THIS IS THE DAY WHICH THE LORD HATH MADE!

 

LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

 

The flickering light from the small, kerosene lamp illuminated Mother’s face as she read to her two children before they went to bed. The verse, in its optimistic vein, is reminiscent of her. It expresses her spirit: whether it were a bright and sunny day, or one of the days when hope might flag, she could always summon courage through her religious faith.

 

She instilled in one the highest moral standards, and inspired a similar positive attitude in the face of any contingency.

 

It was she, Edith Elizabeth Hall Patterson, born December 14, 1887, slept away November 8, 1979, who had a keen sense of history, a justifiable pride in her lineage, and the foresight to authenticate all the memorabilia that she had inherited from earlier generations of her family. It was she who urged that the story be told.

 

And so, in dedication to her, and to all that she represents in her family’s life, the story unfolds....

 

--Lydia Patterson Hecht

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

 

THE PATTERSON FAMILY

 

Tradition claims that the Patterson Family left Scotland with the Scottish troops under Prince William and settled at Drum Heron, Fermanagh County, Province of Ulster, Northern Ireland. Owing to the fact that their Irish neighbors persisted in mispronouncing their name, the second 'T' was added.

 

John Patterson was a cousin of William Patterson who came from County Donegall, Ireland to Philadelphia, and later to Baltimore, Maryland. William's daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy) Patterson, married Jerome Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon. William Patterson's will included the following reference to his origin: "My family were of the Episcopal Church, the established Religion of Ireland, in which I was born and brought up with care and attention. My father was a Farmer in the country with a large family, his name was William; my mother's name was Elizabeth (her maiden name was Peoples); they were both descended from a mixture of English and Scotch families who had settled in Ireland after the conquest of that country." The following story traces the lives of John Patterson and his progeny. He was of this Scotch-Irish descent and emigrated to the United States.

THE PATTERSON FAMILY

 

Gallio Patterson² , 1790-1855, is a bridge between the present and the past to those who read this reconstruction of the history of the Patterson Family. His name, Gallio, rings a respondent note in one's memory. It was Gallio who purchased the family homestead that came to be known as Fairfields Farm. He was born in Westport, Connecticut, on February 26, 1790. He and his twin sister, Matilda, who died in infancy, were the second and third children of John and Mary Raymond Patterson.

 

 

John Patterson¹, 17__-1823, was one of three brothers who came from Londonderry, Northern Ireland. He resembled George Washington, it is said; and since his children had no picture of their father, they carried a copy of the Stuart painting of Washington. [Among old papers found at Fairfields Farm was such a copy, which would indicate that his daughter, Abby³ , 1799-1880,

 

 

Gallio's sister who died there, must have carried it to her final days in Cayuga County.] John had never worked prior to his emigration from Ireland. He had married there, his wife had died; and he had left an infant son with his parents to go to seek his fortune in the United States. The glass whiskey flask, with its studded form shaped to conform to his pocket, is the only tangible memento of this patriarch.

 

Vital records add to the picture. On December 20, 1786 John Patterson married for a second time. At Greens Farms, Connecticut, Mary (Molly) Raymond¹ [1771-1846] became his bride. Tradition reveals that she was a French woman of great talent. She was the daughter of William Raymond^A, ca.1715-1809.

 

When John and Molly's first child, Mary², 1788-1866, was a few months old, John purchased property of Lovel Chapman in the Town & County of Connecticut[i]. The price paid for this plot of land was 40L. The original of this deed was found in the wooden document box that contained Gallio's papers, and had rested in the "cheese room" at the top of the stairs at Fairfields Farm in Aurelius, N. Y. To quote from the deed throws an interesting light on the home that sheltered John and Mary Patterson and their children:

 

"A certain piece of land lying in said Fairfield in the Parish of Greens Farms, with a dwelling house standing thereon ....is in quantity about one acre be the same more or less....also a shop standing on the Highway opposite said Land, with the Trees standing by the said shop....

 

By 1808 John and Molly were the parents of ten children..... Mary ⁱ, the twins Gallio ⁱⁱ and Matilda ⁱⁱⁱ, Anna ^iv, twin John Jr ^v. and James ^vi, Abby ^vii, George ^viii, Charles ^ix and Hugh ^x. Apparently times were difficult, for on December 27, 1808 the home was mortgaged to Eben Jessup. Four years and two children (Henry ^xi and Francis ^xii) later, on August 17, 1812, payment of a $9.00 Quit Claim Deed to Eben Jessup indicated the satisfaction of a Mortgage of Dec. 27, 1808. Two years later the thirteenth child, Stephen J. ^xiii, arrived.

 

 

Gallio and his brother, John, 1798-1823] became men of the sea, although it is not known at what time in their lives they went to New York City to make their living. In April of 1820 Gallio was married to the beautiful auburn-haired, Caroline White.

 

 

The charming silhouette that once graced the parlor at Fairfields Farm attests to her exquisite beauty. However the flame of life was extinguished only one year later,. On April 19, 1821, she died in childbirth in New York. This sad news is conveyed in a faded letter written by John² Patterson to his parents in Greens Farms, Connecticut:

 

Dear Parents: It is with the greatest sorrow that I have to inform you of the death of Gallio's wife and infant son. She was taken ill last Monday and departed this life at 12 o'clock this day (Thursday). The child was still born. Gallio wishes me to inform you that he will be up as soon as he can get them buried and his matters arranged here. He is very low-spirited.

