Jake Patton Memoirs - JP28 - Jake Recalled the Significant Events of 1848

One of my happiest and most satisfying days was June 6, 1848. It was on that date that the Plat for the town of Oak Springs was formally approved. This was the culmination of a dream of mine, probably from before we actually moved into this valley over 15 years prior to this date. I had chosen the site in the middle of the valley in hopes that a town would be formed there when the population was great enough to justify it. This was accomplished. With the approval of the Plat, we immediately set about organizing the town and moving forward.

The original plat was for four blocks wide, east and west, and six blocks long, north and south. Central Avenue ran north and south as the ‘central street’ as I had envisioned from the time I purchased that land. Kate and I donated the land to the town, reserving to our own ownership the land on which sat the Blacksmith Shop, our house, the General Store, the Tavern land, Patton Hotel and the Livery Stable. In addition, the two blocks to the east that included the Olson home were included in the original plat, donated by Owen Olson, but reserving the lot of his house to his own ownership. This made the town plat consist of 26 blocks each 2 1/2 acres each. Each lot, designated by a letter, consisted of 4 numbered lots, 1 through 4. Sale of the rest of the lots would provide a capital and working fund for the town.

The initial five Town Council members each subscribed to buy two of the town lots immediately. These were Jake Patton, Owen Olson, Victor Campbell, Hugh Truesdale and Robert Baldridge. Owen and I already lived in the town limits, of course. Victor Campbell pledged to build a new town residence on one of his lots before the winter set in. Robert Baldridge pledged the same. Hugh Truesdale indicated that he and Victoria would be doing the same the following summer.

I always paid close attention to the land purchases across the valley, of course. This kept me in touch with how well folks were doing and how that contributed to the general growth and well-being of the valley population. It was in 1848 that Hugh and Victoria, for example, were able to purchase the 160 acres directly west of them, as had been planned from the beginning. That completed that full section being in our family. Hugh continued to demonstrate the effective use of mules on his farm land as well as being involved in the mule breeding business. He was always anxious to work with new residents, new farmers, to help them see if mules would be beneficial to their activities. He promoted the best use of the land, however that might be accomplished.

The McDonald family expanded their holdings to the north. Henry purchased the 320 acres directly north of his home section. Then, Harry and Sarah purchased the 320 acres directly north of that. This land was mostly pasture land - an extension of the Baldridge land to the west - which demonstrated Sarah’s continued interest in her family’s cattle business. These purchases also included for the McDonalds the timber and cave resources for the mile east of Oak Creek. We had explored some of the caves under the ridge, but not all of them. This was something the McDonalds wanted to do as they moved forward with their land. With the mill now in full operation, the timber was always an available source of income, as well.

To the north of the Ralph and Sally Campbell land that they share-cropped with me, I also did the same with Reuben Ramsey and his wife, Becky. They also worked for me in the Livery Stable and the Patton Hotel. They were an ambitious young couple from the Houston area that were very helpful to me for a number of years. I enjoyed helping young folks willing to work hard to better themselves. Share-cropping was one way to make that happen. They had to work hard and long, make some sacrifices, and save. But, it was possible to do that if they had the discipline. I had seen Ralph and Sally be successful. I hoped Rueben and Becky would be as well.

Laura McDonald died at the too young age of 47. She simply did not wake up one morning, it appeared. She had been in poor health, but no one expected her to die. She left a 10-year-old son, Daniel, and her husband, Henry, along with the rest of the McDonald household, son Harry and his wife, Sarah, and their three children, Caroline, Thomas and Patrick. The entire valley mourned. Laura was buried on a knoll just south of the Cardinal Corner on McDonald land. Subsequently, an acre including the gravesite, along the east property line, was surveyed and conveyed to Oak Creek Township for an official cemetery.

Four children were born across the valley in 1848. In the east valley, Oliver and Deborah Dodson had a girl, they named her Charity, to join brother, Charlie. In the west valley, Lawrence and Lucinda Johnson had their first child, a daughter, whom they named Lilly. Jacob and Patsy Pryor had a son, to join their daughter, Priscilla. They named him Paul. Also out west, Joshua and Tetisha Cox had a daughter, Lillian, who joined brother, Bernie. Each year going forward, we could look to the addition of more children with the growing number of young families in the valley.

[See JP29, to follow]

This series of stories, JPx, is part of a first draft of what I hope and assume becomes a published novel in support of “The Homeplace Saga” series of family saga, historical fiction stories. It features the self-told story of one of the original settlers of the Oak Creek Valley, Colonel Jake Patton. Some, including him, would say he was the leader of the group. He had a very big ego, that is for sure, but he always tried to make it look like what he was doing was for the benefit of the community. And, of course, it was. But, there was always something in it for him, as well. He managed to grow the inheritance he was fortunate to receive from his father into something that left a nice trust fund for his descendants. We’ve already seen some of these stories, earlier, in the Saga tales. Come along, and let’s see how Colonel Patton tells his own story.

Note: I will publish JPx hubs, from time to time. I will write occasional notes at Patreon about Jake Patton. I may write other things elsewhere. These are each a part of the creative process to create the true first draft of a novel. You, my readers, can take part in this effort at www dot patreon dot com slash HomeplaceSagas. Join us there Today.