John Patterson (abt. 1830 - 1883)

Born about 1830 in North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Son of Hugh Patterson and Gilla (Moss) Patterson

Husband of Caroline (Cox) Patterson — married about 1863 (to about Jul 1869) in Georgia, USA [uncertain]

Husband of Martha (Hollingshead) Patterson — married 11 Dec 1872 (to 1883) in Benton County, Arkansas, USA

Descendants

Died 1883 at about age 53 in Winslow Tunnel, Arkansas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Philip Smith [send private message]

Biography

John Patterson, son of Hugh Patterson and Gilla Moss, was born about 1830 in North Carolina. John is in the 1850 census twice. He appeared on the census of 14 Sep. 1850 in the home of his brother James at Cass County, Georgia.^[1] He appeared on the census of 12 Nov. 1850 in the home of his parents in Cherokee County, Georgia.^[2]

He married Caroline Cox probably about 1863 in Georgia. Caroline probably died in July 1869 when their son John was born or shortly after.

He appeared on the census of 21 Aug. 1870 at Round Prairie Township, Benton County, Arkansas. ^[3]

In the 1870 census, John's four children are living with him, in addition there is a woman named Jane and two more children, Christie and John. The identity of these individuals is unknown.

He married Martha Hollingshead, widow of Silas Edwards, and daughter of Jesse Hollingshead and Julia Holcomb, on 11 Dec. 1872 in Benton County, Arkansas.^[4][5]

On 20 Aug. 1917 Martha filed for a Widow's Pension based on Silas's service in the US Civil War. She stated that she married Silas and "my husband was murdered Oct. 1869 - leaving me with 2 children. I afterwards married John Patterson who died in fall of 1883 - working in Tunnel of Frisco near Fayetteville. I had then 10 children including Patterson's and my own."^[6]

The "Tunnel of Frisco near Fayetteville" is almost certainly the Winslow Tunnel. There is a long article in the June 2005 Newsletter of the Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society about the Winslow Tunnel. These are a few highlights.

The Missouri, Arkansas & Southern Railway of Arkansas drew up detailed plans for the "Boston Mountain Tunnel" and let a contract for the tunnel project. Tunnel work commenced on September 26, 1881, the same month the Missouri, Arkansas & Southern of Arkansas was merged into the Frisco controlled St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railway Company. The first task was to remove overburden on the tunnel faces from both ends to minimize the actual amount of tunnel work. The tunnel was located 190 feet below the ridge so the amount of overburden removal must have been large. One early discovery proved interesting. Workers ran into black rock that some thought indicated the presence of coal. However, the coal-like rock turned out to be an unstable rock shale prone to collapse. This may have been a reason the first contractor failed to complete the tunnel.

The tunnel contract was re let in March 1882. The new contractor, a firm by the name of Cameron and Halby, completed the cuttings for the tunnel faces in June 1882. They built a 30-foot brick arch and portal at each end of the tunnel. Tunneling from both ends progressed at a combined rate of 75-feet per week in good conditions. Work in the tunnel may have been dangerous because of the use of dynamite in the unstable shale environment. By the last day of May 1882, the two faces were 428-feet apart. The tunnel was lined with thick oak support beams. The tunnel opened for rail traffic on August 30, 1882.

The Winslow Tunnel, the longest of the three on the Frisco system, cost about $200,000 to construct, a large sum in 1882. The 1882 Frisco Annual Report stated the "Winslow tunnel was the most expensive and difficult part of the work" in building the Arkansas Division to Van Buren.^[7]

A second article highlights the medical issues in the tunnel work.

A major problem was the lack of medical services in this remote area. Tunnel workers, who used pneumatic tools, suffered from a lack of fresh air, leaving their complexions sallow. In early 1882, an outbreak of smallpox swept through the tunnel workforce of 300 men and caused dozens of deaths. Untreated smallpox has a mortality rate of up to thirty percent. With the return of warm weather, malaria became common. Each death was marked by the sounding of a train whistle, according to an eyewitness. Black laborers were buried in four area graveyards, one called the “African Center,” while the whites were laid to rest in a whites-only graveyard. The workers also dealt with racial tension. The north end of the tunnel was built by whites; the south end was the province of black workers. Fights between the two groups caused several fatalities, according to an eyewitness observer.^[8]

On 22 March 1902, in McLennan County, Texas, Josiah M. Patterson completed an affidavit stating that James and John were his brothers and that he had not heard of them for over 30 years and believed them to be "long since dead".^[9]

Children of John and Caroline

1. Sarah Patterson b. 1865. GA.
2. Liana Eveline Patterson b. 1864 GA.
3. Mary "Mariah J." Patterson b. 1867 TN.
4. John F Patterson b. July 1869 KS.

