Patterson's Shoe Shop

Robert L. Patterson purchased this property in February of 1851 from Benoni Vansickle. He became one of Lynden's first merchants after establishing a one storey, frame boot and shoe shop in the same year. By late 1881 to early 1882 he had cut ties with the boot and shoe trade, converting the shop into a honey processing and retail stand until selling the property in 1902.

The new owners, Pearl and William Rene Brock, had the premises refitted into a grocery store until renting their shop to Russell Edgar Jones in 1905. Russell did tinsmithing here for a few years, then the shop became Harmon Hanes' general store July 1907. After in business for only two months, Hanes abandoned the store which sat idle until taken up by William Ryan in 1909. He relocated to a new store in 1912, and the Brocks - now living in Hamilton - sold their store to Benjamin S. Hopkins. That store carried on until 1914, when it was sold again.

The new owner, John F. Vansickle, was quite advanced in age when he purchased the store, but carried on the business up until 1924 at which point he was 85 years old, presumably dying the same year. He had sold his property om 1918, subject to a lifetime use clause, to Minerva Weaver who later leased it to Charles Robillard in late 1926. The shop was gutted and reworked into a garage, where gasoline was sold and mechanical repairs made until 1937 when Robillard moved his garage to St. George. The property was sold in 1940, and the rickety old shop was demolished in the mid-40s to make way for the house that stands there now.