From 1870 Vermont State Business Directory

In 1827 Jacob Patrick opened a blacksmith shop in Ludlow, Vt. Besides operating a general jobbing shop he manufactured agricultural implements and edge tools. In 1854 his son, William A. Patrick, opened a shop in Ludlow to manufacture woodworking machinery, as W. A. Patrick. We have also seen the name J. & W. A. Patrick, presumably father and son. As seen above in the 1870 ad, though, for much of the time it was simply "W. A. Patrick".

In 1860 William patented a gauge lathe for making implement handles, and this lathe was apparently quite well-known and successful. In 1882 he purchased an interest in the Lincoln Iron Works at Rutland where they specialized in making stone-working machinery. He remained in Rutland for the remainder of his life.

Information Sources

• 1858 Tuttle, Gay & Co.'s Vermont Directory and Commercial Almanac mentions "machinists, J & W A Patrick" in their writeup on Ludlow.
• A web site on antique firearms reports that W.A. Patrick of Ludlow, VT, made percussion half stock rifles, 1868-73.
• "W. A. Patrick" is listed in the 1874 work Wiley's American iron trade manual of the leading iron industries of the United States, as a maker of "Lathes and wood machinery."
• The 1949 book, History of Ludlow, Vermont.

  In 1827, Jacob Patrick built a blacksmith shop on the site now occupied by the east end of the Ludlow Woolen Mills, opposite the north end of the Plumley Garage. Neither the mill nor the boarding-house had been built at this time. Mr. Patrick used this shop until 1833, when it was moved down Main street and located where the block owned by W. D. Sargent now stands. In 1838, Mr. Patrick also built the shop on the corner of Main and Andover streets, now occupied by Vail's Garage. In this shop he erected a trip-hammer to assist him in shaping heavy irons used about his work. It was the only hammer of the kind ever used in town. Mr. Patrick manufactured agricultural implements, such as hoes, hay-forks, etc. He was also noted as a manufacturer of edge tools, such as axes, shaves, adzes, and pump-augers. In those days lead and galvanized iron pipes were not much used. Logs were used in their place, and the pump-augers were made to bore the pump- logs, so called, in lengths of ten feet. At the present time, pump-logs are very little used. Many of the implements of Mr. Patrick's manufacture were sold in Boston. He occupied this shop continuously for thirty years, with the exception of the year 1842, when he was employed as tool-maker at the armory in Windsor, Vt. He was an especially fine workman in the art of working iron and steel, excelled by no blacksmith ever in Ludlow, and equalled at the forge by very few in the country...

  Patrick, Jacob, son of Matthew, was born in Windsor, Vt., Nov. 24, 1802, and married Robie H. Atwood, July 8, 1828. By this union there were three children, Elizabeth A. born Mar. 5, 1830, William A. born Sept. 26, 1832, and Emily A., born Dec. 17, 1834.

  Mr. Patrick attended only the common schools of his early days. He learned the blacksmith's trade at Windsor, Vt., and at Vasselboro, Me. In 1827. He came to Ludlow and built a blacksmith shop on the grounds now occupied by the Ludlow Woolen Mills. A fuller description of his business life will be found in the history of the blacksmiths [see paragraph above]. In his early life he was a captain of a company of the old militia, and was commonly known as Captain Patrick. He died March 27, 1880. His wife died Dec. 8, 1892.

  Patrick, William Atwood, son of Jacob, was born in Ludlow, Sept. 26, 1832. He married Mina Mary Parker, Sept. 13, 1854. By this marriage there were two children, Mary Louise was born Apr. 7, 1857, and died Nov. 4, 1888. She was an accomplished lady, and highly respected by all who knew her, William Amasa was born Apr. 28, 1862.

  Mr. Patrick attended the schools in Ludlow, including B. R. A. At an early age he turned his attention to mechanical pursuits, and for a time, worked in his father's shop. He then served an apprenticeship in the machine department of the Armory at Windsor, Vt. He commenced business in Ludlow in 1854, in the manufacture of wood-working machinery. His shop was in the wood part of the Ludlow Woolen Mill, at the west end of the plant, power being furnished by the Woolen Mill Co. Mr. Patrick was the inventor and patentee of the well known Patrick gauge lathe, extensively used for turning fork, rake and hoe handles. He also received patents on other inventions. He was a trustee of Ludlow village for several years, and represented the town in the state legislature in 1876-7. In 1882, he purchased an interest in the Lincoln Iron Works at Rutland, Vt. These works became famous for manufacturing marble and granite working machinery. In 1897, Mr. Patrick sold his interest in these works, but, being an excellent workman in iron and steel, he remained in the employ of the company several years longer. He died July 15, 1903, closing a long and successful life.

  For more than forty years, Mr. Patrick kept in his employ, Edward A. Rock, who was also a first class workman. Mr. Rock invented and obtained patents on several useful devises in machinery. He and Mr. Patrick worked side by side like brothers, and the interest of one was the interest of the other. Such relations between employer and employee, are seldom found. Mr. Rock was foreman in the Lincoln Iron Works from 1882 to 1897, when disease called him away. He died at the home of his son at Brockton, Mass., in Feb. 1898. While he was in Ludlow he lived in the house now owned by Oscar Fuller.