My Genealogy Hound
Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York published by John M. Gresham & Co. in 1891. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
* * * *
GEORGE W. PATTERSON, one of the prominent and public-spirited citizens of Westfield, is a son of Hon. George W. and Hannah W. (Dickey) Patterson, and was born on his father’s farm in Livingston county, New York, February 25, 1826. His paternal and maternal ancestry is given in the sketch of his father which is published in this volume. At fourteen years of age, he came with his father to Westfield where he has remained principally ever since. He entered Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, from which he was graduated in 1848, afterwards read law for two years in Buffalo, but with no intention of practicing and only as an accomplishment. From 1850 to 1853, he was engaged in the manufacture of steel tools, and in 1854, in company with J. N. Hungerford, organized the Geo. Washington bank at Corning, which had a successful career until 1873, when it went down with hundreds of other banks in the great panic of that year. Since 1875 he has resided at Westfield, where he has a pleasant home and has given his timeto the management of his lands, fifteen hundred acres originally owned by the Holland Land Company in Chautauqua county. He is one of the board of water commissioners of Westfield, president of the board and the chief engineer of the waterworks. He served as president of the board of education.
On September 17, 1861, he united in marriage with Frances D. Todd, a native of Toddville, Otsego county, New York, which was founded by her grandfather, Lemuel Todd. Their union has been blessed with four children: Catherine, a graduate of Vassar college, the wife of Frank W. Crandall; George W., born February 1, 1864, who graduated at Yale college, and at the Institute of Technology, Boston, and since 1889 has been instructor of electrical engineering at the University of Michigan; Hannah W., a graduate of the art department of Vassar college; and Frances Todd, who was graduated from Vassar in the class of 1888.
Mr. Patterson has been for several years a vestryman of St. Peter’s Protestant Episcopal church at Westfield.
* * * *
This family biography is one of 658 biographies included in Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York published in 1891.
View additional Chautauqua County, New York family biographies here: Chautauqua County, New York Biographies
View a map of 1897 Chautauqua County, New York here: Chautauqua County, New York Map
Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.