Winthrop Dyer Pattee

1867 - 1951
Iowa - California

Winthrop Pattee, known to us as Wint, was one of 7 children, 5 boys and 2 girls, born to Jason Pattee and Elizabeth Smith Pattee.  Winthrop is an old name in the Dyer family (there's one in 1779 in Massachusetts, and there are probably earlier ones as well), and although Jason had no connection to the Dyers, as far as we can tell, his brother Wellington married Rebecca Dyer - and the Pattees had the habit of naming children after in-laws and friends.  I have never figured out who Rebecca's parents were, but it is possible that Winthrop was the name of her father or even of a brother.

Wint was born after his parents had moved to Iowa; he was the 6th child (5th son); his birthdate was 30 October 1867.  I think he was a farmer all his life. 

      1870 census - Hardin County, Iowa - occupation farmer
              1870 Iowa Hardin Clay 365b Jason 40 farmer NY / Elizabeth 38 KH Oh
                          Lillian 18 Wi / Frank 13 Il / James 10 Iowa / Edwin 7 Iowa
                          Jesse 6 / Winthrop 3 / Martin 1 all Iowa
      1880 census - Hardin County, Iowa - occupation farmer
               1880 Iowa Hardin Clay- (LDS index)
                      Jason Pattee Self M Male W 50 NY NY NY Farmer
                           Elisabeth Pattee Wife M Female W 45 OH MA PA Keeping House
                           Frank Pattee Son M Male W 23 IL NY OH Farmer
                           James Pattee Son S Male W 20 IA NY OH Farmer
                           Jessee Pattee Son S Male W 15 IA NY OH At Home
                           Winthrop Pattee Son S Male W 13 IA NY OH At Home
                           Myrta Pattee Dau S Female W 11 IA NY OH At Home

The whole family moved to California sometime in the 1880s - they are listed in the 1890 and 1898 Great Registers for Tulare County. 

This file contains the names from the 1890 Great Register of Tulare County, California
Surname First Name Age Nativity Precinct Page Registered
Pattee Edward Augustus 28 Iowa Lemoore 62 30 Aug 1890
Pattee James Lincoln 30 Iowa Visalia 63 29 Sep 1890
Pattee Jesse Grant 25 Iowa Forrest 61 11 Aug 1890
Pattee Winthrop D 23 Iowa Forrest 62 2 Sep 1890
Pattee Jason 63 New York Forest 62 10 Sep 1890
      Available online at the Tulare, California GenWeb site

This file contains the names from the 1898 Great Register of Tulare County, Ca
Surname First Name Page Precint Age Nativity
Pattee Winthrop Dyer 17 Forest 29 Iowa
Pattee Jesse Grant 18 Forest 31 Iowa
Pattee Frank William 19 Forest 38 Illinois
Pattee Jason 21 Forest 69 New York
Pattee James Lincoln 127 Visalia First Ward 35 Iowa
      Available online at the Tulare, California GenWeb site

Father Jason died in 1897, and I think Wint was the one who took care of his mother - although he is the youngest son, he is listed as the head of the family in the 1900 and 1910 censuses.  His mother lived with him then (she died in 1916) as did brothers James and Frank (until they married).  Wint himself did not marry until he was 53, when he married his widowed cousin Alice Louella Pattee Scott (actually she was his 1st cousin once removed).

              1900 California Tulare Orosi - SD5, ED62, Sheet 4b - 7-9 June (p. 105a)
               76-77 Pattee Jesse G Oct 1866 33 m2 Ia Ny Oh own farm
                                Frances E Jan 1869 31 m2 Cal Ky Tx
                                Jesse W Dec 1898 1s Cal Ia Cal
               77-78 Pattee, Winthrop Oct 1866 33s Ia Ny Oh own farm
                                Elizabeth mother Mar 1831 69 wd 8ch/7liv Oh Ct Va
                                Frank W brother Aug 1856 43d Il Ny Oh
                               James L brother May 1860 40s Il Oh Ny (sic) - all males =farmers
                                    (also Eliz)