Your affectionate son, John Patterson Jr

 

John could not have imagined that less than three years later his own passing would bring grief to his parents. In the week of December 19-25, 1923, he was lost at sea. On December 25, 1823, John Patterson died, leaving his widow and son, Gallio, to settle the estate.

 

Again, papers in the old document box include a Quit Claim Deed from Mary Patterson to her son, Gallio, for the family home in Greens Farms for payment of $162 for John Patterson debts,including a mortgage of $65.00. Some time later, Mary Patterson married Abraham Couch and lived in Redding, Connecticut. Her later years were spent with her son, Hugh, in Darien, Connecticut.

 

On April 7, 1824, in Darien, Connecticut, Gallio remarried. His bride was Abigail Walmsley,

 

 

the daughter of William ¹Walmsley and his wife, Prudence Weed Walmsley. William Walmsley was of English origin and had enlisted for military duty in the war of the Revolution from New Jersey. He served close to George Washington. His wife, Prudence Weed, also had distinguished herself as a Revolutionary War heroine by her brave deeds during a British incident.

 

At the time of his marriage to Abigail, Gallio was apparently a seaman. The wooden document box yielded interesting information in the bills of lading, entry permits, etc. A November 20, 1824, paper indicates Gallio to be Captain of the Schooner "Erie." An October 23, 1828 document from Charleston, South Carolina, granted Captain Gallio Patterson a Coastwise Entering Permit for the Schooner "Spy," of which he was listed as Master and resident of Fairfields. Vivid mementos of those days remain in the folding cot with its wooden head-board, the quadrant and the leather-cased brass telescopes, as well as leather-bound books on Geography, Mathematics, Charting, etc. A visit to the South Street Seaport of New York in the 1970's revealed records of Gallio Patterson activities.

Then Gallio and Abigail's lives changed, for a deed, dated November 24, 1829 is found, where Gallio purchased of Joseph Jr.and Charlotte Thorp a farm in the Town of Springport, parts of Lots 78 & 79, Cayuga County, New York. It was located on what is currently designated as Webb Road. With their one son, ⁱWilliam³ Francis , 1825-1902 , they moved from Connecticut to the promising farming frontier of New York State. ⁱⁱMary Jane³, 1830-1921, and ⁱⁱⁱCaroline³, 1832-1855, enlarged the family; and Gallio and Abigail prospered.

Mary Jane ? Caroline ?

 

It was on March 2, 1832 that they sold their farm to Samuel Fitch and purchased from Isaac and Susan P. Smith for the sum of $5,000.00 Subdivision 1 of Lot 67 of the Cayuga Reservation East, except for one acre in the southwest corner which had been sold by I. Smith to Philip Yawger...a 149-acre farm that had been owned and occupied by I. Smith since 1817. It was said that when Gallio had questioned the wisdom of assuming a debt of $5,000, Abigail indicated that if she were a man, she knew that she could do it! With this sort of incentive, Gallio made the purchase; and carefully preserved letters indicate that Gallio was successful in paying off the mortgage...thus the origin of Fairfields Farm, the New York State Patterson Homestead.

On January 27, 1834, ^ivStephen Eraldo³ Patterson³, 1834-1906 was born. The unusual middle name was in memory of one of Gallio's maritime friends. On January 12, 1836, John Alonzo Patterson, 1836-1919, was born; and the family was complete.

 

Stephen John

 

In April of 1836 a deed was recorded conveying thirty acres of land in Lot 68 of the East Cayuga Reservation from Walter Beers to Gallio Patterson. Recorded in January 1853 was the transfer of title to thirty acres of land in Lot 68 to Gallio Patterson. Other receipts found in Gallio's document box give faint glimpses of the man. He was still addressed as "Captain Patterson." A photograph reveals a kindly-natured gentleman of integrity.

 

After the mortgage on the farm had been retired, the family invested in new mahogany parlor furniture. The steps that led down on three sides from the front door were removed and the wide front porch with four square white columns was added. It was there that Gallio was wont to "pace the deck during a storm." Then came the erection of a corn house and the wagon house whose second-story loft provided space for the two sisters, Mary and Caroline, to spin and to weave the cloth for the family use. Each girl's work was lighted by a large twelve-pane window...one to the east, and the other to the west.

 

Reading farther, the receipts in Gallio's document box tell other stories: in the Spring of 1853 he corresponded with regard to the shipment of a Horse-power to his son, William Francis³ Patterson, in San Francisco. From this we deduce that William, who by 1853 was twenty-eight years of age, had gone west to seek his fortune in the Gold Rush.

 

In a rusted tin cylindrical can in the cheese room were found folded notes which, when opened, told other sad stories:

 

"March 5, 1855 - County of Cayuga Dr. to G. Patterson - ten dollars for taking care of William Stahrr, a destitute German Emigrant sick with Typhus Fever.

Signed/ H. Davis, Poor Master.

 

"$14 received of Mrs. Abigail Patterson - ten dollars for medical service rendered this year 1855 this being my account in full 11/1 to this date Cayuga August 21, 1855.

Signed/ S. Cummings.

 

These two receipts authenticate the story that was told:

Someone who had known Gallio Patterson during his days as a sea captain, came to visit him and fell ill of a fever. He died, and Gallio and Caroline contracted the fever and died at the same time. Gallio died March 21, 1855; and Caroline followed him on March 25, 1855. Their graves are marked in the Oakridge Cemetery in Springport, N. Y. where marble urns top the grave-stones there.

 

Gallio died intestate; and this created a problem for his widow. Abigail and her eldest son, William. were administrators of the estate; and on February 27, 1857, two years later, an auction of the farm machinery and tools was held.

