William Patterson (Maryland)

William Patterson (1752–1835)[1][2] was a businessman, a gun-runner during the American Revolution, and a founder of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.[3] His many business dealings included shipping,[4] banking, and the Baltimore Water Company.[5]

William Patterson
portrait by Thomas Sully
Born1 November 1752 
County Donegal 
Died7 February 1835  (aged 82)
Baltimore 
OccupationBusinessperson, slave holder 
Spouse(s)Dorcas Spear 
ChildrenElizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, Robert Patterson, Joseph Wilson Patterson 

Early life and career

Patterson was born in 1752 in Fanat, County Donegal, Ireland.[1]

He was a founder of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.[3] He was also a founder of the Merchants Exchange, the first president of the Bank of Maryland, and a founder of the Canton Company, a business established in 1828 by Patterson and Peter Cooper, most remembered for inventing and manufacturing the Tom Thumb steam locomotive.[6]

He was reputed to be the second-wealthiest man in Maryland, after Charles Carroll of Carrollton.[7]

Personal life
Dorcas Spear Patterson with Elizabeth Patterson as a baby

Patterson was married to Dorcas Spear (1761–1814).[8] Together, they were the parents of:

Patterson died in 1835 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Philanthropy and legacy

In 1827, he donated the first five acres of land that became Baltimore's Patterson Park. The park, its namesake street (Patterson Park Avenue) and a high school to the east of it are named in his honor.

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References
  1. Tim Almaguer (2006). Baltimore's Patterson Park. Arcadia. p. 11.
  2. "To George Washington from William Patterson, 5 August 1790". National Archives.
  3. Stover, John F. (1987). History of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
  4. Baltimore: Past and Present. With Biographical Sketches of Its Representative Men. Baltimore: Richardson & Bennett. 1871. p. 401.
  5. Scharf, John Thomas (1881). History of Baltimore City and County, from the Earliest Period to the Present Day. Baltimore: L.H. Everts. p. 452.
  6. Bill Tamburrino (1977). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Canton House" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  7. Bond, Pamela (February 17, 2012). "Really and truly: a Baltimore femme fatale". Baltimore. Examiner.
  8. "Marriage References". Maryland State Archives. May 23, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
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