PATTERSON, S. C., b. 1854: 1905 Bio, Rio Blanco County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/rioblanco/bios/pattersonsc.txt --------------------------------------- Donated August 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- S.C. Patterson Having acquired a goodly store of worldly wisdom in the thorough school of experience, which has quickened his natural abilities and given knowledge of himself and of others, S.C. Patterson is well equipped for the pursuits in which he is engaged and might without disadvantage turn his hand to many others. He is a native of Vermont, born on December 5, 1854, and in his native state he secured a slender education at a preparatory school which he attended a few terms. At the age of eleven he was called into the great field of human action to earn his own living, and since then he has been one of the producing toilers, farming and working at the trade of carpenter in Vermont, and migrating to this state while young. He located at Greeley and secured employment in ranch work, which he continued four months, then turned his attention to range riding in the service of Quillett & Lusk for a drive to Running Water, Wyoming. The rage of the elements often oppressed him, snow storms and blizzards endangered his life and his herds, savage hostility threatened him with peril, and many other forms of hardship made his task difficult to perform at times and his lot hard to endure. But he did his duty faithfully and won thereby the commendation of his employers. He also held cattle on the Cache La Poudre for old Mr. McClellan one year, and from that time for three years he was in the employ of the Union Pacific Railroad as head axman and level runner. Where Rustic now stands on Cache La Poudre he traded for a ranch, which he sold a year later, then moved to his present location in the White river country in 1885. Here he took a squatter's claim, which he sold in 1887, and next he engaged as a ranch hand in the employ of T.B. Ryan & Company. After leaving their employment he became a trapper and hunter for big game and also served as a guide for tourists and hunting parties, continuing these occupations until 1890. In this time he killed about ninety bears and two hundred and fifty mountain lions. From 1893 to 1898 he conducted the Marvine Lodge, in partnership with William Wells, and during the time served as forest ranger. In the year last named, in partnership with W.L. Parrott, he purchased a portion of his present ranch, a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which they have since increased to seven hundred and twenty. Of this body five hundred acres can be cultivated and much is under vigorous tillage. The ranch is thirty miles east of Meeker and in the midst of a region well supplied with wild game. Cattle is the principal resource of the industry, but general farm products are also extensively raised. The place is improved with a fine lodge and other necessary buildings and all its operations are conducted on an elevated scale of magnitude and skill. Mr. Patterson is a son of Phineas and Maria Patterson, natives of Vermont, where the father was a well-to-do carpenter. He died in September, 1899, and the mother in July, 1897. They had four children, two of whom are living, S.C. and Ai. Two other sons, Philo and Hosea, died some years ago. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.