Amos Holmes Patterson
(1871 - 1928):
Son of John J. Patterson

Amos Holmes Patterson was born in Henderson, Rusk County, Texas April 8, 1871 to parents John Joseph Patterson and Sarah (Sally) Holmes Patterson. His mother, Sarah, died February, 1874 when Amos H. was 9 months old (dates don’t match) due to complications from childbirth.

As a child, Amos took music lessons from the ministers wife in Henderson, Texas.

The family moved to Montague Texas when Amos was nine years old (appx 1880). His father, John Joseph was a land agent for Hesikial land Co. which handled land sales in and around Montague when that town was young and booming.

Being a city boy, Amos acquired a job with the town newspaper setting type and delivering papers. Later as a young man he became a printer with the same newspaper in Montague.

Amos spent a period of years with the Texas Third Army as Second Musician before and during the Spanish American War (1898).

In 1900, Census Records of Montague County, Texas list John J. Patterson age 69,widowed, Head of Family, ,Agnes M. Patterson, age 61, single, Sister (of JJ) Amos Patterson, age 29, single, son, Elva White age 6, single, granddaughter and Admiral White age 5.

After the war, Amos went back to printing with the local newspaper in Montague. He loved to write and had a glorious sense of humor and a romantic nature as seen in his letters. Amos wrote a manuscript which was never published (and will be forthcoming). During this time he met and married Miss Fannie Mae Roberts August 22, 1905 in Montague, Texas. Fannie Mae was born on her fathers’ farm near Whitesboro, Texas March 11, 1889 (near Montague). They met at a country dance that Amos was playing for.

They moved to Estancia Valley, then moved to Estancia, New Mexico the next April (1906) along with his father John Joseph and his sister Aunt Nan (who raised Amos and his two sisters from the time Amos was nine months old). They homesteaded 160 acres and, according to Mama (Fannie Mae), they planted their first crop that first year. She said it was raining the day she stepped off the train in Estancia, April 2, and they didn't see another day of rain all summer.

Amos, not being a farmer in the first place, ended up in his old occupation as a printer. He was editor for the Estancia Democrat (Smith/Patterson Editiors), their first issue was August 7, 1908 and their last issue was November 13, 1908 of which they published every Friday for $1.00 year. There were already three newspapers in Estancia when he bought the Estancia Democrat newspaper, his first issue was November 20, 1908.

In the 11/20/08 issue Amos sent a notice to the pubic stating that he would take soul responsibility for the debts of the Estancia Democrat, and would do all in his power to pay those debts.

His last issue found in bound set of record was December 18, 1908. On page 2 Amos in his editorial addresses the citizens of Estancia. He states that there are three newspapers in the area and asks the citizens:

"The question is before you, what will you do with the Estancia Democrat? Will you help push it to the front…Bring us bean, corn, potatoes or subscription, or we would take money, any thing we can trade for 'dough' cooked, or unleavened, squandered or unminted. We don’t need the cash, and wont keep it, but we must demonstrate our ability to collect a few relics of the past to hold our place in society. The other fellow wants it... the fact that we are condensed and squeezed to petiteness is evidenced of our knotty nature and ability to stick."

Did interest in the paper die because it was too political for the people?

Hunger pangs soon forced him to seek other means of a livelihood. Sitting on the plains, as Mama spoke of it, they could hear blasting over in the Mountainaire and Willard (NM) area and Amos stuck out shanksmare (walked) to see what was going on.

He hired out in Willard with the Santa Fe Railroad on the Bridge gang putting the Belen cutoff into Belen. He moved his family to Belen in 1912 - after the railroad arrived in Belen. Dad (Amos) went to work in the Santa Fe Round house servicing engines.

But we are neglecting Fannie Mae. Only sixteen when she married and moved to Estancia her visions of her future slowly started turning sour. Their first home was a dugout - which they dug into the ground and built up around it. It wasn't bad for a dugout, but it really never became anything else.

"The five years I spent in that hole in the ground were the sorriest years of my life. My only visitors were the jack rabbits that hopped in front of my view."

June 4, 1906 she bore her first child in that lowly mansion on the prairie, a Doctor Dabney delivered him. She was so grateful she named her son Homer Dabney (Pat) Patterson after the doctor. Later research showed that he wasn't a doctor at all but was a druggist from Estancia.

Her second child was born in Torreon, NM July 10, 1907. Dad (Amos) took a job as a clerk with the Romero Lumber Co in that community a few miles from Estancia. That baby was delivered by Dad and Mrs. Romero. She was named Lena Kathrine, the Lena after Mrs. Romero. A bad case of mastitis was also doctored by Mrs. Romero.

