The Acme Briefcase Factory was operated by A. I. Klotz, of New York City. The company moved to Patterson from Brewster in the mid-1940s, and occupied the factory building that formerly housed a fur business at the south end of Front Street. In the early part of the 20th century, the building housed the Pendleton & Townsend Sash and Blind Factory.

At 5:20 AM on Saturday, December 16, 1950, the train crew of a passing New York Central train noticed flames coming from the building and sounded the train whistle to alert townspeople. The Patterson Fire Dept. responded to the alarm, and soon 40 firemen were fighting the blaze. The building was approximately 50 years old, and had been remodeled a few times over the years. It was a three story frame structure supported by a concrete block foundation. The fire spread rapidly through the structure, and firefighters quickly determined that it could not be saved, and that their efforts should concentrate on saving the surrounding structures. Firemen were still on duty 48 hours later monitoring the smoldering ruins of the factory. Acme employed 75 workers, and was Patterson's major employer at the time. Acme estimated the losses to be $500,000 between the cost of the machinery and stock, and was partially covered by insurance.

Acme's misfortunes did not end with the Patterson fire. The factory moved to a new site in the village of Brewster at the end of February, 1951. Barely one week in the new facilities, the factory suffered the same fate as the Patterson factory. A major fire broke out in the business strip in the village, and threatened to destroy the entire business center. Fire companies from twelve neighboring communities fought the fire for five hours. Acme was now operating under the name "Brewster Leather Goods", and occupied the second floor of a two story building, above Podkaminer Garage. The fire started in a driveway next to the building where a gasoline tanker truck was delivering gas. Flames shot through the ceiling where they ignited plastics used by the leather factory. Forty of its workers escaped the flames from a second story window. The building was rebuilt as a one story building, displacing the leather factory once again.

Akin & Moline operated a grocery business in the village on Railroad Street (Front Street). The February 4, 1898 edition of the Putnam County Courier states that Akin & Moline were to open a grocery store in one of Jacob Stahl's new buildings. In addition to the grocery store, the business included a grain elevator, built in July, 1897, and a power grist mill. The grain elevator was constructed by contractor Arthur L. Newcomb. In February, 1901, the grist mill malfunctioned and tore itself apart. The accident was caused when the kerosene engine could not be stopped, and the fuel supply had to be cut off to bring the engine under control. The pulley wheel broke apart, the main shaft was bent, and the floor was torn up. The mill was filled with grain waiting to be ground, and the timing of the accident was unfortunate. In April, 1902, a disastrous fire destroyed several buildings in the village, including the Akin & Moline grocery and grain elevator. After the fire, the partnership was dissolved, but Claus Moline announced that he would rebuild the business. In May, 1902 Moline met with officials of the New York Central Railroad to make arrangements for the lease of railroad land to Moline for a grain elevator. By July, 1902, work on Claus Moline's new feed store was progressing. It was located along the New York Central tracks across from the Putnam Cigar Factory. A new grist mill was also under construction. Both projects were being built by Contractor Newcomb. Moline was also Patterson Town Clerk in the early 1900s.

The C. A. Moline store can be seen on the left of this early 20th century postcard, situated across from the Putnam Cigar Factory. The caption on the postcard reads: "Patterson's Largest Industry - A small group of the 200 cigar makers waiting for the whistle to blow." (Brian Benedict) The first ad appeared in the Patterson Weekly News in 1904. The second ad appeared in the October 1, 1908 edition.

In the late 19th century, T. W. Akin owned a building at the corner of Railroad Street (Front Street) and Center Street. In 1896, George W. Seaman leased the first floor in the building and installed a meat market. He also bought the confectionary and restaurant and renovated them. George Jennings leased the stores in September 1896, and also hosted the post office.

The tin shop of T. W. Akin is featured in this ad from the January 4, 1859 edition of the Putnam County Courier. The stores in the Akin building are for rent in this ad appearing in the December 16, 1897 edition of the Putnam County Courier.

