In 1881 the firm of Callender & Patterson was established in Dayton, Ohio, by W. C. Callender plus Lauriston Patterson and his son William Blake Patterson. They began as a dealer in machinists' supplies and new and used machinery, but over the years they manufactured some specialties including a handheld electric light and a bench stop. The elder Patterson retired, and then about 1889 W. C. Patterson retired due to ill health but maintained his partial ownership of the business. W. B. Patterson ran the business. Eight years later the elder Patterson died and W. B. Patterson bought Callender's share of the business. At about the same time some long-time employees bought shares of the business which in July 1897 reorganized as Patterson Tool & Supply Co.

Article illustration from May 1905 Machinery

By 1900 Patterson Tool & Supply was making the "Challenge" power hacksaw with swivel-jaw vise and automatic stop; it was available in a version with integrated electric motor drive, one of the first such machines on the market. In 1901 they introduced a 15½-inch sensitive drill press whose variable-speed mechanism had recently been patented by Christian J. Weinman. The following year they introduced an attractive 13½-inch engine lathe.

By 1903, for reasons unknown, some or all of Patterson's manufacturing operations were being operated as the Miami Valley Machine Tool Co. Thus, some machines made by Patterson Tool & Supply were actually branded as made by Miami Valley Machine Tool Co.

In late 1906 Patterson sold the Miami Valley name and their engine-lathe lineup to Harry T. Chamberlin and Elbert R. Evinger who incorporated as the Miami Valley Machine Tool Co.; see our history of the Miami Valley Machine Tool Co. for the subsequent history. In 1907 Patterson Tool & Supply introduced a commutator truing device but promptly sold it as well as their their drill press and hand punch press products lines and manufacturing facilities to the newly-created Tschudi-McBarron Machine Co., We do not know what happened to Patterson's power hacksaw.

Despite mostly exiting the manufacturing business in 1907, the following year Patterson Tool & Supply announced that they were manufacturing a new horizontal boring machine. It appears that this was a last hurrah for the manufacturing side of their business as they focused on the sales side of their business. The company was still active when William B. Patterson died in 1946, age 90.

Information Sources

• 1887 Zell's Classified United States Business Directory, page 895, apparently lists Callender & Patterson.
• 1888 The Railroad, Telegraph and Steamship Builders' Directory lists Callender & Patterson under "Tools—M'f'rs".
• 1893 issues of The Iron Trade Review list Callender & Patterson, Dayton, O., under "Machinists' Tools and Supplies", drill presses, lathes, foot and power lathes, milling machines, and second hand machinery.
• 1898-11-03 The Iron Age.

  The Patterson Tool & Supply Company, Dayton, Ohio, report an excellent trade in their electric hand lamps among all classes of manufacturing establishments and public institutions.

• 1897-07-10 Chicago Journal of Commerce.

  The Patterson Tool & Supply Company has been formed at Dayton, O., with a paid in capital stock of $40,000 by W. B. Patterson and others to succeed to the business of Callender & Patterson, dealers in iron and wood-working machinery, mechanics' tools, etc. W. C. Callender retired from the old firm eight years ago on account of failing health, since which times the junior partner, W. B. Patterson, has had the management of the business until about one month ago, when he purchased Mr. Callender's interest. The incorporators of the new company are W. B. Patterson, president; T. E. Fritch, vice-president and treasurer; W. R. Kemper, secretary; Frank B. Moorman, assistant secretary and George R. Young. Mr. Patterson has been with the business ever since it was started fifteen years ago by his father and himself. Mr. Fritch came into the business nine years ago; Mr. Kemper has been with the business twelve years; Mr. Moorman, excepting an absence of one year, has been with the business eight years. There will therefore be no changes in the organization excepting such as are involved in incorporation.

• June 1900 Locomotive Engineering has a display ad for the "Challenge Hack Saw" from the Patterson Tool & Supply Company, 127 East Third St., Dayton, Ohio. The machine pictured in the ad carries the words, "CHALLENGE / Manuf'd by / The Patterson Tool & Supply Co. / Dayton, O., U.S.A."
• 1901-02-22 Electrical World and Engineer has a brief illustrated article on Patterson Tool & Supply Co.'s new upright friction-drive drill press. The January 5 1901 issue of that journal had a display ad for the same machine.
• Article in May 1905 Machinery.
• 1906-10-18 The Iron Trade Age.

  The Patterson Tool & Supply Company, Dayton, has sold its 13½-in. lathe business, which it formerly conducted under the name of the Miami Valley Machine Tool Company, to three gentlemen of Dayton who have an established manufacturing business and who will operate their business under the name of the Miami Valley Machine Tool Company. These gentlemen have arranged with the Patterson Tool & Supply Company for additional equipment for their plant, which will put them in a position to place the lathes on the market promptly. The exclusive sale of the lathes in the States of Ohio and Indiana has been given to the Patterson Tool & Supply Company, whose Indiana business is looked after by A. G. Schonacker, 508 East Twenty-third street, Indianapolis, Ind. No further machine tool equipment is required at the present time by the new owners of the lathe business.

  Findagrave.com page for William Blake Patterson.