The business center of Rock Springs is most attractive to those who delight in the spirit of enterprise which characterizes the western cities. One of the excellent commercial interests of the town is the hardware and general sporting goods store of William Willey Paterson, who is actuated in all that he does by a spirit of energy and determination that never stops short of the successful accomplishment of his purpose.
    He was born in Blythe, England, March 16, 1860, a son of John L. Paterson, who was born in the north of Scotland, May 20, 1830, and after living for a time in England crossed the Atlantic to the new world, making his way to Rock Springs in 1874. He had first located in Pennsylvania in 1864 and was there engaged in coal mining for a decade, after which he came to the west, attracted by the opportunities of this great and growing section of the country. He resumed coal mining at Rock Springs, devoting three years to that business, after which he returned to the middle west, settling in Boone county, Iowa, where he carried on farming. He was actively and successfully identified with general agricultural pursuits in that section until 1910. when he again came to Rock Springs, where he is now living retired, enjoying the fruits of a well spent life. He is in good health for one of his advanced years and is one of the valued and respected residents of his adopted city. For many years while living in Iowa he filled the office of justice of the peace and he has occupied other political positions, the duties of which he discharged with marked promptness and fidelity. His political allegiance has always been given to the republican party since he became a naturalized American citizen. He married Eleanore Willey, a native of England, in which country they were married, and after her husband had come to the new world and made preparations for a home she followed him with their family to the United States. They became the parents of twelve children, nine of whom are yet living.
    William W. Paterson was the fourth in order of birth and after coming to the new world he pursued his education in the public schools of Pennsylvania, but when only twelve years of age was obliged to start out in the business world in order to provide for his own support. He was first employed at pumping water in a mine with a hand pump and for this work received a dollar per day. He later secured a situation at coal mining and was thus engaged from 1872 until 1880. In 1875 he became a resident of Rock Springs, arriving on the 13^th of June of that year. He at once found employment in the mines of the Union Pacific Coal Company as a mule driver and remained in the employ of the railroad company in that connection from 1875 until 1877. He, too, then went to Iowa and was connected with the Northwestern Coal Company at Moingona, Boone county, Iowa, for about two years. In 1879, however, he went to Leadville, Colorado, where he was employed in the silver mines, representing the Carbon Hill Mining Company. After four months, however, he returned to Rock Springs and again became connected with the Union Pacific Coal Company, with which he continued from the fall of 1879 until April, 1880. He then took up work as a switchman in the yards of the Union Pacific Railway Company at Rock Springs and worked as a switchman and brakeman until April, 1884, when he met with an accident that resulted in the loss of part of his left foot and he also had to have a bone removed from his left arm, leaving him little use of the latter member. After recovering his normal health he was made a night watchman by the Union Pacific Coal Company, which position he held until the fall of 1884, when he was elected county assessor of Sweetwater county, in which position he served for six years. He was first elected on an independent republican ticket and for the next two terms was elected on the regular republican ticket. He made an excellent record in that position, being very thorough and systematic in the discharge of all of his duties, and the methods which he followed brought excellent results, which received the endorsement of the general public, as shown in the fact that he was three times chosen by popular suffrage to that position. He has always taken an active interest in politics and civic affairs and he served as justice of the peace by appointment from 1893 until 1895. He is now concentrating his attention and energies upon commercial interests as proprietor of a hardware and general sporting goods business in Rock Springs and he is also a skilled mechanic, displaying expert knowledge along mechanical and electrical lines.
    Mr. Paterson has been married twice. In June, 1882, at Ogden, Utah, he wedded Miss Elizabeth Queen, a native of Scotland, who passed away, and in October, 1893, at Rock Springs, he wedded Miss Mary Dixon, a native of England. He is very prominent in the Knights of Pythias, has served as master of exchequer and has filled all the chairs in the order, including that of supreme representative, in which position he continued for four years, being elected in 1913, his term expiring in December, 1917. He has been most helpful in the work of the organization and exemplifies in his life the high principles which underlie the society. Mr. Paterson is highly esteemed as a man and as a citizen, while in business circles he has made for himself a creditable position. His fellow townsmen speak of him in terms of high regard and there is much in his life record that is commendable and worthy of emulation.