The Patterson Clan - By Mrs. A. Busch (Belle Patterson) - 1967

From the Russell Banner, Feb 4, 1915.  At the Patterson old log house in the Valley
L.To R.:  Bill Barry, holding Walter, son of Will Patterson, Slim Webb, Alex McFayden,
Will Patterson and Bobby Patterson.

The earliest records available show that Alexander McTavish married Janet Stewart in Glenquaich Perthshire, Scotland and left for Canada in 1832.  Mr. McTavish died of cholera on the way across and Mrs. McTavish and her family of five arrived in Canada in June, 1832 after a voyage of eleven weeks and three days.

The McTavish's settled in South Easthope but a year later moved to Lot 23,Concession 2, North Easthope.  Mrs. McTavish died August 1, 1851.

One of the McTavish daughters, Margaret, married Walter Patterson and raised a family of six, one of whom was Robert Walter who married Elizabeth Laing about 1870.  While in North Easthope four of their children were born to this couple - Walter, Nellie, William and Peter.   The family came west to Brandon via C.P.R. in March, 1882, and thence by ox cart to Birtle for about nine years when they came to the Shellmouth District and leased a sheep ranch from a Mr. Devlin who lived in Ottawa.  The ranch maintained some fifteen hundred sheep, forty horses, and about fifty head of cattle.

The Patersons lived on this ranch five miles east of the village of Shellmouth until 1896.  Peter, Margaret and Elizabeth attended school in Shellmouth.  The old school later became the Community Hall.  Peter remembers having to do fifteen minutes writing in his copy book each day - which probably accounts for his beautiful legible penmanship.

Church was not neglected even in those early days and Granny Patterson's Ladies Aid Meetings were enjoyed by many. An old photograph shows the personnel of one of these meetings when the group gathered on the rocks of Thunder Creek, which flowed through the ranch, to have a picture taken. In the group are the following: Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Patterson, Mr. and Mrs. Carr, Mrs. A. Roberts, Liz and Maud, Mrs. J. Langford and Effie, Mrs Teulon and Minnie, Mr. J. Stobbs, Florie, Bertha and John, Lizzie Patterson, Blake and Hugh Patterson, Mrs. W. Patterson, Walter and Willie, Mrs. W. Barry, Mrs. Pettit, Mrs. Wright and Veda, Mrs. . Jones and Sally, Miss Landon, Mrs. J. Burroughes, Mrs. Smellie, Mrs. P. Patterson, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Bond, Mrs. G. Wise, Mary Anne Albright.

In 1896 Pattersons then decided to take a homestead in the valley, and while their log house was being built, they lived in the village in a rented house of Jack Langford's. From this home Nellie was married to Hector McFadyen. The log house was built by the combined efforts of the family with the help of Rory and Neil McFadyen, J. Atchison, Angus and Jim McFadyen.

The Pattersons occupied this home for a period of fifty-one years. While there, the eldest son William married May Wise and took over the farm, and Peter married Mary McFadyen.

The elder Pattersons bought the sheep ranch and again went there to live for three or four years and finally sold it, and moved to the village. Their youngest son Bob married Catherine McFadyen and the old couple lived in this home until their deaths - Mrs. Patterson in 1922 and Mr. Patterson in 1929.

Bob and his family lived in the valley close to the old home, and finally moved to the village and later to Abbotsford, B.C.

William and family lived in the old log home until retirement in the village of Inglis.

Peter Patterson

    Peter's first homestead was near Dropmore. He had one quarter section and O. W. Goodbun the other three quarters. Peter never lived on this farm. His first home after marriage was the Smith quarter where Jack Bryer now lives. After spending three years on this farm, the Petes moved to the village where he bought lots and built their present home in 1910.

    It was at this time, before the railway was built that Pete did a trucking business (horses, of course) to send from Russell. Produce from the local stores butter, eggs etc. - was taken to Russell and freight brought to Russell by rail made up the return load. When the railway was completed in 1910, this service was no longer necessary and was discontinued. Peter then built a warehouse (where the Ridgways lived) and began a Massey Harris business for about four years. The Massey Harris Co., then engaged him as a sales repair man and he travelled the country between    Shellmouth and Canora.

In 1914 he rented this shop to Chris Polson and bought grain for the British America Co. in Endcliffe motoring to and from work.  After 1916 he did carpenter work in the village and surrounding farms. 

The older Pattersons, Betsy and Bob. loved company, especially young people and their home on the ranch was a stopping place for travellers enroute to and from Russell.   Here tired horses were fed and folks given food and a bed.  Music played an important part in their lives.   Wil played a violin, Maggie the organ and Peter a mouth organ. Bob, the youngest, played as part of an orchestra for years, acquiring a style of chording all his own.

Many are the stories told of parties in the old log home in the valley. A special event of every autumn was the Thresher's Ball.

Peter tells of riding to all the neighbors to invite them to the party and by the time he returned the first guests would be arriving.  Dances began as soon after supper as possible and ended at  daybreak. Music was supplied by the family, Mack and Angus McFadyen and anyone who happened to play a violin.    If you played such an instrument it was considered protocol to carry it along wherever one went - just in case. The dance program would consist of waltzes, schottisches two- steps, seven- steps, jerseys, polkas and square dances.  There was always a break at lunch time for special performances.  Mack would do the intricate steps of the sword dance or someone would favour with some sea shanties .

