Patten (shoe) Patten (shoe) Pattens are protective overshoes that were worn in Europe from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century. Pattens were worn outdoors over a normal shoe, had a wooden or later wood and metal sole, and were held in place by leather or cloth bands. Pattens functioned to elevate the foot above the mud and dirt (including human effluent and animal dung) of the street, in a period when road and urban paving was minimal. The word "patten" probably derives from the Old French "pate" meaning hoof or paw. Women continued to wear pattens in muddy conditions until
Charles H. Patten House Charles H. Patten House The Charles H. Patten House is a Chateauesque and Queen Anne style home located at 17 N. Benton Street in Palatine, Illinois. It was designed by Julius F. Wegman for Charles H. Patten, a prominent local businessman who was also mayor of Palatine from 1894 to 1895. Charles H. Patten was born in 1853 and grew up on a farm near Palatine. He was the son of John Patten, who moved to the area from Londonderry, New Hampshire. Charles opened the Bank of Palatine, which was the only bank in the village at the time. He