 

Old auction bills and an account book give the details of the sale : "4 Work Horses, 2 three-year-old colts, 2 two-year-old colts, 1 sucking colt, 1 yoke oxen, 6 cows, 5 calves, 26 sheep, 7 hogs, 1 reaper, 1 seed drill, 2 lumber wagons, 1 democrat wagon, 1 top buggy, 1 open buggy, 1 cutter, 2 sleighs, 1 fanning mill, 1 straw cutter, 1 horse power, 4 sets of harness, together with 40 bushels of seed barley, ploughs, drags, cultivators, and other articles too numerous to mention."

 

Two days earlier Stephen and John had given William their note, which, it would appear, was payment to William for his share of the estate:

 

"One day [year?] after date we jointly and severely promise to pay Wm. F. Patterson or bearer two thousand and eighty eight dolars & thirty three cents. Value Recd. Aurelius Feb. 23d 1857

s/ Stephen E. Patterson s/ John A. Patterson"

 

Notations on the back of the note indicate the payment of the debt:

 

"Received on the within one thousand and ninety one dollars

Apr 30th 1857 $1091.00

Received - June 27th 1857 400.00

Rec'd Feb. 23d 1858 660.63

 

On April 14, 1858 William³ married his Cayuga County neighbor, Hannah Letitia Davis; and from the Davis Genealogy it is learned that he was placed also in Indiana and later in E. Edwards, Kansas. Stephen and John Patterson operated the farm. But John contracted many debts which Stephen and Mary, his brother and sister, were obliged to assume after their brother’s departure. The resulting burden was most oppressive for many years.

 

In July of 1863 the shadow of the Civil War fell upon the family in a communication received by John from the Provost Marshall's Office of the 24th District of New York State.

 

"Sir:You are hereby notified that you were on the 23d day July, 1863, legally drafted in the service of the United States for the period of 3 years in accordance with the provisions of the act of Congress, 'for enrolling and calling out the national forces, and for other purposes,' approved March 3, 1863. You will accordingly report on or before the 19th day of August, 1863 at the place of rendezvous, in Auburn, N. Y., or be deemed a deserter, and be subject to the penalty prescribed therefor by the Rules and Articles of War."

 

On August 21, 1863, John, Stephen and Mary Patterson signed a note with the Auburn City Bank for $100.00 due November 24, three months from that date. With that same August 21, 1863 date is found Form 31:

 

"CERTIFICATE OF NON-LIABILITY TO BE GIVEN

BY THE BOARD OF ENROLLMENT.

 

We the subscribers, comprising the Board of Enrollment of the Twenty-Fourth District of the State of New York provided for in section 8, Act of Congress ‘for enrolling and calling out the national forces,' approved March 3, 1863, hereby certify that John A. Patterson, of Aurelius Cayuga County, State of New York, having given satisfactory evidence that he is not properly subject to do military duty, as required by said act, by reason of payment of $300, is exempt from all liability to military duty for the term of present draft."

 

On March 16, 1864, Stephen³ married Lydia Paulina Winegar,

 

 

daughter of Samuel Karner Winegar, 1815-1875, of Mr. Morris, N. Y. and his wife, the former Cornelia Yawger [1818-1902]. Stephen and Lydia first lived on the small farm at the northern end of the home farm, in a house that sat on Chamberlain Road. It was there that on September 12, 1865 they were blessed with the birth of a son, ¹William Wirt Patterson⁴ 1865-1948.

 

 

William was named for Lydia’s brother, William Wirt Winegar,

 

 

who was at that time serving in the Civil War where, on April 16, 1865, his conduct earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic service during the Battle of Five Forks, Virginia.

 

Lydia and Stephen went to housekeeping in a house on Chamberlain Road, on part of the Patterson Farm that extended from Townline Road back to Chamberlain.[1] It was there that their son, William Wirt, was born in 1865. He was named for his uncle, William Wirt Winegar who was Lydia’s brother and had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery under fire during the Civil War. In 18 they purchased the farm on Route 326 in Aurelius NY from Throope; but they stayed only until when Stephen’s mother, the widowed Abigail Walmsley Patterson, urged him to return to the home farm where she lived and where they remained for the rest of their lives.

 

In 1867 Stephen Patterson had purchased a farm from Wheaton L. Leach, the Moore farm [that is currently owned year 2000 by Raymond Lockwood] on the road between Oakwood station and Half Acre. Two years later, in 1869, he sold the farm to Richard Thorpe; and it is possible that it was in answer to his mother's request that he came to live near her.

 

In 1870 John married Mary Louisa Shank,

 

 

the daughter of his neighbor, John B. Shank. By 1872 William Wirt Patterson, was nearly seven years of age. On July 6 of that year ⁱⁱEmma Abigail (1872-1964)

 

 

was born to Stephen and Lydia. She bore her grandmother's name and arrived in time for her grandmother to see her namesake; for on October 3, 1872, Abigail Walmsley Patterson went to meet her husband, Gallio; and Mary³ Patterson,

 

Mary Jane Patterson

(positive identification)

 

the remaining unmarried child, she who cared for all of the ailing members of her larger family, was left to mourn alone. Was it then, or earlier, that she moved into the three rooms on the east side of the homestead?

Abby Jane Patterson², 1799-1880,

 

 

Gallio's sister, is known to have lived at Fairfields Farm at the time of her death in 1880. At one time the house was divided for two families: the three rooms to the right of the front door, on the east, were converted into a home. With modernizing, the chair rail was removed, as it was in the front hall, and the fireplace on the east wall closed and the mantle lowered, before adding the "new" iron cookstove.

