On the anniversary of the birth of the great prairie lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, the Ford County Historical Society is launching a memorial fund drive for another prairie lawyer, Judge David H. Patton of Ford County.

David Harrison Patton began his life in Clark County, Kentucky on 15 November 1806. He moved to Ohio, then Connersville, Indiana to study law. About 1830 he moved to the growing village of Lafayette, Indiana. There he began his law practice but was also a merchant, land agent and farmer. After about 20 years in Lafayette he explored the mostly empty prairie of East Central Illinois.

Patton first bought land in what is now Ford County at Ten Mile Grove in 1848. By 1850 he moved his wife and children to Ten Mile Grove joining the few others that were settled there. It was soon evident that their community there was in need of a school so they joined together to build the first schoolhouse in the future Ford County. And he was its first teacher. The practice of law was not enough to sustain his young family so he again engaged in farming and land sales. The area was sparsely populated and he established himself as a leader.

Until 1859 that area was part of Vermilion County. The upper area of the county, that is now Ford County, was named Prairie Township. It was soon discovered that there was another Prairie Township so the name was changed to Patton Township, in honor of Mr. Patton. With the Illinois Central Railroad coming south from Chicago, many new settlements were created by the railroad. But the new village of Prospect City was the creation of a group of investors and soon became the center for commerce and settlement in the area. In 1859 the population had grown enough that a delegation was formed to petition the State of Illinois to create a new County named Ford. And lawyer Patton was a member of that delegation.

With the creation of the county, Prospect City was chosen as the county seat. Soon an election was held to fill the seats of office. David Patton was elected as the first County Judge. For four terms Judge Patton would fill that position. He was also the first supervisor of Patton Township. During this time he and his family moved to Prospect City, whose name was changed to Paxton. He continued his trade as a lawyer and land agent most of the rest of his life. Judge Patton with his son-in-law started one of the first lumber yards in Paxton at the corner of Market and Holmes Street. The site that was in modern times known as Andrews Lumber. He was also one of the group of men that began the Lafayette, Bloomington and Mississippi Railroad that crossed the southern part of the county east to west. In modern times it was known as the Nickel Plate Railroad until that section of line was closed.

The 1870s began a period of difficult times for Judge Patton. The depression of that decade took a toll on his investments and his losses were significant. His youngest son John C. Patton, died at the age of 25 in 1877. He was a new husband and father as well as a rising lawyer. John’s remains were interred in Glen Cemetery in Paxton. Previously his daughter, Susan, had died in 1867 at the age of 18 and was buried in Prospect Cemetery on the south edge of Paxton. Then his beloved wife, Cynthia Ann, passed away in 1878. She was buried in Glen Cemetery also.

The following year he married Mrs. Elizabeth Plummer in Paxton. They would continue to live in the city and conduct business but never returned to the previous levels. He gradually declined but would occasionally travel west to see his children and grandchildren. His youngest daughter, Mary Jane Sanger, and her husband moved back to Paxton to take care of him. At the end of his life he was appointed a conservator to look out for him. On October 19, 1892 he died in Paxton at the age of 87. He was mourned by his family, friends, colleagues and the community he lived in and served for over 40 years. He too was buried in Glen Cemetery but no marker or memorial decorates his grave.

To remedy this the Ford County Historical Society is raising funds to place a memorial on his grave. We feel a pioneer who gave so much for the establishment of the county should be remembered. Judge David H. Patton wore many hats during his lifetime and was often in service to others as a teacher, businessman, investor, lawyer or judge. We are asking for your donation of any amount to do this. You can mail your donation to: The Ford County Historical Society, P. O. Box 115, Paxton IL, 60957. Please note that it is for the Judge Patton Memorial. Or can donate though Go Fund Me at https://gofund.me/d62ae9d3d Thank you.

NOTE: The images of the man and memorial are AI creations and are used to depict Judge Patton and an imagined memorial. The final memorial design is yet to be determined.