William Patterson, Shopkeeper

Nova Scotia # 10 on July 22, 1861, from Halifax to Barrington, Nova Scotia. Addressed to Mr. W. A. Patterson, Port Latour. It is on embossed Duffus & Co stationery. Backstamps: Halifax JY 22 1861, Barrington JY 26 1861.

William Alexander Patterson was a 33-year-old merchant in Port Latour, Shelburne County, when he received this letter from Duffus & Co., Halifax. His father, William Patterson, had established a store in Reynoldscroft/Upper Port Latour and was influential in building the two bridges at Eel Bay to complete the road linking Port Clyde to Port Latour. William Alexander was born March 23rd,1828. His father was lost at sea in 1841 when young William was just 13 years old. He had to help his mother manage the store. He married Eleanor Jane Smith (1840-1919), the daughter of Samuel Smith. He and Eleanor had two sons, William and Samuel Smith Patterson (who became a sea captain), and a daughter, Effie Eleanor Patterson. William Alexander died July 24th, 1873, of heart disease at age 45, leaving his wife, Eleanor to run the store.

William Alexander's father, William Patterson had been born July 9th, 1795 in Ireland and emigrated to Massachusetts where he married Sarah Snow on September 14th, 1815. They moved to Port Latour soon after, perhaps at the invitation of Knowles Reynolds, and their first child, Mary was born there June 11th, 1817. Their second daughter, Sarah was born August 18th, 1819. Eliza was born September 12th, 1823. They had a son, William, who died in childhood on April 18th, 1824. Harriet was born October 31st, 1825, Finally William Alexander was born in 1828.

A.F. Church’s 1861 map of Shelburne County has Patterson as a merchant subscriber in Upper Port Latour.

The 1861 census of Shelburne County, Polling District 2, has William Patterson as head of a family of 7, 5 males and 2 females.

Hutchinson’s Nova Scotia Directory for 1865 has William A. Patterson, merchant at Cape Negro, Shelburne Co.

McAlpine’s Nova Scotia Directory for 1869 has William A. Patterson, merchant at Port Latour, Barrington Township.

The Nova Scotia Directory for 1871 has William Patterson living in Upper Port Latour.

William A. Patterson, merchant in Port Latour, age 45, son of William and Sarah Patterson, (also a merchant), died at Port Latour, 24 July 1873 of heart disease. Death Registration: Year: 1873 book: 1816 page: 57 number: 87

The 1881 census of Port Latour has Ellen J. Patterson, 50, widowed storekeeper, with her two sons, William, 30, employed as a "farmer's boy", and Samuel, 22, seaman, and her daughter, Effie, 10.

The 1891 census of Port Latour has Elenor Patterson, 59, widow, with her son, Samuel S., 32, seaman, and daughter, Effie E., 20, dress maker.

Port Latour

On Upper Port Latour harbor, Nathan Nickerson, formerly of Yarmouth, settled at Eel Bay, having bought lot 86 of the Second Division from Daniel Hibbert in 1784. This he sold to John Reynolds in 1793 who founded Reynoldscroft there. Three sons of Barrington grantee Nathan Snow, had their homesteads at Upper Port Latour and were joined by Horton, Dowling, Powell, Sholds, Ross, Patterson and others. Patterson promoted the building of McDougall's bridge on which Joseph Purdy was head workman. Col. McDougall, inspecting field officer paid three guineas to have the bridge named for him.

A. F. Chruch map of Upper Port Latour showing the Patterson home and store above the Reynold's wharf

Patterson and Knowles Reynolds carried on a large trade here for a while; Jonathan Smith had a general store on the East side of Eel Bay and sold salt, rum, and staple articles. Communications were improved not only by McDougall's bridge but also by the Patterson road opened through direct to Doane's Hill and by the bridge at North West Creek. Crowell, Edwin, A history of Barrington township and vicinity, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, 1604-1870; with a biographical and genealogical appendix.

Duffus & Co. Dry Goods

In 1865, Duffus & Co Dry Goods was located at 1873 Granville St., Halifax, in a newly constructed (1859) four-story Italianate building, now a City of Halifax Registered Heritage Property.

The way was made for the rebuilding of much of downtown Halifax by three major fires between 1857 and 1861 - on New Year's Eve, 1857, September 9, 1859, and January 12, 1861. The September 9, 1859 fire levelled the entire north block of Granville Street, enabling the reconstruction of the entire block simultaneously. As a result a single architect, William Thomas, designed the entire block to be harmonious in design, choosing the Italianate style for the block, freestone and cast iron being prominent throughout. Following the New Year's Eve, 1857 fire new legislation was passed prohibiting large wooden buildings within the developed part of Halifax.

“...the Granville Street fire, which wiped out the north block of the street in September 1859, induced the Thomas firm to open a Halifax office. It was first advertised in October 1859 while Thomas was busy preparing unified designs for seven proprietors rebuilding the centre of the city's prosperous dry goods trade. Thomas's individual building designs, unified by massing, height, detailing and materials, created a distinctive streetscape which reflected contemporary mercantile confidence. The cast iron storefronts which Thomas introduced along most of the Granville Street block had not only the well-recognized advantages inherent in the material but also the prestige of manufacture by the leading New York producer of architectural cast iron, Daniel Badger. The buildings popularized the Italianate detailing and forms which would soon dominate prime Halifax building of every type. The Thomas office remained open until 1863 when, with Granville Street rebuilt and a subsequent design for the rebuilding of the Union Bank completed, C.P. Thomas, the resident Thomas partner, left Halifax for Montreal.”

East side of Granville Street, 1871. Duffus & Co is the 4th from right.