PATTERSON, JAMES

PATTERSON, WALLACE, MCCOY, HINE

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 11/10/2003 at 13:06:30

Biography reproduced from page 97 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

One of the substantial business men of Kossuth county is James Patterson, who for thirty-seven years has been a resident of Algona, having during that time held many offices of public honor and trust but for a number of years past having been engaged in the grocery business. He was born near Albany, New York, on the 12th of March, 1854, a son of Samuel and Sarah (Wallace) Patterson, and is of Irish and Scotch lineage, the father having been born in Belfast, Ireland, and the mother in the same country, although of Scotch parentage. Samuel Patterson came to the United States at the age of about twenty years and died at the age of forty, when the subject of this review was about ten years old. The parents of James Patterson were married in Ireland and on their arrival in the new world settled in the state of New York, where they lived for a time, removing in 1859 to the vicinity of Monroe, Wisconsin, where the father passed away. He was a farmer of industrious habits, thereby making his agricultural career a successful one. In religious faith he was a strong orthodox Presbyterian. His wife was called to her final rest in 1906. Their children were ten in number and all but three grew to manhood and womanhood. The record is as follows: Sarah, who is the wife of H. C. McCoy, of Algona; Samuel, living in Algona; John, who is a resident of Central City, Nebraska; A. W., deceased; three who died in infancy; James, of this review; Mary, who has passed away; and Jennie, deceased.

James Patterson was educated in the public schools of Wisconsin and after coming to Algona, about 1874, attended college at this place. During his young manhood he was employed for a few years in the postoffice, later received the appointment of deputy sheriff and afterward served as a railway postal clerk for seven years, subsequently becoming identified with the grocery trade, which he has since followed.

In 1879 Mr. Patterson wedded Miss Mary A. Hine, a native of Waterbury, Connecticut, but her family has resided in this county many years. Politically Mr. Patterson is a stanch republican. Both he and his wife are members of the Congregational church and he has been its treasurer for fifteen years. During his long membership in that church body he has been one of its liberal supporters, giving of his money, his time and influence to its upbuilding. The only fraternal order to which Mr. Patterson ever belonged was the Independent Order of Odd Fellows but he is not now identified with that organization. In civic, business an social life he has contributed not a little to the building up of the city of his adoption and his long residence here has, by the exercise of the numerous good qualities which he possesses, given him a position well to the forefront of the popular and substantial citizens of Algona.