             1910 Census - California - Tulare - Kaweah 69b Image 76/100 - line 93 - 50 -50
              Pattee, Winthrop head mw 49s Ia Ny Oh farmer fruit
                    Frank N brother mw 54 wid Il Ny Oh farm laborer
                    Elizabeth mother fw 78 wd 8ch / 5 liv Oh Conn Pa own income

I have been trying to figure out how well (if at all) Wint and Lulu (as Alice was known to her grandson) knew each other as children.  Lulu's father was Charles Pattee, and I'm pretty sure he was the son of Wellington Pattee, Jason's brother, Wint's uncle.  Jason and Wellington must have been fairly close for Jason to have named a son after Wellington's wife's people.??  Possibly Charles lived with or near Jason when he was young, after Wellington died in 1863 (he does not show up on the census with Jason, however).  Charles was about 15 years older than Wint, and they may have been friends (an older male, just different enough from one's brothers to be hero-worshipped or followed-around???).  However, Charles married in Des Moines (in 1875, when Wint was only 8) and shortly afterward moved to Nebraska (where Lulu was born) so it is probable that Wint and Lulu did not meet until after they all had moved out to California.   Jason and his sons all settled in Tulare County, and mostly farmed.  Charles was an odd man out, and may have had his fill of farming in Nebraska - he settled in Los Angeles, and worked in the oil fields.  But they must have visited.   Yes?

But Lulu married when she was only 16, so if Wint had developed a secret crush on her - and this is all castles in the air on my part - he waited too long.  Like Thomas Hardy and Lisbie Brown.  Wint lived in Dinuba (Tulare Co) with his mother and brothers and Lulu lived in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

1920 California Tulare Dinuba ED242, SD6, Sheet 5b - l.85 farm
                  Pattee, Winthrop head owns mw53s Iowa Ny Oh farm

1920 California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles - precinct 716, LA (this would include Newhall) SD8, ED 112, Sheet11b line95 - 3207 Granada Street taken 12 Jan 1920
Scott, Charles E. head om mw 46 married New York, Scotland, Scotland, oilman, wells, wage earner
         Alice L wife fw 42 m Nebraska Mich, Indiana
         Walter C son mw 25 married Cal NY Neb motorman city rw wage earner
         Ethel A daughter fw 22 married ditto sales (none crossed out) grocery wage earner
         Elmer E son mw 19 single ditto (none) tooldresser shop wage earner

And then the children were grown and married (except for the youngest) and then Lulu's husband died - and not very long afterward Wint and Lulu married.  I don't know if "finally" belongs in that sentence or not.

Charles Scott died on April 4, 1920.  I don't have the exact date of Wint and Lulu's marriage, but on the 1930 census (which was taken on April 23), they say they've been married for 10 years.

1930 census - California Tulare Dinuba - ED54-15, SD14, Sheet 9b - Apr 23 - l.60 -
      Pattee Winthrop head owns - lives on farm mw63, married first time age 53 Iowa NY Oh farmer not a vet
           Alice L wife fw51 married 1st time age 41 (I think not!) Neb Mich Ind

Dad had very happy memories of that farm:

Dinuba, Calif; Orosa, Calif.
One place I remember well in our travels was Wint Pattee’s (Grandma Scott’s 2nd husband) farm. There are so many pleasant and happy memories:
         Diving into the hay from the rafters in the barn.
         Trying unsuccessfully to ride the calves.
         Gathering eggs and doing such a good job that I would find old ones that had been hidden
         Picking and eating the delicious Kadota figs.
         Riding in the wagon.
         Milking the cows (trying to).
         Hunting on the farm (dove and rabbits).

Unfortunately, there was a bad fight one Christmas, and Dad never saw his grandmother again.  He went looking for her, after he was grown up, but although she was still alive, and living in Dinuba as far as we can tell, he couldn't find her.  Both Wint and Lulu are buried in Smith Mountain Cemetery in Visalia, Tulare County.  Many of Wint's family are buried there also.

Wint died in 1950 (Feb 16 - another source says Feb 12, 1951), Lulu in 1959 (April 15).

Back to father Jason
Back to Pattee Home Page
To wife Alice Louella

Questions, comments, additions, corrections?  contact me at: lee@leesgenes.com

Page last updated 23 May 2006