 

Early memories of that family room were of an area crowded with furniture: the great pine drop-leaf table, later used as a dining table by succeeding generations was there, shrouded in a cumbersome brown, fringed mantle. There was the austere, green-upholstered invalid chair, a victorian desk-china cupboard where resided Mary's moss china that had been given to her by one of her grateful, recovered patients. From heavy gilt frames "Uncle Hugh" and an unnamed lady looked down at the scene as Polly, the parrot, pecked in her cage until her demise (when she was lovingly buried in a candy box outside the east door). Gone, too, was the hematite stone sink that filled the area under the window to the left of the fireplace. It had been installed in the newly created wooden wing of the house. Viewing the scene from either end of the mantle and peering around the pottery pineapples that they clutched, were two majolica monkeys.

 

The northeast room that looked out toward the barns was the bedroom with a Jenny Lind bed (one spindle of the footboard missing where the ailing Mary used to bring herself to a sitting position), a mahogany dresser with O-G drawer and easled mirror and the ancient mahogany bureau with great plank ends. This latter had been used by Abby to move her possessions from New York City when she retired from her responsibilities as a shopkeeper at 84 Varick Street where for a number of years she had sold ribbons and laces and other finery to the ladies of the town. It was during that era that Gallio's daughter, Caroline, had lived at 30 Varick Street with her Aunt Abby and attended school in New York City. Framed water colors and carefully executed notebooks, as well as blythe letters from school friends, reveal the details of her study of French, Botany, composition, etc.

 

The third and smallest room [later transformed into a bathroom] was a pantry with the large pine cupboard to store provisions. Was it at this same time that the wooden addition was made to the brick home? Stones from the foundation of the one-story wing were brought out of the outcropping of fossil-rich Oriskany Limestone on the farm most recently occupied by Ted O'Hara. The former back door of the house, with its stone steps, now descended into a dining room that drew sunshine from both the east and the west, a small bedroom, a pantry, a vast kitchen, also warmed by the suns of morning and afternoon, and two additional utility areas. Atop the structure was added a belfry with a large dinner bell that called the farm hands to dinner and signalled if someone were urgently needed.

 

Emma was nearly four years old when Mary Cornelia arrived on May 15, 1876. A brief year and a half later she was gone. Her mother had feared for her health, dreading the long winter months. In December her premonitions were realized. The family mourned the passing of "Little Sister."

 

Stephen Patterson was an active farmer, known for his jolly, hospitable nature, his love of children. He was interested in the breeding and training of horse. He was also active in the annual Cayuga County Fair. An old Fair program for the Year 187 indicates his involvement, as does the advertisement for Billy Boy, a prize-winning horse.

 

The Trotting Stallion!

B I L L Y P A T T E R S O N

 

Will make the season at the stables of the subscriber in Aurelius, Cayuga Co., N. Y., commencing May 1, 1875, at $25 to Insure a Foal.

DESCRIPTION.

Billy is nearly 16 hands, in condition weighs 1150 lbs., is a chestnut sorrel, with two white hind pasterns, full mane and tail. He is a horse of fine appearance and of great muscular development. His disposition is perfect in stable and in harness full of spirit but docile. He is a remarkably sure foal getter and his colts are good size and very promising.

PEDIGREE.

Billy was bred by William Ralph, of Cayuga, in 1867. He was sired by Old Champion, he by Grinnel's Champion, he by Almack, by Mambrino, son of Imp. Messenger. Dam by Tormentor.

A letter April 26, 1875, from Dr. John C. Gregory, of Detroit, Mich., formerly of Geneva, N. Y., the owner and importer from New Jersey of Tormentor, says "Tormentor was by Imp. Expedition, he by Pegasus, he by English Eclipse was a dark sorrel without any white, and stood 15-3/4 hands, weighs 1100 lbs., very fine proportioned horse and a first class race horse for heats in his day.

Tormentor's dam by Durock, he by Imp. Diamead, the sire of more great race horses than any of his time. There is not today a good race horse in the south but runs back into Diamead. Tormentor runs back on his dam's side to nearly all of the thorough bred horses that have been imported into N. Y. and N. J. for 100 years back." JNO. C. GREGORY.

Tormentor sired the dam of Andy Johnson, of Penn Yan, also, from whom his best qualities are credited.

-----xx-----

PERFORMANCES.

Billy has had but little fast handling. He has started in but 4 different races and won them all. He won the 2:50 race at Centerville, Onondaga County, The stallion race at Moravia, the stallion his horse in the stud race at Auburn, and the sweepstakes on the ice last winter at Union Springs.

Billy being half brother on sire's side to some of the best trotters in the country, such as George B Daniels, Sorrel Dapper, Charley B., Butcher Boy, &c., &c., and from the unbroken pedigree of his dam, the undersigned is emboldened to say to the public wishing to improve the horse, that he feels confident of success with

STEPHEN E. PATTERSON, Prop'r,

Aurelius, Cayuga Co., N. Y.

 

In 1879 the great barn was constructed. It was painted red, with brown trim. From the center of the steep roof rose a windowed cupola. It was from this vantage point that Stephen could look out over the countryside and enjoy the view in all directions with the aid of his father's brass telescopes. He was wont to look southwestward to his Van Sickle neighbor; and the two good farmers constructed signs on which messages had been painted to greet each other.