Henry Ballard wore many hats in Patterson. In 1901, Ballard owned a shop in the Murty building, and sold merchandise on a cash basis. His offerings included the Fuller Warren line of ranges. In October, 1902, Ballard purchased a wooded lot and announced that he was going into the wood business if he could find laborers to do the work. Ballard also advertised himself as a plumber. In approximately 1919, Ballard purchased Stahl's Hall on Main Street (NYS Route 311) from the estate of Jacob Stahl, best known as the owner of the Putnam Cigar Factory and several buildings in the Patterson village. Ballard rented the building for use as a cigar factory and a clothing factory. Ballard also allowed the town of Patterson to use the building for town meetings. In April, 1922, Ballard sold the building to the Town for $3,500, and it became the Patterson Town Hall. In the late 1920s, Ballard was part owner of a company that ran a bus service from Patterson to Poughkeepsie, New York, that competed with the passenger service of the Central New England Railroad's Maybrook Line.

The first ad promises prices "cheaper than you could steal it". The second ad, featuring a closeout sale that included used gasoline engines. Both appeared in the Patterson Weekly News in 1904. In August, 1906, Ballard used the stationery of K. Joseph Slicklen to record the sale of a coffee urn to the Patterson Grange. The receipt bears Ballard's signature. The next receipt is dated December 7, 1908, and is for more goods sold to the Grange. The next two ads appeared in the October 1, 1908 edition of the Patterson Weekly News. Henry Ballard's home is seen in the undated postcard. The location of the house is unclear. In November, 1900, Ballard moved into the home of J. H. Cornwall on Main Street (NYS Route 311). Ballard purchased a home on Orchard Street in 1916 that was destroyed in a major fire that spread along Main Street (NYS Route 311) in January, 1917. A garage across from the house was also owned by Ballard and was also destroyed in the fire.

Henry Ballard is pictured in an undated photo, possibly from the turn of the 20th century. The second photo is of Ballard and his wife Irene. (Carlos Mina, great great nephew of Henry Ballard) The photo of the Ballards was taken by Henry's brother, Ernst Ballard. He was a photographer and, for a time, had a studio in Patterson. Henry Ballard was born in 1876 and died in 1943 at the age of 67. The Ballards were buried in Patterson

Julius Adelson came to Patterson in 1894, and started the Bee Hive in 1895. The business became known as Adelson & Block when Hyman H. Bloch joined with Adelson. Bloch married Dora Adelson, the daughter of Julius, in 1890, and the Blochs left their native Russia to come to New York City. Early ads show the store name either as the Bee Hive or Adelson & Block, or both. Adelson & Block sold general merchandise. Early ads for Adelson & Block and The Bee Hive do not give a location for the store, but an April, 1898 news report indicated that the store would soon move to a new, larger building on Main Street, part of a block of new buildings that were recently constructed by Jacob Stahl. It is known that the Bee Hive was located at one time on Main Street near Locust Street. A 1908 ad gives the location of The Bee Hive as the corner building on Railroad Street (Front Street) at the corner of Main Street (NYS Route 311). This building still stands, and is known as #1 Front Street. The store was moved to Main Street by 1917, but the Main Street block was destroyed in a major fire in 1917 that also claimed several other buildings. The Bee Hive was then occupied by Nathan Richmond.

The "Block" of Adelson & Block later became the H. H. Block Department Store. The spelling was eventually changed to "Bloch", and the store operated as the H. H. Bloch & Sons Department Store. Julius Adelson opened a store in the former space of O. W. Sloat in 1908, who was retiring. Additional information on the Front Street building can be found in the Bloch article on this page.

The first photo shows the original Bee Hive, located on Main Street (NYS Route 311), probably at the turn of the 20th century. George Robinson's store is just to the right, and Orchard Street is between the two stores. The first ad appeared in The Patterson Weekly News in 1903. The second ad appeared in The Putnam County Courier on August 5, 1904. The third appeared in the Courier on August 12, 1904. The next two ads are from The Patterson Weekly News and date from 1904, and the last is from the October 1, 1908 edition. The undated postcard shows the H. H. Block Department Store, while the awning shows the name "The Bee Hive". The J. H. Schenck Meat Market is to the left of the Block store. A c.1912 photo shows the front of the store. "The Bee Hive" is visible on the awning but the signage over the awning is unreadbale.

