"My Mother graduated from Patterson High School in 1918, not in the school that stands in Patterson today.  So it was established long before 1920’s. My 90 year old brother went to school through the 4th grade in the same building as my Mother had attended.  He was born in 1922; he is still living and believes the school he and our Mother attended burned.

 

Patterson  was always a three year High School.  It you wanted a 4th year in high school you had to go to White Hall or Roodhouse IL to complete your 4th year.

 

I went to Patterson Grade School in the building that replace the one my mother and brother attended for my 7th & 8th grades – Fall of 1952 – Spring of 1954 (graduated from the 8th grade there).  My two younger brother and my younger sister also attended school there.

 

At that time the school housed grades 1 through 8.  They combined 1st & 2nd grades , 3rd  & 4th, 5th & 6th and 7th & 8th grades together – each 2 combined classes had 1 teacher. Our 7th & 8th grade teacher was also the Principal of the School.  The year I attended it was Charles K. Barnett. We had basketball and baseball teams.  I was a cheerleader.

 

Later Patterson became a part of North Greene School District and for a period of time it housed 6th graders in the North Greene District.  Roodhouse and White Hall 6th grade students were bussed to Patterson.

 

Today the school is owned by the community and they hold opry shows there once a month as well as an auction once a month.  It is also used by members for other events.

 

This September myself and another Patterson Grade School graduate are hosting a Patterson School Reunion inviting anyone who attended Patterson School.    I hope to get more history about the early years, and correct dates as when the high school closed, and what year they reopened it as a grade school, if the original building that my mother and brother attended did burn, and when the current building was built.  I also hope someone had pictures of the school my mother and brother attended.  I’m sure the Greene County Historical Society at Carrollton IL has pictures of the existing building and maybe the earlier building."

  

Lois (Baldwin) Southern tells us the following about her time at Patterson High School:

"I attended Paterson School.  I started grade school at age 6 in 1930 – Grades 1-3 were in one room, teacher was Kathryn Hayes, a fantastic teacher.  Grades 4-6 were in another room and the teacher was a Miss Conley.  Grades seven and eight were on the second floor with Roy Ballard as teacher, another fantastic teacher.  I am not sure but I believe I attended high school in the new building.  At that time, it only went thru the 3rd year of high school.  At that time a Mr. Attebury was principal with Mr. Lambert as assistant principal, another fantastic teacher.  I changed to White Hall High for my last two years since I wanted to get in 2 years of typing and Patterson only offered one.  I would have graduated from Patterson in 1941.  This was the largest class in the history of the school – a whopping 13 graduates. I graduated from Whitehall HS in 1942.