The Daily Olympian, April 3, 1952 Railroad Man Writes of Early Day Family Patterson Misnamed? My name is Wayne Morrison, Mrs. Morrison and our daughter, Wanda Mae, and I live in a little cottage in the northern outskirts of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Our hobby is walking along the old Oregon Trail searching out wayside graves and story spot, and, if possible, to locate living descendants of the pioneers having to do with them that we might learn more of the story. We three work together, and entirely on our own, happy with a little gratitude sometimes shown here and there as our only reward not a dime of expenses is paid by the government, organizations, societies, taxpayers, nor anybody else. Our research is not confined to one particular state, nor are there any boundary lines, for they were few and far in covered wagon days. Therefore, we reserve the privilege to speak and to write true history of the pioneers whenever and wherever we can if it will help to enlighten, or to serve as a stepping-stone toward pre-preserving a story spot, or to restore some historic landmark. We believe in it believe we will always have America if we preserve our old America. There are many sites which need attention before their significance passed from memory of man, or records pertaining to them are lost forever. One of which I shall write about tonight is located in Thurston County not far from Olympia, one of the nicest and friendliest cities we have ever been in. People have been wonderful during our research in Washington state and particularly in Olympia and Thurston County. The kindness shown by friends, and even total strangers has been the one thing that has seen us through, and because of this, we have returned again and again. We d like to thank each one personally, but right now I must go on with my story. Some seven or eight miles southeast of Olympia there is a small body of water known as Patterson L Lake. Large signs leading to it as well as on its shores are marked Patterson Lake. Records, maps and
guides show it the same, and because of this people have come to know that body of water as Patterson Lake. For how long, and how it came to take that name hasn t been exactly clear to me. I am of the opinion that either the name was misspelled in early records, or errors have been made in copying from one record to another. But there is one thing that we feel certain of, and that is this: the correct name of this lake is Pattison Lake and it should be known as Pattison Lake. Who were the Pattison s and why are we so sincere in believing the lake was named for this pioneer family? It s a long story, and I were to let my typewriter ramble, writing the whole story it would fill a newspaper. But my space is limited and we can only touch the high spots, so come with me a little while we are going back a hundred years. One hundred years ago as I write this (March 1952) the Pattison family consisting of William and Mary Pattison and their six sons, James, Nathan, Robert, William Jr., Charles and John, and a daughter-in-law Jane (wife of James) were making their way to the Puget Sound country through two feet of snow from Newaukum Prairie to New Market (Tumwater) over a route that was nothing more than a trail. The year was 1852. When the family reached New Market, they had to swim their cattle across the DesChutes river and themselves across in canoes. From crossing on the DesChutes they cut a trail to reach Olympia, a town that had been platted, but had few inhabitants. Leaving Olympia, they pushed on to Chambers Prairie where William and Mary Pattison, and James and Jane Pattison took land claims side by side near a lake which subsequently was named Pattison Lake. They were obliged to live in a sheep shed until logs could be cut to build their cabins. The claim taken by William and Mary (Olympia donation certificate 681, later surveyed and designated as claim 41) contained 642.50 acres. The north half a part of which touched the southwest shore of the lake was assigned to Mary Munford Pattison. In his notification affidavit executed on Dec. 10 th 1953 (1853) William Pattison stated that he had resided upon and cultivated his claim continuously from April 20, 1852. The claim taken by James and Jane (Olympia donation certificate 62, late surveyed and designated as claim 39) contained 640.44 acres. Their claim lay to the west of William Pattison s claim. The north half was assigned to James Pattison and south half was assigned to his wife Jane Wiley Pattison. In his notification affidavit executed on October 20, 1853, James Pattison stated that he had resided upon and cultivated his claim continuously, from Sept. 1, 1853. William Pattison Jr. took a claim just east of the south half of his father s claim. His file identified as Olympia donation certificate 103, is for 320 acres, and he filed notice of his claim on December 10 th 1853 (1852). In his affidavit, he states that he was a resident on his claim since October 19 th 1853. Once located the first thing to do was plant their crops and build their cabins. In the meantime, living in a sheep shed for the second time during their pilgrimage north of the Columbia. Years later when life was easier for them when the world was coming their own way just a little more, Jane Pattison of our own Grant Talcott of Olympia, that time was so precious in those days they would spoon their food out on shakes and shingles they had made during the day. Using them for plates, and ate from them in order to save the time it would take to wash dishes.