 

Possibly the barn behind this new edifice was the original barn on the farm. It was an unpainted structure with grain storage bins constructed of great eighteen-inch (or wider) boards of fine pine wood; and the hardware bore the signs of the local smith. Storke's History of 1879 includes the notation: "On the farm of Stephen Patterson, near the center of the North line [Springport], is a plaster quarry from which 300 to 400 tons are being taken per annum.. Messers. Patterson & Schenck [Shank] have a plaster-mill in that locality." Signs of the plaster quarry remain to this day in the "quarry" to the northwest of the family home. The plaster-mill was operated on Yawger's Creek just west of the intersection with Benham Road. For many years the two wheel cart that had been used to haul plaster was stored in the wagon house at Fairfields Farm.

 

William⁴ and Emma⁴ attended the Quaker Oakwood Seminary in Union Springs. Later Emma received vocal training in Syracuse. Although Emma was pretty, as demonstrated in the numerous photographs of her, like her Aunt Abby and Aunt Mary, she never married. Time was passing; and on February 19, 1906, Stephen went to join the other Pattersons in Oakridge Cemetery.

 

Will⁴ had never married, although he was over forty years of age. He had been interested in local politics; and in 1906 was elected Supervisor of the Town of Aurelius, a position he was to hold consecutively from 1909 to 1931. In 1910 his thoughts "turned to love"; and on March 8 of that year he made Edith Elizabeth Hall his bride. She was the daughter of Frederic Caldwell Hall(1858-1936) and May Baker Hall (1864-1950);

 

Standing: William Wirt Patterson, Asa H. Baker, May Baker Hall, and Frederic C. Hall.

Front Row: Edith Hall Patterson, Caroline Ellison Baler, and William Wirt Patterson, Jr.

 

and they went to live in the small tenant house on the farm, to the west of the homestead. It was then that Will purchased the massive oak roll-top desk, the brass bed and the mission-style dining room furniture that was in vogue at the time.

In 1912 William and Edith were blessed with the birth of a son, ⁱWilliam Wirt⁵ Patterson, Jr. and the line of the Pattersons was continued. Another generation would carry on the tilling of the fertile soil of the Patterson farm that had been in the family for eighty years. The homestead still sheltered the three ladies of the family: Mary , Lydia and Emma. Lydia was not well; and it was in October of 1914 that she died, leaving behind only Mary³ and the grieving Emma⁴ who had idolized her "Mama." She and Mary were terror-stricken of imagined evils that lurked in the night. Thus it was that Will and Edith and little William came to live at the homestead. Edith gave up the home that she had so lovingly nurtured next door and came into the household where Emma was the dominant member of the family. Edith resolved that there should be harmony in this new family unit which now included Emma; and with this dedication, a peaceful home was maintained.

The next Spring, May 9, 1915, there was a new member of the family.... the daughter born to William and Edith was named Lydia May for her grandmothers; and the family was established to remain for twenty-five years By that time, life on the farm had known stringent years. Serious illness had plagued the lives of the children and exhausted the coffers, a sever snowstorm in 1927 had brought one of the barns crashing down under the weight of the snow. To rebuild it took all of the funds that William could scrape together. Disease invaded the herd of cattle; and then came the Great Depression! However, William, who had been raised with the horror of debt, was able to keep his farm free from mortgage and debt. In addition, helping hands were offered to those less fortunate. The family sought new, although meager, means of earning money. Emma and Edith baked and sold their delicious cookies and cakes. They raised poultry, working long and backbreaking hours in caring for the flocks and in operating the hatchery that they installed for custom work. The children worked dilligently with their parents throughout the years. But there was not sufficient income to finance a college education after the two children graduated from high school in Union Springs (1930 and 1932).

William Junior⁵ found himself involved in the buying of hay from the farmers and selling it through a local agency, Arthur & Prentiss. His father purchased a truck for him.... one of the first locally owned by a farmer. And thus, William Junior's life's work was assured. He developed a local trucking company, transporting raw milk from the farmers to the local Dairylea Cooperative. With these activities and others that he promoted, his success was assured. In 1940 he married Alma Blanche Tincknell, daughter of Metford, (1888-1972) and Mildred Elwin Tincknell (1888-1940). William Junior, like his father before him, renovated the small tenant house west of the homestead and went to live there. It was great joy for all when ⁱWilliam Wirt Patterson, III,

 

Standing: Alma Tinknell Patterson, Edith Patterson, William Wirt Patterson

Seated: WWP III, WWP, Jr., and May Baker Hall

 

arrived on the scene on March 13, 1942. He was followed on July 6, 1944 by ⁱⁱElizabeth Ann⁶. Two years later their family was made complete with the arrival of twins - ⁱⁱⁱPhilip Metford⁶ and ^ivFrederic Hall⁶, born October 24, 1946.

The next year, 1947, William Junior purchased Central New York Freightways, Inc., a trucking firm that operated between Buffalo, Syracuse and New York City with main office in Syracuse. It grew by leaps and bounds under his guidance. Life was good.

Lydia, who had wanted to attend college, had taken steps to earn funds to finance further education by attending a one-year business college in Auburn. Upon completing this course of study, she was employed in 1934 as an office worker at General Products Corporation, a newly organized manufacturing company in nearby Union Springs. Her plans for college faded as she found that the Depression had made further education still impractical; and the work that she had found was rewarding. After thirteen years, life was to change again.

In 1947 Lydia found herself engaged to marry her employer, the son of Alexandere S. and Fanny Klein Hecht, ⁱⁱ Marco Hecht, whom she had loved silently for many years. They were married May 11, 1947 at the homestead....the first wedding that the home had known ....and Lydia left to live in Union Springs, leaving William Senior, his wife, Edith, and his sister, Emma in the pink brick homestead..

