Sumner County Biographies
"Portrait and Biographical Album of Sumner County"
Chapman Bros., Chicago, 1890
ZACHARIAH H. PATTON. The subject of
of this notice came to this county with a capital of forty-five cents, but is now numbered
among its most thrifty and successful farmers. He
is proprietor of one of the finest estates in Falls
Township, embracing three hundred and sixty
acres of as valuable land as is to be found on the
Chikaskia River. A beautiful two-story residence
embellishes the place and is represented by a lithographic view on another page; together with its
surroundings it presents one of the most attractive
pictures in the landscape of this region. The passing traveler invariably turns to take a second look
at the homestead which has been built up only by
the most unflagging industry and the exercise of
good judgment and fine taste.
A native of what is now West Virginia, Mr.
Patton was born in Gilmer County, November 28,
1843, and is the son of William and Mary (Smith)
Patton, the former of whom was a native of Maryland and born in 1799. William Patton left his
native State with his parents when a child, the family removing to Gilmer County, W. Va., where
they all spent the remainder of their lives, William
dying about 1868. He followed the vocation of a
farmer and accumulated a good property. Both
he and his estimable wife were for many years
prominently connected with the Baptist Church.
The paternal grandfather, likewise named William,
was also a native of Maryland. The mother of
our subject was born in the State of West Virginia,
and died in Gilmer County that State, in 1885,
after the, death of her husband. Her father was
John Smith, who traced his ancestry to Germany
To William and Mary Patton there was born a
family of eight children, viz: John S., Zachariah
H., Hannah E., Mary L., Phebe J., Susan K., Nathan L. and Anna C. Four of these are living.
The subject of this sketch was the second child
of his parents and spent his boyhood and youth
on the farm in his native county acquiring his education in the common school. After the outbreak
of the Civil War, he, in 1862, joined the Confederate Army as a private in Company B, Twentieth
West Virginia Cavalry and served until in November, 1863. Then, being wounded by a ball at Droop
Mountain, he was rendered unfit for further service and receiving his honorable discharge returned
home. He sojourned there until 1868, then started
for the far West and locating in Kansas City, Mo.,
worked at anything he could find to do in order to
make an honest living. In 1870 he came to Kansas
and prosecuted farming in Neosha County until
1874. That year he came to this county and pre-empted sixty acres of land on section 28, Falls
Township, of which he has since been a resident.
He was prospered in his labors and later added two
hundred acres to his real estate, this lying on sections 21 and 28. After a few years engaged in tilling the soil he gradually became interested in live
stock, from which he has realized handsome returns. He knows all about the hardships and difficulties of beginning in a new country without
capital, and has maintained a warm interest in the
material welfare of his adopted home. He belongs
to the Farmers' Alliance, and is a stanch supporter
of the Democratic party.
Mr. Patton was married November 6, 1867, to
Miss Phebe P. Spurgeon of Doddridge County, W.
Va. This lady was born November 17, 1848, and
is the daughter of John and Phebe (Smith) Spurgeon, who were natives of West Virginia and are
now living in Kansas. The result of this union
was a family of eleven children who were named
respectively � William E., Charles, Laura D., Samantha J., Jessie, John, James L., Lenna, Nettie
B., Luther and Joseph.
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This website created Oct. 29, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
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