Founding and Growth of Oak Springs

Founding and Growth of Oak Springs

Draft

Founding and Growth of Oak Springs - Patton Land Donation

This is an American Centennial Project by xxx xxxx. For this project, I talked with several of the older members of the founding families of the first settlements in this valley. This is a summary of what they told me.

As soon as Jake Patton and the other founding families had their land claims confirmed with the county government, Jake had been planning for and working toward formal establishment of a village or town in the valley. He wanted to have it be centered around his spring, blacksmith shop and the General Store. Toward this end, he first sought in 1841 and eventually, in March 1842, received authorization to open an official U. S. Post Office in the General Store. When he found the name “Oak Creek” was already spoken for, elsewhere in the state, he settled for “Oak Springs” which also seemed appropriate, as well. Jake Patton was named Postmaster, and Kate Patton was named Assistant Postmaster. The name “Oak Creek” had been given to the township when it was established in 1841.

From an early date, Jake had sketched out a town site, four blocks wide and six blocks long, north and south, split in half by a main street running between his original blacksmith shop and the original General Store. When the town site plat for Oak Springs was finally approved, in 1848, it followed those guidelines very closely. 

By having the vision for the town already in mind, and having it on land he owned, when new buildings were planned and built, they were built with this grid in mind. For example, the first hotel was just north of the General Store location, followed by a livery stable just to the north of that. What became “Central Avenue” ran north and south right in front, on the west, of those buildings. 

What became known as Patton Spring and Patton Run (now a part of Patton Park, of course) were in the southwest corner of that initial town site plat. Patton Run was the creek running from the pool at Patton Spring into Center Creek a relatively short distance to the southwest. 

Hand-drawn Draft of Town Plot - Oak Springs

[Click to see Enlarged View]

Oak Springs Town Plat and subsequent transactions

The initial Town Plat consisted of 26 blocks of 2 1/2 acres each. Each block was designated with a letter. Each block consisted of 4 numbered lots.

Central Avenue split the town plat north and south; two block to the east, divided by 1st Ave. E. and two blocks to the west, divided by 1st Ave. W. The eastern and western boundaries were therefore 2nd Ave E. and 2nd Ave W.

Patton Street ran east and west just north of the General Store. This left two blocks to the south, divided by First Street, South. The southern boundary of the town plat was designated Second Street, South. To the north, separating each set of blocks, were: First Street, Second Street, etc. This made the northern boundary Fourth Street.

Jake Patton retained ownership of Blocks K, O, S, R, and Q.

Owen Olson retained ownership of Block Z

Sale of lots:

1. Sep 1848 - Robert Baldridge - Block N, Lots 3 & 4.
2. Sep 1848 - Jake Patton - Block W, Lot 1, and Block T, Lot 1
3. Sep 1848 - Owen Olson - Block Y, Lot 2 and Lot 4
4. Sep 1848 - Victor Campbell - Block W, Lot 3 and Lot 4
5. Sep 1848 - Hugh Truesdale - Block W, Lot 2, and Block L, Lot 1 and Lot 3
6. Jun 1850 - Percival Jones - Block N, Lot 2
7. Jul 1850 - Jonathan Ames - Block X, Lot 1 and Lot 3
8. Jul 1850 - Wesley Mathison - Block X, Lot 2 and Lot 4
9. Nov 1850 - Ames & Mathison RE - Block J, Lot 4
10. Feb 1851 - Percival Jones - Block N, Lot 1 and Block M Lot 2
11. Feb 1851 - Ames & Mathison RE - Block J, Lot 2
12. May 1851 - Gideon Inman - Block J, Lot 1
13. Jan 1851 - Oak Springs Bank - Block G, Lot 3
14. Jun 1857 - Levi Weston - Block L, Lot 2 and Lot 4
15. Mar 1860 - Jerry Potts - Block J, Lot 3