The next year brought still greater change, for by that time Marco and Lydia were the proud parents of a daughter, ⁱStefanie⁶ , born April 18, 1948. A month later, on May 18, 1948, William Wirt⁴ Patterson died at the homestead, leaving Edith and Emma to carry on the life that by that time had grown less arduous.

 

William Wirt Patterson had been a tall, sinewy man.....quiet and austere, but also known for his sense of humor. He was a man of integrity and honesty. He was generous; and in his business dealings, reluctant to press for payment those who owed him money. His view was that if they were able to pay him, they would do so. He influenced for the good the lives of many of the young men with whom he came in contact. He had been active throughout his life in the affairs of his community, Town Supervisor for nearly twenty-five years, a charter member of the Board of the Union Springs Central School District, County Board Chairman, a Director of the Dairymen's League Cooperative Assn.

 

William Wirt Patterson

 

Through the years William Junior had assumed more and more responsibility for the farm...farms, as more acreage had been purchased; and so the homestead farm continued after 116 years.

ⁱⁱWilliam Sandor⁶ Hecht joined the Hecht Family on January 3, 1951 and further added to the family's happiness. His name recalled his two grandfathers. Five years were to elapse before the family was overjoyed to welcome Edith Abby Hecht who arrived on June 22, 1956. The seven grandchildren of Edith Patterson became such a close family unit that they were virtually brothers and sisters, rather than cousins. They worked together. They played together under the guiding spirit of their grandmother. It became a frequent Sunday ritual for the family to meet for dinner with Grandmother and Emmie. Everyone shared the responsibility of the meal; and the family's thirteen, and often others, surrounded the old pine tables for the feasts. Holidays were similarly shared. Love abounded.

 

A shadow clouded the skies, however. In 1953 Alma learned that she was suffering from Cancer. A series of operations, although tortuous for her, did not remove the cause for concern. Life continued outwardly as it had in the past; but, unknown to the children, Alma's years were numbered. Recurring hospital stays became more frequent. Fortunately, her children were reaching maturity. William was working with his father in Syracuse; Elizabeth (Betsy) was studying at the New York State College at Potsdam to earn a degree in Education; Philip was at Clarkson College nearby; and Fred was studying at the Morrisville, N. Y. State Agricultural School.

 

The new year had only launched into 1964 when an urgent call from "Grandmother" hastened the family members to the homestead one Sunday evening. Only hours before Emma⁴ had bade farewell to the departing guests when, as she was preparing for bed, her heart stopped. January 13, 1964 was the date.

 

Thus, Edith Patterson, who had so lovingly cared for her husband and her sister-in-law, found herself alone and lonely in the old brick homestead. Her children and grandchildren were a comfort to her; and she continued to smile and to care for her family, as she had in the past. But, her strength was waning. The series of operations that she had endured since her husband had left her side had taxed her further. Her eyesight was virtually gone; yet she never complained. Instead, she learned to compensate for her failing strengths and was a shining light of inspiration to all who knew and loved her. She continued to live out her life in the homestead.

 

On March 28, 1964 William III⁶ married Judith Keith of Jamestown, N. Y. Still in his father's employ, Will and his new bride, lived in Syracuse, later in Albany, N. Y. where their first child, ¹William Wirt⁷ Patterson IV was born on August 19, 1966, only five short months after his grandmother, Alma had left her grieving family.

 

On March 31, 1966 Alma Patterson's trials and suffering ended. With her went William Patterson Junior's helpmate, the children's beloved and faithful mother, the Hecht children's "Aunt Alma" and Edith Patterson's "daughter." A joyous age had ended. A light had gone out. 1968 saw light shine again: On June 22 Betsy Patterson became Mrs. Robb Wellington Newman and went to live in Silver Spring, Maryland, where Robb had gone to work for the Johns Hopkins Researech Center after graduation from the Cornell University College of Engineering.

 

On November 9, 1968 William Junior⁵ brought Elizabeth Clark Lewis to be his bride at the home that he had occupied since 1940. The next summer, on June 14, 1969, Fred⁶ married Constance Power. A month later, Philip⁶ married Diana Fleury.

 

Thus all of William Patterson Jr.'s children were married. Fred had assumed the responsibilities of Farm Manager for the Patterson Farms; and Philip joined with his father- in-law to operate the Fleury Farm and to set up a ski-touring recreation center in nearby Montezuma. William III had purchased a truck freight line and moved to Fulton, N. Y.

 

And so it was that the Age of the Great Grandchild developed for Edith Patterson. August 19, 1966 had been the momentous date when William Wirt Patterson, IV, had arrived. He was followed on February 8, 1970 by Jeffrey Paul Newman⁷ the son of Betsy and Robb Newman. And on October 22, 1970 Christopher Hall⁷ Patterson came to bring happiness to his parents, Frederic and Connie Patterson. He was followed on June 16, 1971 by Robb and Betsy's daughter, Lisa Ann⁷. On December 7, 1971 arrived Jill Alma⁷ Patterson, Will and Judy's daughter. November 7, 1972 saw Philip and Diana joining the ranks of parents when Edith Elizabeth⁷ Patterson was born to them. Two years were to elapse before another grandchild arrived; and then there were two more that year: Jonathan Tad⁷ Patterson arrived on July 14, 1974 at the home of Fred and Connie, while on July 29, 1974 Philip and Diana brought Justin Metford⁷ Patterson into the world. Four years were to elapse before Lindsay Susan⁷ Patterson arrived on September 15, 1978 to be Fred and Connie's daughter. September 17, 1981 brought Alexander Frederic⁷ Patterson to be the youngest of Fred and Connie's family. William⁵ Patterson, Jr. was the grandfather of ten grandchildren, a fine family.

