Patton Borough

Patton Borough Hall is located at 800 4th Avenue, Patton PA 16668; phone: 814-674-3641.

Before the turn of the twentieth century, the Patton area was sparsely settled, with an economy based on agriculture and lumbering. A small settlement grew up around saw and grist mills located on Chest Creek, located outside of the district. It was known as McGuireÕs Mill, later Marks Mills or Markstown. In 1838 massive coal reserves were discovered in western Pennsylvania by the Geological Society, but mining ventures could not succeed without an adequate transportation system. John Patton purchased 1,000 acres around Markstown in 1883, followed by son A. E. Patton who bought another 6,000 acres in 1889. Patton eventually succeeded in securing a rail link to the settlement.

The elder Patton brought together a group of investors and formed the Chest Creek Land and Improvement Company (CCLIC). The CCLIC invested in and profited from the growth of the new coal town. Clearing land and laying out the settlement was the first priority. E. C. Brown, a civil and mining engineer, laid out streets and sales of lots began soon after. Development of the mines was the second priority. When Patton was incorporated in 1893, there were already seven nearby coal mines operating which employed hundreds of men. By 1894, only two years after its founding, PattonÕs streets had been built, lots sold, and 200 homes erected. By 1896 there were 74 businesses and a population of 2,000.

1. Daily, Jonathan E., Johnstown Heritage Association, Patton Historic District, nomination document, 1995, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Washington D.C.