Hyman H. Bloch began his retail business in Patterson in 1892. Block was a partner in Adelson & Block, which also operated for a under the name, "The Bee Hive". The store evolved into H. H. Bloch & Sons, and continued to operate from the building now known as #1 Front Street. The building still stands on the corner of Front Street and NYS Route 311. Bloch sold general merchandise, including clothing, dry goods, and shoes, and later into the 20th century added furniture, appliances, electronics, and heating and plumbing products. In November, 1930, the store was the scene of a holdup that The Putnam County Courier described as follows:

"Patterson was deeply thrilled by its first real 'hold-up' late Saturday evening when two bold strangers secured nearly $170 in cash and a like amount of checks from the store of H.H. Bloch & Son about 11:15 o'clock."

The paper reported that the Blochs were working late when two strangers entered the store and asked for directions to Pawling. They left the store, and shortly thereafter, the Blochs locked the store and left for home. A short distance from the store, they were stopped by the same two strangers, who forced the Blochs to unlock the store and open the safe.

The store was eventually operated by H. H. Bloch's son, Jacob, starting approximately in the 1940s. In November, 1947 Jacob Bloch traveled to Mt. Kisco to attend a showing of the new line of Tappan gas ranges. The November 20, 1947 edition of The Putnam County Courier stated: "Mr. Bloch reports that the new models are beautiful and a wonderful improvement for the housewife." In the late 1950s, Jacob Bloch was assisted by Charles Greenberg.

Jacob Bloch sold his store to Mr. and Mrs. Royce C. Hall on November 28, 1965, ending seven decades of a Bloch presence on Front Street. The Halls, who lived on North Street in Patterson along with the Blochs, announced that they would continue offering similar merchandise as Bloch's Dept. Store, and would make an effort to order anything that a customer might want. Hall's Dept. Store would be open from 8 AM to 6 PM weekdays, and until 8 PM on Friday and Saturday nights. The Halls anticipated extending the store hours for the Christmas shopping season. A formal grand opening was being planned. Jacob Bloch had been in poor health, and the his business had not been doing well.

The Halls were no strangers to the Patterson business community. A few years earlier, the Halls operated Hall's Tackle Shop, which was located two doors from Bloch's Dept. Store. They also owned the Holmes Country Store in nearby Holmes. At the time of their purchase of the Bloch store, Royce Hall operated an insurance business in Patterson, which he planned to continue. Mrs. Hall would run Hall's Dept. Store, and Royce Hall would assist her as time permitted. The Halls would own the building until 1979.

The building saw a variety of uses in the 20th century besides the store. The third floor had a stage, and was used for dances and shows. Patterson Lodge #173, the "Odd Fellows", met in the third floor space in the early 20th century. For several years ending in 1949, the Patterson Town Clerk had an office in the Bloch building. The Halls built two apartments on the second floor, and Gil Wadle modified the space to make smaller apartments. Apartments were later built on the third floor.

Research completed in 1985 indicates that the building was built in approximately 1865 and was used as the C. Wing Saloon at least as early as 1867, according to the map of the business area in the 1867 Beers Atlas. By 1876, the building housed the Wing Brothers Store. The structure originally had an open porch, which was enclosed and converted into retail space. The date of the enclosure is not known, but early 20th century photographs already show the enclosed space. The building was acquired by Julius Adelson in the early 20th century when he moved his store, the Bee Hive, to Front Street. Adelson's partner and son-in-law, Bloch, later bought the building and continued to operate the store alone. The 1985 research indicates that Bloch owned the store at the turn of the century, and later sold it to Nathan Richmond. That store is presumably the Bee Hive, and it is known that Richmond and the Bee Hive were located on Main Street by 1917. After Hyman Bloch retired, the building ownership passed to his son, Jacob, who continued to operate the store until 1965, when the store was sold to the Halls. The Halls bought the building in 1967, according to records in the Patterson Assessor's Office. The Halls sold the business to Terri and Dan Schutz in 1974, who continued to use the Hall name. In 1979, the Halls sold the building to John Couri, Carl Raimerdes, C. Keller from Ridgefield Connecticut. The Schutz's continued to operate the store at least until 1979. In October, 1981 the Assessor's records show that the building was sold to Conant Realty, owned by Gilbert and Audrey Wadle. Audrey Wadle operated a variety store known as "Audrey's" for a few years until her death. The store offered a mix of hardware, clothing, shoes, and gifts on one side of the store, while the other side offered groceries and a large deli that was run by Gilbert Wadle. Gilbert was well-known in the community for his cooking and food offerings at the deli. After Audrey's death, Gilbert Wadle became sole owner of the building and the store. The business declined, and Wadle sold the building and store in 1995.

