Patterson is a city in St. Mary Parish,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, United States. The population was 6,112 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

During the early 19th century, a group of

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...

men boarded a sailing vessel in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

and ventured into the

Bayou Teche Bayou Teche (Louisiana French: ''Bayou Têche'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 20, 2011 waterway in south central Louisiana in the United States. Bayou Teche ...

. One of them, Hans Knight, decided to settle his family in what is now Patterson. The community was originally called Dutch Settlement, Dutch Prairie, and Dutch Town. In 1832, Captain John Patterson, a trader from

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, settled there. He built a store and became a prominent citizen. The town was renamed Pattersonville after the captain successfully moved the post office to Dutch Settlement. In 1885, the All Saints Episcopal Church was completed. It was later moved to

DeQuincy, Louisiana DeQuincy is the northernmost city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,235 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. DeQuincy is part of the Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lake Charles L ...

in the 1940s. Pattersonville was incorporated in 1907 as the Town of Patterson.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,931 people, 2,217 households, and 1,235 families residing in the city.

Sports

Though Patterson has only been to the football championship twice, it is a traditional playoff team. Patterson is also the home of LSU and

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

running back Dalton Hilliard (in Saints

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

) and

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

wide receiver Ike Hilliard. On January 15, 2009, Kenny Hilliard was named ESPN RISE Sophomore Player of the Year.

Government

Patterson uses a city council consisting of five council members. As of February 2020, the current mayor of Patterson is Rodney A. Grogan.

Education

It is served by the St. Mary Parish School Board. Schools in Patterson include Hattie A. Watts Elementary School, Patterson Junior High School, and Patterson High School.

Notable people

Ralph Norman Bauer Ralph Norman Bauer, sometimes known as R. Norman Bauer (May 1899 - March 13, 1963), was a lawyer from Franklin in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1928 to 1936 and a ...

Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives The Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Louisiana House of Representatives, the lower house of the Louisiana State Legislature. The speaker serves as the leader and head of the Louisiana House. The ...

from 1940 to 1948, was born in Patterson in 1899 * Dalton Hilliard, running back for the

* Ike Hilliard, wide receiver for the

* Gillis Wilson, defensive end for the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

References

External links

City of Patterson official website
{{authority control Cities in Louisiana Cities in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana Populated places established in 1832