good. Even after leaving office, he continued to insert himself into civic debates, often through letters published under his “Old Pard” signature.

San Francisco Call obituary

By the turn of the century, Bassett’s health and fortunes had declined, but his pen remained sharp. His last years were spent largely in Oakland, where he was remembered as a familiar figure—eccentric, outspoken, and unbowed. When he died in 1903 at the age of 73, the San Francisco Call wrote that he had been “for many years prominent in the public affairs of Oakland” and that “his fearless pen and ready tongue made him both friends and enemies.” Other papers noted that, for all his bluster, his crusades against corporate greed had earned him a certain grudging respect, even among his opponents.

James “Old Pard” Bassett’s life reflected the restless, defiant character of early Oakland—a city torn between rapid industrialization and its frontier spirit. His feud with Huntington was more than a personal vendetta; it symbolized the struggle between public access and private control, between the small reformer and the industrial titan. In an age dominated by the Big Four and their iron rails, Old Pard Bassett stood on the shore at Oakland, railing back at empire.

Sources: San Francisco Call (Apr. 25, 1903, p.4); The Searchlight (Redding, Apr. 25, 1903, p.1); San Francisco Call (Aug. 4, 1903); San Francisco Call (Sept. 17, 1890s, “Bassett Even on Huntington”); San Francisco Report (“Old Pard Bassett”); California State Library Newspaper Archive; San Leandro Historical Society; Ancestry.com; Find a Grave