In September, 1915, Hyman H. Bloch issued this receipt to the W. O. Taylor, who was acting as a trustee of the Patterson Grange. The first photo may date from approximately 1920, as evidenced by the automobile on the lower left, the pole carrying electrical and/or phone wires, and the style of dress on the passersby in front of the store. (The Patterson Historical Society) The second photo is an undated postcard showing the store name as H. H. "Block". The awning shows the name "The Bee Hive", which was the business Block (or "Bloch") operated along with his partner Julius Adelson as early as 1898. The store was known as "Adelson & Block" and later as "The Bee Hive". The third photo was most likely taken in the 1950s when the store was operated by Jacob Bloch. These ads (top to bottom) appeared in the Putnam County Courier on September 24, 1920, November 30, 1934, November 22, 1935, and November 29, 1935. In April, 1931, H. H. Bloch & Sons issued this receipt for crepe paper to the Patterson Grange. The back of the receipt displays an ad for the other Bloch-owned store, The Empire Store.

The next photo gallery features excerpts from the charge book of H. H. Bloch. As customers made payments, their bill was crossed off. The charge book recorded transactions from December, 1918, through early 1919. While not of significant historical value, the entries feature many names from the Patterson community of the early 20th century, and perhaps offer a glimpse into their personal lives. The first excerpted page lists items purchased by A. L. Newcomb on December 9, 1918. Newcomb was often referred to as "contractor" Newcomb, and built many of the buildings in the village's commercial area, including many of the buildings owned by Jacob Stahl, best known as the owner of the cigar factory. Arthur L. Newcomb would later become the Putnam County Sheriff and supervisor of the town of Patterson. The next page is from December 14, 1918, and features an entry for Mrs. Charles L. Seeger. Mrs. Seeger was Constance Seeger, and, in the following year, would give birth to a son who would become the famed folksinger Pete Seeger. The Seegers lived in the former Matthew Paterson home, which still stands on NYS Route 311 at Cornwall Hill Road. The next page is dated December 17, 1918, and shows a gasoline purchase by George Pfahl. Pfahl owned the Patterson Bottling Works, a manufacturer of soda water. The next page is from December 19, 1918, and shows transactions for A. L. Newcomb, J. H. Schenck, owner of the Patterson Market, which was located next to the Bloch Store, and J. E. Carey, owner of the general store that was located on the corner of Railroad Street (Front Street) and Center Street. The next page is for December 24, 1918, and has another transaction for J. E. Carey. The next page, dated February 3, 1919, shows another transaction for Mrs. Seeger with the curious note, "Supplies at CA Moline", another merchant whose store was located along the tracks near the Judd Building. Also listed is a transaction for the Chase Rolling Mill Co. of Waterbury, CT. The final page is dated February 24, 1919, shows a transaction for George "Phafl", a misspelling for "Pfahl". Also shown are transactions for A. L. Newcomb, and a gasoline purchase for the Eaton-Kelley Co., which sold building supplies, coal and feed.

The next ad is for the 4th anniversary of Hall's Department Store, and appeared in the November 27, 1969 edition of the Courier. Free fly swatters were the attraction when the next ad was published in the August 27, 1975 edition of the Courier. The Dickies line of work clothes was featured in the next ad, from October 15, 1975. Hall's, now operated by Terri and Dan Schutz when the next ad appeared on October 22, 1975, announces its first anniversary sale. Hall's continued to sell appliances, as had Bloch, as evidenced by the next ad from October 29, 1975. The next ad, from June 30, 1976, was part of a series of ads tied into America's bicentennial celebration.

The last photo shows the building in the mid-1980s, when it was owned by the Wadles and operated as Audrey's. The name can barely be seen on the awning.

The Shady Brook Lodge was located at the intersection of NYS Routes 311 and 292. In 1961, the Shady Brook Lodge became the Angus Lodge. Later in the 1960s, it operated as Skyland Farms, and was owned by Julio Roque and Estela Melendey Roque. In July, 1967, the facility became the Blue Willow Lodge, owned by Mrs. Sustad. As its name implied, the restaurant featured white wallpaper with a design of soft blue willow branches. The carpeting was also blue. The Blue Willow Lodge featured continental cuisine. In 1970, the Blue Willow became Obie's Restaurant, which still featured a blue motif. The owner was George Oberndorfer. By the end of 1972, the restaurant had become the Village Inn. The building still stands and is used as a private residence.

