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Exerpt from "History of The Corporation of Westmeath Township" (1984) by Evelyn Moore Price.ABE PATTERSON
A student who had his roots in Westmeath township and attended S.S. No. 9, Westmeath, was Abe Patterson, who went forward to become internationally famous as Pembroke's wood carver. Born in this section of Greenwood, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Patterson After moving to Pembroke, this native son of Greenwood worked at his hobby of wood carving during the summer months at the rockcut at Meath near the bridge, made when Highway 17 was reconstructed and rerouted at Meath to avoid the excessively steep grade on the old road from Meath station. Many tourists seeing him working there near his small parked truck, would stop to converse -observe - or purchase. Conversation never distracted him - not even when with his display at Beachburg Fair. People were beseiging him with queries about his craftsmanship - Abe talked and whittled at the small animal he would be fashioning at the time.
His skill in wood carving began as a boy, walking through neighbouring woods making friends and observed the habits of a host of animals - Squirrels - deer - foxes - then carved birds in flight on hi gunstock - whittling bows and arrows - sling shots and darts for the sheer enjoyment of making them albeit not for use on the wildlife in their native habitat. Although he thought farming was the life, yet he turned to lumbering for he knew his typical woods and this knowledge served him as a text book.
In lumber camps he developed and perfected his ability to create the Life-like forms of animals. He was employed as a lathe man at Canadian Splint , Pembroke. The times were far from prosperous in 1934, but he had enough orders from friends and more than enough faith in himself to give up his job and build a modest workshop beside his home in Pembroke
One of his finer pieces of work was to fashion an exact replica of the first Greenwood Methodist Church, which he carved before the Church was dismantled This work of art is in the vestibule of the Greenwood United Church and is a fitting memorial to those rugged pioneers of this community. The pulpit seats and collection plates in both the Greenwood and Perritton United Churches are further evidence of his skill. He carved sandwich trays - with mounted models of tiny animals -small incisions in their backs for toothpicks on which olives could be placed
His moose carvings became famous and small models would be presented to dignitaries visiting Pembroke.
Making a study of Indian art was accomplished before he carved larger works, one being a totem pole for Garfield Weston's summer home on Victoria Lake, 11 miles from Madawaska. In 1956 a mammoth totem pole, largest Patterson had ever carved, attracted many visitors before it was completed to be transported by truck and floated by water to Weston's home. This totem pole was 36' 4" long. (After Garfield Weston s death, a member of Weston's Foundation, Toronto wrote me for more data on a feature of mine they had seen on the Weston totem pole and they wished to include it in their research.)
The huge totem pole at the Tourist Bureau, Pembroke, depicts more of Patterson's art. His customers included a number of prominent figures in the film industry and sportsmen. "Red" Horner of Toronto Maple Leaf hockey team purchased one of his deer, George Selkirk, Canadian born New York Yankee outfielder, wakened him up one night to purchase two hand carved moose. He shipped two pieces of his artistry to a high Nazi official in Germany, this man's son being enrolled as a student in a Canadian University. Patterson had shipped wood carvings to other European countries such as Finland and Czechoslovakia.
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Abe Patterson with Moose Carvings1950's
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada
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Abe Patterson, Pembroke Ontario, 1899 - 1969.During the 1930's Abe converted a 1920's Whippet car into a light truck which he used to transport his carvings to his favourite selling spot in the rock cut at the bottom of the Meath Hill on Highway 17. Here he sold to passing tourists , many on their way to North Bay to see the Dion quintuplets.
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Abe Patterson1930
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada
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Another view of Abes truck at Meath6
Abe Patterson's sales stand on Hwy 171930
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada
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In 2003 George Mrazik of Montreal advised the Patterson Family that he was selling this moose carving. It was originally carved by Abe Patterson of Pembroke Ontario in the 1930's and sold to a family named "Dawes". This was the Dawes family that owned the brewing company that was famous for "Dawes Black Horse Ale". They had a huge tract of land in Northern Quebec where an ancestor of theirs , a Colonel Dawes had built the Wapoos Sibi Lodge ("Rabbit River" in Cree) in 1917. This lodge became the home of this 34" high moose for many years. This property was purchased by an American from Main in the 1940's and then by a group of five executives from Eatons Department Stores in the 1950's. The Club along with the carving was purchased in 1987 by Mr George Mrazik . The carving is still in his possession. (2009)8
Moose carved by Abe Patterson1930's
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada
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"UBIQUE QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUNCUNT"Carved for the Armed Forces in the late 1930's by Abe Patterson of Pembroke Ontario
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"UBIQUE QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUNCUNT"Carved by Abe Patterson1939
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada
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This 10 foot 2 inch eagle was carved by Abe Patterson of Pembroke Ontario for Mr Ken Roberts of Kennbuckport, Main. Probably in the late 1930's.12
Carving by Abe Patterson1930's
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada
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Woodcarver Abe Patterson of Pembroke Ontario with Indian Chief Carving.. Probably at the 1940 Boston Sportsman Show.14
Woodcarver Abe Patterson with Indian Chief Carving at the Boston Sportshow1940
Boston, Mass.
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