1890 Portrait & Bio Album of Green Lake, Marquette & Waushara Counties Thomas H. Patterson
Thomas H. Patterson, one of the energetic business men of Pine River, is the owner of one of the largest mills in Waushara County. As he is so widely and favorably known thoughtout the community we know that his biographical sketch will be of interest to the readers of this ALBUM. The history of his life is as follows:
He was born in the town of Milton, Saratoga County, N.Y., on the 5th of March, 1848, and is of Irish descent. His father, Thomas Patterson, was born near Belfast, Ireland, in the year 1800, and lived the life of a well-to-do farmer. He grew to manhood in his native country, coming to America at the age of twenty-five years. He first settled in Saratoga County, N.Y., where he became acquainted with and married Margaret Moorehead, who was born in Ireland in 1822. A family of six sons and four daughters was born of their union - Charlotte, who was united in marriage with Horace F. Skinner, a farmer of the town of Mt. Morris, Waushara County; Eliza, who became the wife of John Clark, a farmer, who for ten years was county clerk in Waushara County; James enlisted in Company A, 16th Wisconsin Infantry for the late war and was killed at the battle of Shiloh, the first engagement in which he participated; Thomas H. is the next younger; Maggie married Amos Brownlow, a farmer of Mt. Morris Township; Charles married Lettie Wood and is living on a farm in the same town; George is an apprentice in the mill owned by our subject.
Thomas Patterson was but two years of age when he was brought to Waushara County. His father purchased 160 acres of wild land previous to the government survey and upon the farm which he there developed he made his home until his death in November, 1880. His wife survived him until Feb. 7, 1883, when she to passed away. Both were members of the Presbyterian Church. The mother of Mrs. Patterson also left her home in Ireland, emigrating to America, and spent her last days with her son in the town of Mt. Morris.
The boyhood and youth of our subject were spent on his father's farm. He received but limited educational advantages, having to assist his father in the cultivation of his land and aid in the support of his family. While the black clouds of warfare were still overhanging the country, Mr. Patterson volunteered his services and became a member of Company B, 49th Wisconsin Infantry, on the 30th of January, 1865. His company remained in camp at Madison for four weeks and was then transferred to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Mo. During the latter part of March it was sent to Port Daily, Rolla, Mo., where for six months it did guard duty. While there Mr. Patterson was taken sick and confined in the hospital in St. Louis, where he was honorably discharged September 27, 1865.
Still in failing health he returned home and remained on the farm with his father for one year. He made his first business venture by purchasing 200 acres of uncultivated land upon which he resided for seven years and by his industry and untiring efforts succeeded in placing fifty acres of that amount under culivation. Disposing of that property he came to Pine River and purchased the flouring mill owned by McNeeley & Co., then in a very dilapidated condition. He has since added many improvements and has a fine mill, its capacity being the greatest of any in the county. By assiduity to his business and honorable dealings with his patrons his efforts have been rewarded with a marked degree of success and although several other parties had made efforts to establish the business on a paying basis he was the only successful one.
Politically, Mr. Patterson is a stalwart Democrat and was an alternate delegate to the National Democratic Convention in Chicago that nominated Ex-President Cleveland. He was appointed Postmaster of Pine River but after holding the office for two years resigned. Socially, he is a member of Pine River Lodge, No. 207, A.F.&A.M. and has been representative to the Grand Lodge in Milwaukee. He also belongs to Ed Saxe Post, No. 135, G.A.R. of Wautoma.
On the 10th of April, 1878, Mr. Patterson was united in marriage with Miss Belle Metcalf, an estimable and cultured lady, who was born Feb. 25, 1846, in Lake County, Ill, and is a daughter of Theopholis F. and Sabra (Palmeter) Metcalf, her father a native of the Emerald Isle, the mother of Herkimer County, N.Y. When her father was two years old he was brought to America by his parents, who settled on a farm in the Province of Ontario, Canada, near St. Thomas, and there Mr. Metcalf was reared to agricultural pursuits. At the age of nineteen, he went to Muskegon, Mich., and became a partner in the lumber business of that city. In 1841, he removed to Lake County, Ill., and purchased a farm on which he lived until 1849, when he sold out and removed to Winnebago County, Wis., subsequently becoming a citizen of the town of Marion, Waushara County, where he and his wife still make their home. They have a family of three children: Delia C., born April 29, 1848, became the wife of T.W. Hamilton, a boot and shoe merchant of Berlin; Frank F., born May 22, 1855, wedded Mary Moriarty. Mrs. Patterson's education was completed in the Berlin High School, where she pursued a four years' course, lacking only one year of graduation. She taught her first school when sixteen years of age and with the exception of the four years spent in the High School taught for sixteen successive years. In 1874 and 1875 she was Principal of the Pine River School. As an instructor she has few equals in Waushara County and it was with sincere regret on the part of many that she left the ranks of its successful teachers. One child graces the union of Mr. and Mrs. Patterson - Fay M., born Jan. 21, 1879.
In the social world this worthy couple are held in the highest regard and in business circles few rank higher than our subject. He has made his own way in the world, working upwards step by step until he is numbered among the prosperous citizens of the county and is proprietor of one of its leading industries.