The first photo is a postcard published by Harrie Wright and dates to approximately 1914. The postcard shows the lodge building on the right with Main Street (NYS Route 311) running across the center of the photo.

Not much is known about the Brook View Lodge, the subject of the first postcard photo. The postcard is undated, but probably dates to the 1930s or 1940s, which would pre-date the Shady Brook Lodge. The first Shady Brook ad appeared in the June 16, 1955 edition of the Putnam County Courier. The second ad was published in the December 22, 1955 edition, and the third appeared on January 12, 1955. In 1961, Shady Brook became the Angus Lodge. The next two photos show the Angus Lodge in early 1960s. The first Angus Lodge ad appeared in the July 6, 1961 edition of the Courier. NYS Route 292 was formerly designated as Route 216. The second ad for the Angus Lodge announces chef Marcel Voisin. It was published in the July 6, 1961 edition of the Courier. Next is a photo of Skyland Farms, owned by Julio Roque and Estela Melendey Roque. (The Patterson Historical Society) The Blue Willow ad is from the August 22, 1968 edition of the Courier. The first ad for Obie's Restaurant is from the February 12, 1970 edition. The second ad, published on April 7, 1971, announces Obie's Easter specials.

Carey's was the "Little Corner Store", located across from the New York Central Railroad's Patterson Depot on Railroad Avenue (Front Street) at Center Street. The building was demolished in the fall of 1940 to make room for a new "concrete building" to be constructed in the summer of 1941, according to news accounts. The property was then owned by Willard Brown, who purchased the property from George Jennings, a prominent Patterson resident who owned a farm along NYS Route 22 and served as Patterson Town Supervisor for many years. This is probably the old Akin Building that Jennings purchased in July, 1899. Carey's offered many confectionary items, which, by August, 1902, included the popular Diehl's brand of ice cream. Carey remodeled his store in April, 1908, to handle new products lines. In the 1960s, the site was home of Rinaldi's Market. The building was destroyed by fire in the mid-1960s, and the present building was constructed. Rinaldi's Market operated until the early-1970s, when a change of ownership led to the establishment of the new grocery known as the Patterson Market.

Carey operated the store for 45 years, and was also a Patterson resident for 45 years. He attended schools in Wingdale and Pawling, and married Elizabeth Simon in 1897. The Careys made their home on Orchard Street. Mrs. Carey died in December 28, 1954. John Carey died at age 85 on April 1, 1955, at the Harlem Valley Hospital in Wingdale, where he had been a patient for several months. After Carey retired from his general store, he became Patterson Town Tax Collector for many years, and was also a member of the Patterson Fire Department. He was a member of St. John's R. C. Church in Pawling, where his funeral was held.

Carey's Store can be seen in the foreground of this early 20th century postcard, which was published by Harrie M. Wright. (Brian Benedict) The first two ads appeared in The Patterson Weekly News in 1902, while the last two are from the October 1, 1908 edition. The two receipts were issued to the Patterson Grange, the first on August 23, 1906, and the second on February 13, 1911.

The Cash and Carry Market was owned by James Rinaldi, and was located on Front Street, three doors from the intersection with Center Street. The store was located in a building owned by Charles Bender of Danbury, which also housed Art's Barber Shop and a third store that was vacant in November, 1962, when a fire destroyed the building. In December, 1962, Mr. and Mrs. Rinaldi purchased the building and began repairs. They reopened the Cash and Carry Market once the reconstruction was completed. James Rinaldi was also president of the Patterson Volunteer Fire Dept. in the late 1960s.

The Cash and Carry Market, in this still photo from the film, "Our Town - 1960". The ad appeared in the Putnam County Courier on August 28, 1952. The second ad announces the reopening of the market after fire damage was repaired. The ad appeared in the March 7, 1963 edition of the Courier. James Rinaldi is seen in a 1968 photograph.

Cecil C. Cross sold accident and health insurance policies at the time this ad ran in the Patterson Weekly News on October 1, 1908. The hard-sell nature of the ad is amusing by today's standards.