The days were running out for Grandmother, however. Her strength was failing. On November 9, 1979, after lingering for some time in the hospital, she slipped away.... quietly and peacefully, as she had lived.

 

In spite of the change in her family's world, Edith Patterson's beautiful spirit remained, drawing the family close in loving respect. The great oak extension table that had graced the homestead's kitchen had been given to Fred and Connie; and it was around this same table that Fred and Connie's hospitality shone as the Pattersons, the Newmans and the Hechts continued to celebrate together.

 

It was on November 3, 1982, that tragedy struck: Frederic Hall Patterson left this world....to join Grandmother, ....and his mother. A loving family came immediately from about the country to comfort the grieving Connie and her four children. But life had to go on. Connie continued her work as a teacher in the Southern Cayuga Central School, in addition to her responsibilities in connection with the farms and the natural gas company that Fred had developed. She assumed the responsibility of both parents.

 

It was in 1983 that Philip's health failed...when it was discovered that he was suffering from cancer of the bone. He underwent corrective surgery and endured the pain and trauma of post-operative treatment. His suffering ended at his home in Montezuma, NY on August 30, 1983; and again the family hastened to comfort the grieving Diana and her two children.

 

The Hecht children had lead busy lives, as well as their cousins, the Pattersons. Stefanie⁶ had studied at Cornell University and the University of Michigan as a doctoral candidate in the field of Political Science. During this time she married onJune 12, 1971 David Ross Cameron, a fellow doctoral student of Political Science at the University of Michigan; and upon his graduation, they moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where David became a professor of Political Science at Yale University; and Stefanie went into the employ of the State of Connecticut as Assistant Director of Financial Management in the Department of Income Maintenance. They lived in Meriden, Connecticut, until divorced in 1987­­ when Stefanie moved nearer to her work in Hartford. On October 19, 1990 she married Richard Hugh Foster, an attorney in Maryland. They moved to Essex, Connecticut where Rick is engaged in boat building, sales and assessing.. Stefanie commutes to Hartford for her work as Senior Budget Analyst with the State of Connecticut.

 

William Hecht⁶ studied at Beloit College and Pratt Institute until illness cut short his studies. During his recovery he worked for his cousin, Fred on the family farms; and when the company, W. W. Patterson, Inc., developed a natural gas organization, he enjoyed the work, calling upon the knowledge he had acquired in geology during his studies in college. He attended classes at Cornell University as time permitted and in 1982 received his degree from the State University of New York. On June 5, 1983 he married Eleanor Cresswell Robinson of Skaneateles, N. Y. and went to live in Skaneateles where Eleanor, an accomplished flautist, taught music Divorce also came to sadden William Hecht’s life. Bill is involved in Environmental Conservation Work after receiving a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Syracuse University. He is director of the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation in Cazenovia, NY. and works actively with the Finger Lakes Land Trust, based in Ithaca NY.

 

Edith studied at the New York State University of Oneonta and the Fashion Institute of New York City. With degrees in Child Development and Marketing, she was employed in 1978 by McCurdy's of Rochester, N. Y. where she became Director of Special Events. On May 25, 1980, she married Richard Carl Gibbs, of Union Springs where they had studied together. Rich was at that time a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Engineering. Upon his graduation in 1982, they moved to East Aurora, N. Y., where he had accepted a position as Engineer with Fisher-Price, Inc., later a division of Mattel, Inc. On January 25, 1983, ⁱBenjamin Richard Gibbs⁷ was born to them, the first Hecht grandchild, to the delight of everyone. ⁱⁱRobert Sandor Gibbs⁷ arrived on January 14, 1986 and was followed by ⁱⁱⁱWilliam Troy Gibbs⁷ on May 1, 1989. In 1997 Rich severed his association with Mattel, Inc. and they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he became associated with Royal Appliances, Inc. as their chief engineer. Edith has found part-time employment in a local bank while the children are in school.

 

Time has wrought many changes: Gone is the Aurelius Gas Company Time has seen the development by Connie Powers Patterson of a dairy program with a herd of hundreds of milch cows housed in extensive buildings erected south and west of the home farm at the corner of Webb and Town Line Roads. Round-the-clock operation is required with the milk production and preparation of grain feeds. The operation is monitored by computer maintained by Connie, even as she attends her daily classes where she teaches commercial subjects at the Southern Cayuga Central School.

 

On October 14, 1995 Johnathan⁷ Patterson, who had assumed management of the family farms, married Julie Ann Minturn and lives in the brick family homestead. Thus is created the fifth generation to carry on the management of Fairfields Farms.

 

In January of 1996, while living in Texas for the Winter, Elizabeth Lewis

Patterson died unexpectedly. Again the family rallied to support the grieving William Patterson, Jr. as he came to New York State for the burial ritual and later in Texas where she had developed such a pleasant relationship. William continues to spend his winters at his apartment in Harlingen, TX.

 

Diana Fleury Patterson, widowed in the loss of Philip, her husband, has married Paul Earnst, a school administrator. He has proven himself a most able helpmate and member of the family.

 

Engagements abounded in the Year 1996 and were celebrated at the home of Connie Patterson on Townline Road when she invited, as has been her annual event, all of the families of the three of William Patterson Junior’s grandchildren; namely, Edith Elizabeth Patterson, Jefferey Paul Newman, Jill Alma Patterson.