Her third child, Bessie Inez was born back at the dugout June 21, 1909, delivered by dad alone. Unfortunately the scissors were misplaced and he had to walk a half mile to his fathers house (John J.) to borrow a pair to cut the cord.

When Mama left Estancia it was thirty years before she was inclined to visit the old homestead.

Those early years in Belen, New Mexico were happy years. Dad was a good musician and he and several other Belenites formed a band. Loyal Craig, Vernon Ray and others whose names are lost. They played for dances at the old Legion Hall and held concerts in town.

When the new bridge was completed over the Rio Grande, Dad and the band played for opening ceremonies. The old bridge was several miles up the river.

We are neglecting Fannie again. She was struck with her new surroundings in Belen. Her first home was on Bernard Street in one of Sam Hills homes. He was probably the first track builder in Belen. He had several short streets with houses all built alike. Three rooms straight back with a porch on the rear. Sam Hill is another story as is one of his tenants Mrs. Leese.

Their next home was a rambling adobe built in the territorial style about one block east of the Harvey House. Later it was known as Papa At's Place (A.T. Atkinson).

Mama loved that place and Belen. She loved going to town shopping and riding home in Mr. Byers hack (horse drawn taxi). I remember going shopping with her. Her first stop was always John W. Craig's place. She ordered her coal and wood to be delivered and bought her chicken feed and at times calf feed. She also bought baby chicks and ice in the summer time. But more that that I remember Mr. Craig the most - looking over his spectacles as he wrote down her order in his old swivel chair and spitting tobacco at the biggest spittoon I ever saw. He never missed. His office, cluttered with pamphlets and advertisements - the smell of field tobacco and baby chicks and incubators are all pleasant memories.

Dad loved his music and played several instruments, horn and violin. But came the time he decided to take up piano. The Central school system decided to buy a new piano and dad bought the old one for $20.00. It was an old piano forte that John Becker donated to the school. He learned to play it and decided to give his kids lessons on it. They had other ideas but he did manage to teach mama how to play Turkey In The Straw.

The picture to the right is Amos Holmes Patterson in 1916 or 1917 in Deming, New Mexico at Comp Cody (Army Camp). "Ma" made his overalls.

Research at this time is limited on Amos’ father, John Joseph. We know John J. moved to the Estancia Valley, NM in 1906 with his sister Nan and son Amos and homesteaded as well. I have a Warranty Deed Record dated July 21, 1921, (recorded Nov 14, 1921) which deeds John J.’s property from the "Heirs of John D. Paterson deceased" to "E.D. Taack" and lists his heirs as:

"Nannie Hoover and her husband F.M. Hoover, both of Tempe, Arizona, Amos Patterson and his wife Fannie Patterson, both of Belen, New Mexico, Clossie White and unmarried or single person of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Elva Davis and her husband Leland Davis both of Fort Worth Texas, Admiral White, single of Fort Worth Texas, the said Clossie White, Elva Davis, Admiral White, Nannie Hoover, and Amos Patterson being the heirs and the only heirs of John J. Patterson, deceased... Land and real estate being in the County of Torrance, State of New Mexico, to-wit:

the southwest quarter of section thirty, Township 7 North of Range Eight East of the N.M.P.M. containing 153.24 acres more or less according to the government survey therefore."

... Note: 1900 Census records and Amos’ death certificate lists his date of birth as April 8, 1871. In 1900, Census Records of 1900 in Montague County, Texas list the following:

John J. Patterson age 69,widowed, Head of Family, born Jan 1831 in Georgia
Agnes M. Patterson, age 61, single, Sister (of JJ) born Feb 1839 in GA
Amos Patterson, age 29, single, son, born Apr 1871 in Texas
Elva White age 6, single, granddaughter born Oct 1893 in Texas
Admiral White age 5, grandson born Nov 1894 in Texas

(Note: John J. & Sarah Holmes had a daughter named R.E. (Elizabeth) born in Henderson, TX in 1869. I have R.E. Patterson’s marriage certificate to J.D. White in Montague, TX on October 16, 1892. Elva and Admiral must be her children.)

By Jackie Mae (Patterson) Constanza, daughter of Amos & Fannie Mae.
Edited by Margaret Costanza Wickes and Wes Patterson

Additional images from this branch of the Patterson family, courtesy of Margaret Costanza Wickes:

• Mrs. Edna Zoa Ponder, plus four of Amos and Fanny's children, circa 1920, most likely taken in Belen, NM. The four children are Lena, Betty, Alice, and Bob Patterson. View image
   
• Newspaper article written by Margaret Costanza Wickes, July 2, 2005, Belen NM newspaper, regarding this branch of the Pattersons and the wars they have served in. View image

John J. Patterson