He and his wife, Susie Chisum Bass, came to the Pecos Valley as a young couple
and lived most of their lives here. They first settled on Hackberry Draw, now
known as Happy Valley. Then they moved to the plains on the T-X Ranch, which
they later sold to the Benson family.
"Returning to the Valley," they made Black River their home for a time. They
then returned to Eddy (now Carlsbad) where he owned and operated a livery
stable. They lived in Artesia for a time, operated a cattle ranch, sold out and
moved to Cloverdale, Hidalgo County, New Mexico, on the Mexican border, in
1917, where with their sons they were actively engaged in the sheep business
until Mr. Bass died.
Ed Bass had a heart of gold and a cursing vocabulary that would reach from hell
to breakfast.
Ed Bass bought a beautiful place on the Black River, later to be called Black
River Village. There was no school there, so Ed Bass and his neighbors built a
school house there. This school house was used a community center, mostly for
Friday night dances.

On the 1900 census from Eddy County, New Mexico , it shows:
Bass,William E. m stock-raiser born-July 1854 age 45 born-Texas
Susan I f wife June 1856 43 Texas
Richard I. son stock-raiser July 15,1873 26 Mexico(Tuxpan)
Daniel E. son stock-raiser April 1878 22 Texas
William H. son stock-raiser April 2, 1880 20 Texas
Susan I daughter Feb 11, 1882 18 Texas
Margaret V daughter Feb 2 1885 15 Texas
Ludia M daughter Oct. 1887 12 Texas
Eva daughter Jan. 7 1889 10 Texas
Frederic son Feb 14 1894 6 New Mexico
Clyde son Dec 7 1896 3 New Mexico
Edgar son July 28 1898 1 New Mexico

Notice on the above census, a son, Edgar Bass was living in the household with parents and siblings, but on the 1910 census Edgar Bass, their son, was not enumerated in the household, so it appears that he might have been deceased. Have not found a death date or place of burial for him.