James E. Patten Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 909-910

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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JAMES E. PATTEN is the able editor of the "Salem Special." This sheet 
is the Republican organ of McCook county. The office is well fitted for 
all kinds of job and press work, being furnished with a full line of 
machinery, including a gasoline engine, book binder, etc. It is also 
furnished with a fine reference library. 

This sheet was originally the Democratic organ of McCook county, known 
as the "McCook County News." At the time our subject purchased the 
business in 1887 the press was a very old fashioned hand press, and the 
other fixtures were very scanty, ill assorted and matched the press 
perfectly. The paper is now in its twenty-fifth volume and has been 
issued under its present name ever since it has been operated under its 
present management. 

Our subject was born in Cherry Valley, Illinois, September 2, 1865, a 
son of James and Jane (Coyer) Patten. The former was of Scotch descent 
and the latter of French descent, the father being born in the old 
country. He was a medical student and a pioneer doctor of Prairie du 
Chien, Wisconsin, his work being mostly among the Indians. Our subject 
was but an infant when his parents moved from the place of his birth to 
Crawford county, Wisconsin, where the father cleared the hardwood 
timber from quite a large tract of land and developed a farm. At the 
age of fifteen years he began work as a raftsman on the Mississippi, 
and subsequently entered the office of the "Crawford County Journal," 
and at the age of seventeen years was given full charge of the office. 
Although deprived of the privilege of attending the public schools 
after the age of thirteen years, Mr. Patten pursued evening studies and 
this, together with his office experience, the best of all schools, 
gave him a practical business education. 

In 1883, Mr. Patten came to Dakota, and during the following two years 
he started the "Canova Courier," of Minor county, and later the 
"Winfred Ledger." In 1885, he entered the Madison State Normal, and in 
connection with the pursuit of his studies he did considerable work for 
the "Madison Sentinel," and later he again secured work with the 
"Winfred Ledger." The times were very hard at this time, and we next 
find our subject at Salem, in 1887, with his bicycle and ten dollars. 
He contracted for the "McCook County News," as has been stated, paid 
his ten dollars for room rent and began business. In 1890, he made his 
first payment and also bought the lot and building he now owns. May 9, 
1898, he entered Troop B, Rough Riders, as a sergeant, and for a time 
experienced camp life in Chickamauga. Politically, our subject is a 
Republican, as voiced in the columns of his paper. Socially, he 
affiliates with the Masonic fraternity, having completed the degrees to 
the Mystic Shrine; has been a member of the Grand Lodge, Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, for six years; also a member of the Knights of 
Pythias, of which he is chancellor commander; and the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen, which he was instrumental in organizing in this county. 

Mrs. Patten, who bore the maiden name of Miss Katie B. Mosier, came to 
Dakota in the year 1878, and completed her education in the Madison 
State Normal. She was united in matrimony to the subject of our sketch 
in 1891, and their wedded life has been blessed by the advent of a 
little daughter, Bew, who is now eighteen months of age.