From: Neva Babcock <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, 14 May, 2000 06:34 PM Subject: Patten H. Atwood > Hi Everyone and a Happy Mother's Day to those of us who are mothers! > > Yesterday I went with my son and ended up going to the Rockford Public > Library in Rockford, Illinois. I was totally unprepared as he wanted to go > for entirely different reasons, and it wasn't in our plans to go to Rockford, > anyway. However, I did try to make the most of it. Brad, in particular, I > think will be the most interested in what I found on Patten H. Atwood. I > also found information on a David Atwood and a James M. Atwood that I will > send by separate E-mail. All of these I found in the book Past and Present > of Winnebago County by Charles W. Church, Chicago, published by The S. J. > Clarke Publishing Co., 1905. Brad, I hope you can find something new that > you didn't have before. The biographical sketch of Patten H. Atwood starts > on page 159: > > PATTEN H. ATWOOD > > Patten H. Atwood, at one time an enterprising and respected farmer of > Winnebago county, gave up his life when in the military service of his > country in the last year of the Civil war, but he is yet remembered by many > of the older citizens of this part of the state. He belonged to a family > long well known and prominent in Rockford and the county. He was born in > Canada, April 15, 1842, and was a son of Joseph Atwood. His mother died > during the early boyhood of her son and the father afterward married again. > Later he brought his family from Canada--his native country--to Illinois and > purchased a farm in the Stillman valley, in Winnebago county, where he gave > his undivided attention to general agricultural pursuits until his death. > In the common schools Patten H. Atwood acquired his education and in his > youth he assisted his father in the operation of the farm, giving to him the > benefit of his services until he reached the age of twenty-one years, when he > was married and started out in life on his own account. He wedded Miss > Hannah H. McPherson, a native of Canada, born February 21, 1842, her parents > being Charles B. and Fidelia E. McPherson, who also came to Winnebago county > at an early period in its settlement and improvement. Her father engaged in > farming here for several years and then removed to Wisconsin, where he died. > Mr. and Mrs. Atwood became the parents of three sons--Ira A., who resides in > Jewell county, Kansas, where he is engaged in farming; Cyrus Homer, who > married Clara McAllister and resides in Sterling, Illinois, where he is > engaged in the grocery business, and Edward H., who married Lillian Pierce, > and is dealing in ice in Rockford, being one of the prominent and prosperous > business men of this city. > After his marriage Mr. Atwood settled upon a farm in the Stillman valley > and energetically began the cultivation of the soil and the improvement of > the place, which soon gave evidence of his careful supervision and diligence. > He had carried on farming but a few years, however, when the Civil war broke > out. His sympathies were with the Union cause and in 1864 he enlisted and > with his regiment went to Buffalo, New York, where he was taken ill with > measles and after an illness of several months, his death there occurred > April 15, 1865, his remains being interred in Buffalo. > Mrs. Atwood continued to reside upon the home farm in the Stillman valley > until 1886, and there reared her sons, but in the year mentioned she removed > to Rockford, where she has since made her home, now residing at No. 1125 > Ninth street. She belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which her > husband was also a member, and her religious faith has been a permeating > influence in her life, developing traits of character that have won her many > friends. > > I've tried to retype the above as it was written. I hope I have. It was > especially difficult for me not to capitalize "valley" as the community is > presently known as Stillman Valley--not Stillman valley. > > I believe this is a different Patten Atwood. To me, it appears that he may > be a nephew of Patten B. Atwood or perhaps some other relative. > > Neva