Leslie Patterson

LESLIE PATTERSON, one of the pioneer, settlers of West Mineral, Ross township, and an honored veteran of the Civil War, was born September 15, 1844, near Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Carns and Sarah (Cole) Patterson.

The father of Mr. Patterson was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1786, and came to America May 31, 1823, landing at Baltimore, Maryland. His occupation was farming and teaming, and he resided in Porter township and at Alexandria, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. His death occurred July 27, 1857. He was twice married, the mother of Leslie Patterson, his second wife, dying May 24, 1858. The five children of the first marriage are not noted in this record. The eight born of the second marriage were as follows: Johnson, a retired farmer residing at Seattle, Washington; Nancy T., wife of Capt. Daniel Killen, of Indiana County, Pennsylvania; Anna Eliza, wife of J. N. Kincade, both of whom are deceased; Catherine, wife of B. R. Lowrey, of Columbus; Lucinda. wife of Archibald Parker, of Pennsylvania; Maria, wife of William Van Horn, of Harding, South Dakota; James, who was born June 3, 1842, and died April 11, 1846; and Leslie.

Leslie Patterson attended the home schools and resided with his parents until both passed away. In 1860 Leslie accompanied his brother Johnson to Linn County, Missouri, where they remained one year, and then located in Mercer County, Illinois. There, in the fall of 1862, the subject of this sketch enlisted for service in the Civil War, in Company E, 102d Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf. His command was sent to Louisville, Frankfort and Bowling Green, Kentucky, and joined General Sherman's forces at Chattanooga,—the remainder of his service, which continued until the close of the war, being in this branch of the Union Army. He participated in five great battles, and 13 skirmishes of a serious nature, but was never wounded, although, occasionally, he was disabled by sickness. He was finally mustered out at Washington, being discharged June 15, 1865.

Mr. Patterson remained in Mercer County, Illinois, until the fall of 1866, when he came to Cherokee County, Kansas, accompanied by his brother Johnson. They provided for future comfort by bringing with them their household goods, six horses and two cows. The subject of this sketch took up 160 acres of land, situated in section 6, township 32, range 23, in Ross township,—he and his brother being the first settlers in the township. The village of West Mineral now occupies all but five and a half acres of his old homestead. At a later date Mr. Patterson spent some time at other points, living about two years at different points in the South,—at Jefferson, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; New Orleans and Memphis, and returning to Cherokee County in 1871. He erected a small house on his land, and his sister made it a home for him until his own marriage, on November 1, 1874, to Olive Carter.

Mrs. Patterson was born in Bureau County, Illinois, and is a daughter of Leonard and Mary (Lane) Carter. The father was born in Vermont, and the mother in Maine. They were married in 1853 in Bureau County, Illinois, to which locality they had been brought in childhood. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Carter moved to Benton County, Iowa, and still later, in 1858, to Pottawatomie County, Kansas, where Mr. Carter died in 1860. Mrs. Carter resides at Gibson, Michigan. The two survivors of their four children are Mrs. Patterson and Frederick, a farmer living near Galt, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson have had five children, namely: J. Leslie, who was born May 4, 1876, and died, aged 15 years; Janet, born October 29, 1877, who married William Parsons, of West Mineral, and has four sons,—Lee, Joseph and Leslie J. and Samuel R. (twins); George Lowrey, born September 2, 1879, who married Stella Schnoor, resides at West Mineral, and has one son,—Horace Joseph; Lyle Edward, born October 17, 1884, who resides at home; and William Lee, born December 24, 1890, who died March 30, 1891. Mrs. Patterson, before her marriage, resided with her uncle. Jacob Gailor, one of the well known residents of this county, who died in 1885. He came to Cherokee County from Iowa, by way of Fort Scott, on the old Missouri trail, and settled two and a half miles southeast of Oswego, where he owned a "treaty right" farm, and raised much stock. His death took place at Seattle, Washington.

Mr. Patterson has been one of the extensive farmers of this section, and has also been a successful raiser of horses, cattle and hogs. His land has proved fertile, and is also of mineral value, the Crescent Coal Company having put down a coal shaft here on May 13, 1903, with excellent results.

Mr. Patterson may almost be called the father of West Mineral. The original plat was made April 16, 1895, and now constitutes a thriving village, the population of which is constantly and rapidly increasing. Mr. Patterson owns a great deal of the valuable real estate in the village, and has laid out three additions, viz.: one on May 4, 1901; the second on June 10, 1903; and the third on May 4, 1904. It is interesting to trace the growth of an enterprising place like West Mineral. Following the completion of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway through the place, March 17, 1897, N. M. Smith started a general store; James T. Small started a lumber yard; Mrs. Henderson, now Mrs. McLeod, opened a hotel, and F. M. Wade was made the first postmaster. In 1901, Mr. Patterson built the Patterson Opera House Block, which is now occupied by the general store of A. O. Mattox. In 1904, the State Bank of West Mineral was organized. In all these enterprises Mr. Patterson was more or less interested, his public spirit and personal and financial prominence continually making him an important factor.

Politically, Mr. Patterson is in sympathy with the Populist party. His hospitable home is presided over by a lady of much refinement and social attractiveness, and together they recall very vividly to the visitor the trials and hardships, as well as the pleasures and advantages, of the early settlement of Cherokee County.

Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are shown on preceding pages, in connection with this sketch.

History of Cherokee County Kansas and its representative citizens, ed. & comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904, transcribed by Carolyn Ward, instructor from USD 508, Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, 5/5/97.