Hocking College alumnus Christopher Nelson is garnering attention these days with his book, The C.R. Patterson and Sons Company: Black Pioneers in the Vehicle Building Industry, 1865-1939.

 

The book focuses on C.R. Patterson and Sons Company, which conducted business in Greenfield, Ohio. The company was founded by slave-born Charles Richard Patterson and passed through three generations of the Patterson family. C.R. Patterson was the first and only black automobile manufacturer in the world. Throughout time the company transitioned from building carriages, to automobiles, trucks and busses.

 

Nelson graduated from Hocking College in 2006 with an Archaeology degree. You can purchase your own copy fromAmazon or Barnes and Noble.