Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3281HYATT M. PATTERSON has for more than a third of a century been identified with the undertaking business in Atlanta, and his name is distinctiveof standards of service such as are associated with no other funeral directorin the State of Georgia. He is in fact the oldest man in the business in thestate.Born in Morrow County, Ohio, June 25, 1851, he comes of an old American family. However, the Pattersons were originally from Ireland, and whenMr. Patterson of Atlanta was on a tour of the British Isles and France in1906 he visited the Town of Lame in Ireland, where his great-great-grandfather Patterson had once had his home. Mr. Patterson's grandfather wasJohn Patterson, a native of Pennsylvania, The father, Ebenezer Finley Patterson, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, December 25,1814, spent his entirelife as an Ohio farmer, and died February 10, 1878. Ebenezer F. Pattersonmarried Mary Brumfield Hyatt. She was born near Wooster, Wayne County,Ohio, April 6, 1820, and died August 19, 1899. Both she and her husbandnow rest in the cemetery at Chesterville, Morrow County, Ohio. Her fatherwas Meshack Hyatt, who was born in Ohio of Scotch descent. The originalhome of the Hyatts was near Carlisle, Scotland. Meshack Hyatt was bornDecember 24, 1791, and died January 4, 1869, at the age of seventy-sevenyears and eight days. He married Sarah Brumfield, who was born April 23,1792, and died July 15, 1870, aged seventy-eight years, two months andtwenty-two days. Hyatt M. Patterson was the fourth of five children, threesons and two daughters. The only 'other one still living is his sister, Mrs.Sarah Harbison of Spencerville, Alien County, Ohio. The two brothers andone sister now deceased were named Theodore Frelinghuysen Patterson,Columbus Ohio Patterson and Mrs, Rebecca Jane Carson, wife of WilliamTheodore Carson.The early life of Hyatt M. Patterson was spent on his father's farm inMorrow County, Ohio. He attended a school conducted in a building thatstood on his father's farm, and afterwards for two years was a student inGreentown Academy at Perryville, Richland County. Though Mr. Pattersonhas now been identified with the undertaking business forty-four years, hetried some other lines at the beginning of his career. In 1869 he went toSpencerville, Alien County, Ohio, and entered the general store of Joseph H.Harbison, the husband of his sister, as a clerk. This employment continuedabout one year. During the winter of 1870-71 he 'taught a country school inAlien County, Ohio. In the spring of 1871 he entered a school of telegraphyat Akron, conducted by J. P. Abernathy. All the money he had saved whileteaching was paid, to Mr. Abernathy for three months of instruction in thetelegraph school. At the end of the three months he was given a diploma,but never utilized it and never had charge of a telegraph key in a regularpaid service in his life. On leaving the telegraph school he found work inthe stove foundry of Taplin, Rice & Company at Akron, and that kept himwith employment until the spring of 1872.In March, 1872, he went to Newburg, which is now the Eighteenth Wardof the City of Cleveland. On March 2, 1872, he began his apprenticeship asan undertaker with Charles Thomas of Newburg. That was practically fortyfouryears ago, and from that day to this Mr. Patterson has had no regularbusiness and has never allowed any important interests to interfere with hislong and faithful service in this one important calling among men's activities.For nine years he was a faithful worker under Mr. Thomas, but on August 28,1881, resigned, and a few days later, on September 2d, arrived in Atlanta.The first year of his residence at Atlanta was spent in the employ ofGeorge R. Boaz, a local undertaker. In 1882 he engaged in business on hisown account at 20 Lloyd Street in what is known as the Old Markham HouseBlock. On May 18, 1896, a big fire in Atlanta destroyed the entire, block,.including Mr. Patterson's complete establishment. His next location was at