Mrs. Patterson and girls, Nellie, Maggie and Lizzie would serve lunch in the kitchen a great long table would be spread with goodies - no cup and a cookie at Granny Pattersons! Benches on either side of the table provided seats and coal oil lamps the light.   Hand crocheted doilies covered the cake plates. Homecured ham, citron preserves, home-made buns and bread and large sugar cookies enticed the hungry travellers.

So the rafters rang to the strains of "Over the Waves," "Comin' Through the Rye" and "The Wind that Shook the Barley".  As dawn broke, teams were hitched, robes tucked around tired feet and the sound of sleigh bells filled the air. The Threshers' Ball was over 'till next year.

Perhaps the most colorful member of the family was Peter.  Hunter, trapper, naturalist, who had a great capacity for living.  Above all, he was a "teller of tales".  Wherever Pete was - stories were told.  They might be authentic experiences or merely tall tales but always interesting and told with the charm of a true story teller.

He loved the great outdoors and was past master of an almost forgotten mode of travel-walking.  In winter he walked a trap line of over ten miles daily till well past the three score and ten.

Pete was a deadly shot - as records at the Rifle Range would confirm.  Friends who accompanied him on deer or duck hunting expeditions aptly named him Hawk-eyed Pete!   Pete, with his knowledge of hill and dale was one of the best hunters of his day. He and his 303 provided the subject matter for many a yarn.  All listened with interest - all that is, except his daughter's suitors who perhaps listened from a sense of duty and the knowledge that the "blue barrel" hung in the stairway!

    Anyway, Pete tells a humorous story of hunting on Mt. Ararat - that flat topped hill known to all Shellmouthites.

    One day Pete and Charlie Miller went hunting jumpers. They were driving Charlie's car and were able to drive part way up the hill where the car was abandoned and they proceeded on foot. To make a long story short they were rewarded with a pair of fine bucks. Problem - how to get their spoil to the car. Charlie, the younger, by a number of years, decided to plow down through the snow and try to get the car closer to the top of the hill.  So he started down carrying the rifles. Peter, the ingenious, found some strong string in his hunting bag and with it tied the buck's legs together and around his own body as he planted himself firmly on the body.  Then hanging onto the horns and using the animal's back as a sled, with a great shove from his long legs he got in motion, gathering momentum as he descended. With a whoop and a yell Pete went flying by Charlie, spraying snow in all directions and grinning like a school boy, still clutching his pipe between his two remaining teeth (Thank God they hit!).

Charlie collapsed on the nearest boulder, his hearty laugh echoing through the hills.

"Too bad you couldn't have hitched mine and managed the team, Pete," he chuckled.  Many people have heard of the old bridge at Shellmouth. It was built in 1885 entirely of wood with the central pier used as a pivot upon which the bridge swung to allow a boat to pass. The Denmarks hauled the timbers for the bridge from the mountains and stones from the hillsides went into the piers. Some remains of these piers may still be seen.

The Company of Bucknell and Mitchell brought logs down the Shell River from the Duck and Riding Mts. enroute to the mill at Millwood.  Millions of feet of spruce floated down the Assiniboine from Kamsack. The last drive took three weeks to pass the village.

A wanigan, which was a raft made of logs laced together, held the cooking and sleeping tents. Some of the local men joined the drive as it passed the village. Especially adept at log-rolling was Alec Roberts.  A story is told of how Mr. McLean of Minnedosas who was in charge of the drive was very proud of his best river man - a chap called Irish.   He made a wager of twenty dollars that no one could throw Irish on the rolling log.   With some persuasion Alec Roberts accepted the challenge.  After a hurried trip home to don duck pants and sash leather boots with steel hooks, Alec appeared and the contest began.  Logs were cleared away to make room for the rolling log, kept rolling by cant hooks.  The object was to keep the log rolling and then catch the opponent off guard to plunge him into the icy waters.  To the delight of the onlookers, Alec Roberts won the contest and the wager.

Peter reminds the farmers of today that crops in the valley were among the best. One year when samples of grain were sent to the Lake of the Woods, a silver Medallion was awarded them for the best sample of No.1 Northern wheat.   He recalls how he and Mr. Newell filled twenty bags with wheat to be forwarded to the Lake of the Woods and then overseas.

He also recalls how his father, R. W. Patterson, went to the Fairs at Birtle, Shoal Lake, Minnedosa, Russell and Roblin to judge horses.

Peter is a veritable storehouse of knowledge of the early days and loves to talk about them.  He has instilled some of this love of pioneer days into his family:

Mrs. H. J. Vosper (Margaret); Mrs A. Busch (Belle); N Patterson (Nesbit);  E McLaren (Ellen); Mrs. H. Miller (Hazel); and Mrs. J. Levacque (Eileen).  To complete the clan are the following: Pete's brother Walter, who died in infancy, two sisters, Margaret and Elizabeth who died as teenagers. And one sister and two brothers whose families are listed below:  Nellie Mrs. Hector McFayden had a family of three; Bessie (Mrs. Johnston), Ellen (Mrs. O. Knetch ) and Walter McFadyen. William's family consists of Mildred (Mrs. J. Spear); Walter Patterson; Jean (Mrs. H. Moster); Alice (Mrs W. Keay) and Bessie (Mrs. H. Munro).  A son, David, made the supreme sacrifice in the second World War.   Robert's family consists of: Jeslie, Robert, Gordon, Arthur and Keneth, Ruth (Mrs. C. Russell), Catherine (Mrs. R. Schappert) and Myrtle (Mrs. Mitchell).

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