Children of John and Martha

1. Magdalene "Maggie D." Patterson b. Sep. 1874 AR.
2. Rector Patterson b. 29 Feb. 1876 AR.
3. Tude Bluford Patterson b. 8 Sep. 1878 AR.
4. Rozzetta Rosa Patterson b. 28 Sep. 1882 AR.

Census

14 Sep. 1850

Cass County, Georgia.

• James Patterson 22 b. NC laborer.
• Elizabeth Patterson 19 b. GA.
• William Patterson 2 b. GA.
• John Patterson 20 b. NC.^[1]

12 Nov. 1850

Cherokee County, Georgia

• Hugh Patterson 47 b. NC. farmer.
• Gillia Patterson 40 b. SC.
• Josiah Patterson 18 b. NC. farmer
• John Patterson 20 b. NC. farmer.
• Roxanah Patterson 16 b. NC.
• Ellison Patterson 13 b. NC.
• Robinson Patterson 11 b. NC.
• Lavameas H Patterson 8 b. NC.^[2]

21 Aug. 1870

Round Prairie Township, Benton County, Arkansas

• Patterson, John age 24 b. NC Day Laborer.
• Jane age 33 b. SC.
• Sarah age 8 b. GA.
• Christie age 10 female b. GA.
• John age 2 b. AR.
• Eveline age 6 b. GA.
• Mary age 3 b. TN.
• John age 1 b. KS.^[3]

DNA Confirmations

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group consisting of 5th cousins once removed: Philip Smith - GEDMatch ID:T618013, and Vera (Collum) Hammer - Gedmatch ID:A942861; second cousins once removed Philip and Patsy (Driver) Gray - Gedmatch ID:A800708. Vera and Patsy are fifth cousins. The three shared an approximate 10 cM segment on chromosome 5 from 10,295,162 to 16,887,274. Smith Collum Gray 3 Way DNA Confirmation shows documentation. The common ancestral pair is Arthur Patterson (1737 - 1803) and his wife Elizabeth.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group consisting of Douglas Eugene Smith - GEDMatch ID: A159435, Wyley Norman Patterson - GEDMatch ID: A658886 and Kim (Webb) Bland - FTDNA sharing a common 11.7 cM segment on chromosome 6 from 35,186,693 to 42,360,363. The common ancestor pair is Gilbert Moss Sr. and Martha Ann (Jordan) Moss. Documentation at Smith_Patterson_Webb_3_Way_DNA_Confirmation

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Year: 1850; Census Place: Division 12, Cass, Georgia; Roll: M432_63; Page: 146A; Image: 297 1850 US Census James Patterson
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Year: 1850; Census Place: Division 15, Cherokee, Georgia; Roll: M432_65; Page: 522A; Image: 246. 1850 US Census. Hugh Patterson.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Year: 1870; Census Place: Round Prairie, Benton, Arkansas; Roll: M593_47; Page: 331A; Image: 658; Family History Library Film: 545546 1870 US Census. John Patterson.
4. ↑ John P Patterson and Martha Edwards Ancestry.com. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
5. ↑ Martha Patterson. Widow's Application for Pension. Copy in images for Martha (Hollingshead) Patterson
6. ↑ Martha Patterson. Widow's Application for Pension. 20 Aug. 1917. Copy in Martha Patterson images. Copies of service documents for Silas Edwards are in images for Silas.
7. ↑ Winslow Tunnel
8. ↑ Winslow Tunnel in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. The article is by Tom Duggan.
9. ↑ "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V121-ZN1 : 20 November 2015), Arthur Patterson, 1873; citing Cleveland, North Carolina, United States, State Archives, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,769,095. See: Arthur Patterson.

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Phil Smith for creating WikiTree profile Patterson-3200.