The Patton Cabin
(June 2004)
The following piece is brought to you by the volunteers of the Patton Cabin.
John Patton and his wife, Margaret (Wiley) Patton came to Illinois from Switzerland County, Indiana and Gerrard County, Kentucky in the fall of 1828 with their twelve children in a covered wagon. They arrived in Old Town Township in November 1828, and stayed the winter. In March 1829, they settled in a Kickapoo Indian village near the junction of Patton Creek and the Mackinaw River, three and a half miles southeast of Lexington. Patton went to work gathering logs for his cabin and on June 10, 1829, was ready for a cabin raising. Those present the day of the raising were John J. Henline, and his son George; John B. Thompson; John Patton and his son-in-law, Aaron Foster; Conrad Flesher; John Haner and this three sons, Jacob, John, and William; and Isaac and Joseph Brumhead. A host of Kickapoo and Delaware Indians assisted in raising the logs in place.
The Patton Cabin is a good example of the kind of home built by the early white settlers. The hewed-to-square logs and the half dovetail corner notching was the way cabins were built in the area of Kentucky where Patton was raised. In 1832 he built a second cabin of the same size several feet away and joined them with a roof, which created a "breezeway". This made what is called a dogtrot house. Patton delayed cutting windows in the second cabin because of the Indian scare of the Black Hawk War. In 1840 the double cabin had been sided with clapboard, as it is today.
The cabin was named, by the County Commissioner in 1831, as the polling place for the Mackinaw Precinct. The Mackinaw Precinct compassed 19 Congressional townships of 684 square miles. Here were held elections for some of the first county officers. Andrew Jackson polled well in the 1832 election. The cabin was also the scene of the first Methodist class organized in the county.
The Patton Cabin was presented to the McLean County Historical Society in September 1963, by Mrs. Ruth Reynolds and was dismantled September 18, 1965. In 1969 the cabin was rebuilt in the Lexington Park District. The cabin was restored in 1984-1985 using some square notched logs, which distinguishes them from the original Patton logs. The Patton Cabin was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Patton Cabin Open House
June 26 & 27, 2004
Lexington, Illinois
Saturday 10 - 3 p.m.
Sunday 11 - 3 p. m.
The Patton Cabin is one of the oldest structures in McLean County, built in 1829 by John Patton. Join us for some 19th century fun! Come take a step back in time and join us for some of the following activities:
Butter making Tours of the Cabin
Black Hawk War re-enactors Children’s games
Quilting Lace making
Knitting Herb garden information
1829 Election voting
Refreshment will be served
The cabin is located in the Lexington Pool Park off of North Cherry St.
Turn at the Lutheran Church.
For information call 309-365-8779 or 365-8531
The Patton Cabin is maintained and staffed by volunteers. Any expenses to maintain, add or by artifacts, etc. are taken from the maintenance fund monies.
If you would like to contribute to this fund, please make checks payable to:
Lexington Park District
% Dorothy Myers
Concord Drive
Lexington, IL 61753
This is a tax deductible gift. Your check is your receipt.
Volunteers are always needed. If you are interested, please contact
Anita Revelle (309) 365-8779 or S’Monne Elder (309) 365-8531
The Cabin is open to the public June through September by Appointment.
Phone (309) 365-8531 or (309) 365-8779