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Subject: [IOWA] 1903 Bio of William Patterson
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2003 09:58:17 EDT
William Patterson was born in Wythe County, Virginia, March 9, 1802, and when
four years of age his father removed into the forest of Adair County,
Kentucky. With no schools in the vicinity the son had little chance to acquire an
education. In 1836 he took up his residence at West Point in Lee County, two
years before the organization of Iowa Territory. In 1838 he was elected a
member of the First Legislative Assembly and reelected repeatedly, serving in the
Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Territorial Legislatures; four terms
in the House and two in the Council. He was appointed by Governor Lucas
colonel of a regiment raised to defend the territory in the Missouri boundary war
and was one of the commissioners chosen by the Legislature to secure a
peaceable settlement of that controversy. He removed to Keokuk in an early day where
he served as postmaster and mayor of the city. In 1857 he was a member of the
convention which framed the present Constitution of the State. In 1864 he
was one of the Vice-Presidents of the National Democratic Convention which
nominated General McClellan for President. Colonel Patteerson was for more than
fifty years a citizen of Lee County. As a pioneer lawmaker he served in six
legislatures and one Constitutional Convention. He was a Democrat and although
not a public speaker, had great influence in the councils of his party, as he
also had as a legislator. He died on the 23d of October, 1889.
Debbie Clough Gerischer
Iowa Gen Web, Assistant CC, Scott County
http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/
IAGENWEB: Special History Project:
http://iagenweb.org/history/index.htm
Gerischer Family Web Site:
http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/
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