The Patterson Family in Weld Co., Colorado
Information courtesy of Mary
Birecki
From "True History of Some of the Pioneers of
Colorado" edited by Miss Luella Shaw 1909, and published by W. S.. Coburn,
John Patterson, and AK. Shaw.. It is since out of print.
Chapter IX
John Patterson was born April 1st, 1841, in the northern part of Ireland. At the
age of six years he came to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, with his parents. They
remained in Pennsylvania two years, then moved to Iowa. After a short stay here,
they crossed the plains and settled at Plattsmouth, Nebraska. John Patterson by
this time had grown into young manhood and decided to follow the continental
move westward. In the spring of 1860 he landed in Denver, which at the time was
the frontier country. He immediately engaged in the freighting business and made
twenty round trips across the plains from the Missouri river to Denver. In 1864
he was interested in the first bakery in Denver, and during the same years he
was among those who left their personal business and answered the call to fight
for the welfare of all the people in general. In the fall of 1865 he went down
the Platt river and bought a hay ranch about three miles below there Greeley was
located in 1870.
On the sixth of December in 1866, John Patterson was married and seven children
were born to them, six girls and one boy. All are married except one.
In 1899 he moved to Hotchkiss, Colorado where he has since resided. He ran a
livery stable for two years, then he entered the mercantile business which he
has been engaged in for the past three years." pp 66-68."
Chapter XXVI
My First Introduction to Colorado
"As Told by Mrs. John Patterson.
In 1866, Colorado was rather a dreary looking place, especially in Weld county,
near where the town of Greeley is now located.
Leaving Coultersville, Illinois, the last day of April, in company with Mr.
Isaiah Lemon and family, consisting of his two sons and two daughters, we
arrived at the mouth of the Poudre on the fifteenth day of July, being eleven
weeks on the road. We could hear of Indians before us and back of us; we passed
places where there had been ranches burned just a short time before us. I think
we saw only two Indians, and they looked as though they had been on a hunt. We
also saw a company of Pawnee soldiers. But we know that it was our Heavenly
Father that guided us and kept us from harm.
"Uncle Carrol Moore and Aunt Eliza had lived on the banks of the Poudre for
several years. They were aunt and uncle to all the people around. The ranchmen
just milked the cows and cut the native hay for a living. Inside of four years
we only heard two sermons, but we started a Sabbath school and did the best we
could. One woman remarked that she did not know that any religion had ever
crossed the Missouri river; but she found out different.
"Uncle Carrol and Aunt Eliza always got along real well with the Indians,
who often came down the creek for the squaws to gather prickly pears. They would
use wooden tongs to pick the pears to prevent pricking their hands on the
thorns. It is said that at one time, in 1864, Freemont saved the lives of his
men by this same prickly fruit.
Uncle Carrol said that many times he had seen some of the Indians watching him.
He knew they were calculating how would be the best way to kill him.
Uncle said: 'I always had my old Spencer ready and they knew what I could do,
and that I would shoot if necessary.' The Indians never got him. He died some
years later in Greeley.
We did have several Indian scares the next year. I would be so frightened that I
would not allow any one to talk of Indians, especially after dark. The alarm
would come sometimes when we were preparing to go to bed. The words would be,
'All to one house.' Then we would hustle out and go. We always went to Mrs.
Wylie's sod house. We were few in number, but always made the best of it.
Mrs. Wylie's youngest son and daughter, Sam and Dellia, are still living on the
old place. The old sod house was torn down a number of years ago but the old
site is marked by the ox yoke and log chain that Sam Wylie's folks used in
crossing the plains from Illinois if 1864.
I think the last big Indian scare was in 1878, in the what was then Weld county.
The old Weld county is not near so large now, several counties having been taken
off. Quite a number of people had to gather a few goods, get their families in
wagons and take them to places of safety.
I understood that Mrs. B. D. Harper was the only woman that remained on a ranch.
Three hired men were murdered on the Tracy ranch and the other ranchmen were
fired upon. The three murdered men were buried at what is now Sterling. It is
stated that the cemetery at Sterling was started at that time. People used to
say in the early days that out west they had to kill a man to start a cemetery.
There is a great change in our fair state since those Indian excitements."
pp. 237-240
John and Susanna Moore Patterson, m. 6 Dec 1866. Their children:
1. Mary Jane "Jennie" m. W. D. Lorimer
2. Sarah Ellen "Ella" m. Lars Sourgaard Larson
3. *Anna Margaret m. Lawrence Albert White
4. Laura S. m. Mr. Cook
5. John Herbert never married
6. Flora Mae "Mae" married Albert E. Borschell
7. Lillian married Ralph Giffee
