Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-18
PERSONAL

Mrs. Frank Thrall, regent OIL Tie =
A. r., Elizabeth Ross chapter, at the
last meeting e a paper omplleo py
her mother, Mrs. George Patterson,
| who resides near Mt. Sterling. To-Day
The Courier is publishing the article IN
full following a brief sketch OF the
writer's life. III h.
Mrs. George Patterson was the
daughter of John and Matilda Phllllps
and was born in Alexandria. ONO, May
10. 1885. In 1910 with her parents anu
| other members of her family she came
to the then territory OF W neai NJ.
lSterling, where Mr.. Phillips a u
| chased q farm. This trip from ONO was
made via canal boat, river boats, etc.
to Keokuk and then overland consum,
ing twenty-one days. Mr.. Phlllps nau
preceded his family to this farm n
erected a home for them. Mrs. Fatner,
son says her recollection OF early scnool
days in Iowa was attending scnool ~
an immense log school house near ner
home. The desks In this ouiiains VIZ
wide board shelves all around the walls,
supported by long pegs driven into the
wells and the seats were benches maoe
of hewn slabs. Later she was n OF
the pupils of Father Daniel Lane IN
Keosauuua. He was n OF the Famous
Iowa band of Congregational ministers
Iwho came into Iowa from the east 70
teach and preach. Mrs. Fa1herson was
a pioneer teacher for many years, IN
| the day when teachers boardeo apoul
| with their pulls. She later taugh sew.
! eral terms (before and during the civil
war; in northern Missouri and soutn,
ern Iowa. sympathy ran nigh n
som etimes it was a problem to preVent
war in the school room.
In 1867 she and George Fatherson
| were marred. Mr.. Patterson owned a
farm adjoining the Phillips farm. La.er
they bought this farm and one adJolh-
ing 1t which is now registered as Tue
Forest Grove farm in memory OF the
DAYS when h were all n big forest:
At this time some portions OF this ola
forest is kept in good condition, ana
here on this old home farm Mrs. fath-
erson has lived for seventy-hVe years.
Mrs. Fatherson's recollections follow:
When I was a child of four years we
came to Van Buren, county, in 1S4O. inc
county was primitive and the buildings
fences, roads, etc. very crude. Inc
homes mostly consisted OF one room.
or at most two room log caplns. Will
hand split boards for roofs. with heavy
poles laid on top to hold the roof IN
Mace split puncheon for floors, and
hannv was the family who could o
of one or two glass windows; instead
most people had oiled cloth or olled
paper for windows. The fences were
made of split rails, laid up in zig :
way called snake fence or rail- 1ence.
The roads were mere paths or tralls
leading from one point to another ny
the most direct lines, or over lalo
sistance in the way of hills, or streams
to cross-this must be done by fording
(driving through the Water) or by
crossing on a log with a rude hand rail-
along the side. If from any cause, as
very high water, these ways of cross
ing were not practical, the people nee
essarily stayed. each on his own sloe
of the stream, except In winter. When
an ice bridge was available; Most or
done at his time. Oxen were com-
monty used for heavy work.
At this time there were many Ind.
fans roaming over the broad prairies
and camping along the streams, n
their deep worn trails were much In
evidence. It was their habit to pass
from place to place in single file, no
matter whether there were few or
many of them. 1t is one of my most
vivid memories of my childhood, seeing
q colony of them moving owe a trail
that passed across my ldliieIs laiio.
Sometimes from so to 100 Of them, all
moving with a uniform silent, rather
stately movement that looked not Xix
so many individuals, but like one long
animated object. one living line. This
way of moving from place to place, for
ages perhaps. accounts for the deep
paths or trails that in early days
threaded the prairies Of this and other
counties. I remember n Of these trails
extending across part of Van Buren,
county, Iowa and Scotland county, Mis-
souri,. to my personal knowledge and
that of my fathers family. from near
Stockport, leading in a southwesterly
direction. crossing the Des Moinss at