Shakes and shingles were life-savers for the early pioneers, not only did they provide for a shelter over their heads, but they could also be taken into town and sold for a sum, or given in exchange for food and clothing. Such was the kind of life the pioneers lived while carving out a home in the wilderness for themselves and their children. They, and their kind added plenty of stars to our flag laid the very foundation of the great Northwest, going through hardships, sorrow and drudgery in developing a new land, and the American way of life which we inherited. Through and because of them Old Glory waives over the beautiful flowers in your Capitol grounds today. As I record this, I can call to mind one August day in 1950, when Grant Talcott, Mrs. Morrison, Wanda Mae and I were standing near a spot we believe to be the old home site of the William Pattison claim watching the train of tomorrow speed northward on its daily run between Portland and Seattle. Could the Pattison family have looked a hundred years into the future, they might have lifted their eyes westward and exclaimed, Look! What a strange thing we see gliding over the prairie. It came out of the forest and is traveling northeast across our land headed directly for the lake. It is like a huge yellow serpent racing on ribbons of steel, and is giving off a sound like the hoarse vibration of a steamboat whistle. It has the speed of an eagle, and its course is as straight as an arrow. See the many carriages with different names, Star Dust, Sky View, Dream Cloud, Moon Glow and others. They have windows above and below, and there are men, women and children inside. Without the benefit of horses or oxen they are making more hours in one hour than we had made in a whole week with our wagons. To those who would sell America short in gaining a few paltry dollars for themselves, with no consideration for anyone else not even their own children, nor their children s children, and who aren t worthy to live in this country, or to even waste a single line on, I have only this to say: there were no deep freezers, nor mink coats awaiting the pioneers at the end of their journey: they were strictly on their own not even hush money, nor exorbitant expense accounts. Instead they had to build forts to protect themselves and their homes from Indians. And protect they did, and they stayed on. To the school children and the grownups as well, did you ever stop to think was it the cost the pioneers to build the Empire of the No Thirty-four thousand graves by the wayside between independence, Missouri, and the Willamette Valley is a pretty good estimate seventeen graves to each 2,000 miles bear silent witness of the tears strewn along every foot of the way hundreds and hundreds of grave unmarked. The pioneers were not landgrabbers as some Communistic writers would have you believe, but rather they were home-makers and empire builders. They came to build and not to destroy, and they earned ever foot of land they ever got. Earned it the hard way too. Were they Communist parties in the Westward march? You guess, I don t have to, the going was by far too rough for that class of people. Their organization will only function after a country is made, using under-hand tactics. Get this for it is coming to you straight: The Communists are real land-grabbers, they are also freedom-grabbers and would be nation-grabbers. To confuse, undermine and destroy our true history is right down their alley. Don t let them do it. Remember what is said here, someday it may help you. They aren t going to like this maybe care to tangle with us on Western history. To unearth, restore and preserve our true history is right down our alley, so this give us an even start. I should, perhaps, go back to the beginning of the Pattison journey when they left their homes near Sparta, Illinois, in the spring of 1849.
There were thirteen in the party, and they outfitted in St. Louis. They had three wagons drawn by horses, mules and oxen, and left St. Louis on Tuesday, April 10, near St. Joseph lightning struck in the train killing five of their mules and one of their horses. May 18, they crossed the wide Missouri sn entered what was then Indian Territory (now Kansas). They reached Fort Kearney June 5 th, and Ash Hollow the afternoon of June 18. The next day one of their number, Rachel Pattison (wife of Nathan, and bride only two and one-half months) was stricken with cholera and died that night. They buried her in a lonely grave beside the Trail on the western slope of Ash Hollow, near its broad opening. They reached Fort Laramie June 29, and left the big turn on August 13. While crossing the Blue Mountains, just east of the present Pendleton, another member became ill, and after a few days died, and was buried in a lonely mountain pass. On November 3 rd 1849, almost seven months since leaving Illinois, the family arrived at The Dalles, Oregon. Because the Pattison family did not travel on Sunday, they had not made the time as others, arriving at The Dalles too late in the season to proceed down the mountain road. As most all others, the going indeed had been hard for them. A funeral near the south bank of the Platte and another in the Blue mountains, and the grass for their animals cropped ahead of them most all the way. That year the register at Fort Kearney listed five-thousand five hundred and sixteen wagons as passing there, and it was estimated that five thousand men, women and children died by the wayside. So, they were land-grabbers because the land was free and un-surveyed! Maybe you would like more of their easy going. At the Dalles they fashioned a raft for them to take them down the Columbia. In the meantime, some of the boys drove the stock (what was left) down the trail. All died except two mules. The rest of the family arrived at the Cascades of the Columbia in a rain storm that later turned to snow. It was too late in the evening to procure tent poles, so they put up a canvas nup in make-shift fashion, in which they lived for three weeks. During that time three feet of snow fell, and their food supply ran out, and they were obliged to trade their clothing and cooking utensils to the Indians for food food in such condition they waited until dark to eat so they could not see what they were eating. When the river thawed enough an Indian took them down river 25 miles to a Hudson Bay man and his family where they spent the night in an open shed. The next day the Indian took them down the river to Fort Vancouver. At Vancouver, the men hewed timber thus securing food for the remainder of the winter. In the Spring of 1850, the family proceeded to Oregon City where the men worked building a road around the falls. In the Fall, they obtained a boat from the Hudson s Bay Company, and went down the Columbia to The Cowlitz where they spent the Winter. In the Spring of 1851 the pushed on to Newaukum Prairie to the claim of Mr. Roberts, where they raised a crop of wheat. There was no house and they had to live in a sheep shed which they repaired with some boards they found. In the Fall of that year they moved into an old house owned by Marcel Brenier, where they remained until March 1852.At this place an only child of James and Jane died October 2, 1851. In March 1852, they made their pilgrimage North to the Puget Sound Country. Taking land claims near the lake. Rand McNally says the name Pattison Lake was used by the United States Army Engineers 1914 1921. Meany in his Origin of Washington Geographic names says the significance whatever. By that same token the name can lose its significance a hundred years hence, and another page of glorious history is in the making of the Northwest will have vanished forever. Please don t let it happen here. A movement toward research to determine a proper name would be a fine thing. If we can help in any way, it will be both an honor and a pleasure, and we will do it so willingly and gladly. There is no disgrace
in an honest error, but there is if we can rectify it and do nothing about it. And now in closing we are making a plea for someone interested in keeping America s history going volunteers who will take upon themselves to form some kind of committee to work in behalf of research in this, and get the project under way. I have earnestly endeavored to set a part of the story before you, making clear why I am convinced the name is Pattison Lake. How well I may have succeeded, or how miserably I have failed in convincing the good reader will depend only by way the people in Washington respond. Wa-ga-niskta, Sioux word for, I am going now. W.W. Morrison, Psgr. Agent Union Pacific Railroad Co. Cheyenne, Wyoming