 

December 27, 1996, saw the marriage of Edith to Stephen Brown in Auburn NY, a doctoral student then working in Washington DC. At this writing, they are living in Aurora NY where Edith accepted the position of Assistant Dean while her husband, Steve, continued his doctoral studies at various medical institutions in the area. In 1998 he was assigned to further doctoral studies at Dartmouth College and Edith resigned her position at Wells College.

On May 17, 1997, Jill became the bride of Mark A. Leonardo and continues her statewide travels to coordinate the operations of a car rental agency while her husband attends his restaurant in Victor NY where they are living.

In Baltimore MD on May 24, 1997, Jeffery married Julie Ann Melvin. After completing his employment as engineer with Schlumberge in Texas and Louisiana and has returned to the Maryland area where Julie teaches English Literature at a private school in the area and Jeff joined the firm of ??????????????????.

Later William Wirt⁷ Patterson IV announced his engagement to Renee Suzanne Heiken of Metamora, Illinois, and on November 1, 1997 they were married in Peoria IL . Bill assists his father in the conduct of the family business in Fulton NY, Patterson Warehousing, Inc. He has distinguished himself in his devotion to his work and the advancement of the business that his father established. Sadly, Bill’s marriage was not successful. .

Christopher⁷ Patterson is in undergraduate study at Clarkson College in Pottsdam NY after service in the the Union States Army where he saw duty in the Desert Storm Campaign in Iran.

Lindsay⁷ Patterson is a student at Colgate University in New York State after having distinguished herself with highest scholastic class average in each of the four years of high school.

Alexander ⁷Patterson is giving pleasure to all whom he meets as he attends the Union Springs Central School, being honored in 1997 by election to the National Honor Society. .

Lisa Ann Newman⁷, after receiving her bachelor’ degree in education is employed in Virginia where she has been

Justin Patterson, after graduating from Paul Smith College in Environmental studies is employed in in Quality Control for a Skaneateles NY clay producing company. .

The family gatherings continue annually with the same bond of affection and caring. With the advent of Email, messages fly back and forth among the family members.

Fancy imagines Edith Hall Patterson's looking down from Heaven at her progeny. She smiles at their development. She is happy to see that her son enjoys his retirement from his business career, as his trucking firm has been sold and he has time to enjoy his home on Cayuga Lake and his winters in the warmer clime of Texas. He has also retired from the activities of Legislator of the area; but works actively in the administration of his W. W. Patterson, Inc. (which includes the family farms).

As for Marco and Lydia Hecht , Marco, too, is retired from business, having sold his business in 1962 to Gulf & Western Industries. He found the opportunity to return to his favorite sport, tennis. He had been a four-time National Champion, but the pressure of business had prevented his playing for many years. Summers are spent on Cayuga Lake and winters on Longboat Key, Florida. From these points he is able to carry on the business that he maintains and Lydia continues to keep the records of the organization.

Thus is written the story of the Patterson Family as it descended from Gallio². The spirit of integrity still shines. The love of family is firmly intact. All of the qualities that Gallio represented have been maintained; and it is hoped and prayed that this integrity may prevail in the generations to come and that Health and Happiness, Peace and Plenty may bless the lives of the Patterson Clan and its progeny.

 

 

A Flashback to June 24, 1984

 

AND I SAW A NEW HEAVEN......

 

What a glorious time in his life!! William Wirt Patterson IV is graduating from high school today. His father and mother, William III and Judy, invited all of his family, his friends and relatives to their beautiful home in Fulton, NY to celebrate the occasion of their son’s reaching this milestone in his life.

 

William Wirt Patterson IV is a fine young man.... intelligent, handsome, physically fit, filled with promise for the future!

 

It was a delightful party: the sun shone brightly on the sparkling home, the luxurious green lawn, the flower beds, the swimming pool and inviting tables and chairs, the wooded area with the greensward and net to urge the children to play.

 

The buffet tables offered the bounty of Judy’s ingeniously prepared fruits and vegetables, cheeses, salads, casseroles, etc., followed by the cutting of the lofty celebration cake, wishing well the graduate and recalling his successes on the football field.

 

AND A NEW EARTH....

 

It was a pleasure to watch the children... nearly as many as the adults. They played together, those cousins and friends, little realizing the importance of the day, unaware of the emotions that brought tears to the eyes of many.

 

For Will and Judy, it represented a new era in their lives... the departure of their first child from their closely-knit family and home. He will be attending the State University at Albany, NY, pursuing his interest in Computer Science. He will only come home to visit in the future.

 

For Philip Patterson it was a day to remember, for today he leaves to fly to Boston for his third operation to remove the malignant growths that reoccur in his lungs. This brief, shining hour will sustain him as he suffers through the pain and anguish that he must endure to prolong his life. He quipped and smiled to cover his dread of the experience; but occasionally a shadow crossed his countenance as the reality of his condition overpowered his resolve to forget.

 

AND THE FORMER THINGS WERE PASSED AWAY.

 

Tragedy has struck the family since the last family celebration in Fulton: no longer does Grandmother Edith Patterson smile her pleasure at the gathering of the clan. Memory recalls her on an earlier occasion when she sat to eat and enjoy the company of another now departed, Metford Tincknell (Uncle Jimmie). It was a difficult hour for Connie, for she was without her dear husband, Frederic Patterson. She bravely smiled and hugged her children, covering as best she could the mourning that she carries in her heart.