![]() Patterson & Sons to take the next great step in its own story as well as in African American history: in 1915, it announced the availability of the Patterson-Greenfield automobile at a price of $685. Initially, the work mostly involved repainting bodies and reupholstering interiors, but as the shop gained more experience with engines and drivetrains, they began to offer sophisticated upgrades and improvements to electrical and mechanical systems as well. Like his father, Frederick was a strong believer in advertising and placed his first ad for auto repair services in the local paper in 1913. No doubt this gave workers the opportunity to gain some hands-on knowledge about these noisy, smoky and often unreliable contraptions. ![]() Now, as owner and operator of the enterprise his father started, Frederick Patterson began to see the handwriting on the wall: the days of carriages and horse-drawn buggies were nearing an end.Īt first, the company offered repair and restoration services for the “horseless carriages” that were beginning to proliferate on the streets of Greenfield. He was also an early member and vice president of the National Negro Business League founded by Booker T. He was college-educated and was the first black athlete to play football for Ohio State University. When Patterson died in 1910, the business passed to his son Frederick, who was already something of a pioneer. His catalog listed some 28 models, from simple open buggies to larger and more expensive closed carriages for doctors and other professionals. It was a successful business employing an integrated workforce of 35-50 by the turn of the century, and Charles Patterson became a prominent and respected citizen in Greenfield. Lowe, who was white, and eventually became sole proprietor of the renamed C.R. In 1873, he formed a business partnership with another carriage maker in town, J.P. ![]() In any case, he learned the skills of the blacksmith and found work in the carriage-making trade, where he developed a reputation for building a high quality product. ![]() Some say his family arrived in the 1840s, possibly after purchasing their freedom others suggest Patterson alone escaped in 1861. Not much is known about his life on the plantation, and historians have to sift through conflicting reports about how he came to settle in Greenfield, Ohio, a town with strong abolitionist sympathies. Though its name is little recognized today, there is in fact a very important reason to ensure that it is not lost to history: it was, and remains to this day, the only African American owned and operated automobile company.Ĭharles Richard Patterson was born into slavery on a Virginia plantation in 1833. Patterson & Sons of Greenfield, Ohio, makers of the Patterson-Greenfield automobile from 1915 to 1918. Many others remained small, struggling to compete against the assembly lines of the larger manufacturers. Some of these early companies grew to become giants that are still with us today, such as Ford and Chevrolet. “David’s ingenuity and product innovations in vehicle autonomy and driver assistance are bringing tremendous societal benefits by enabling greater motor vehicle safety, better commutes, and increased mobility options for people unable to drive.At the dawn of the Automobile Age in the early 20th century, hundreds of small auto companies sprouted up across America as entrepreneurs recognized that society was transitioning from horse-drawn carriages to transportation powered by the internal combustion engine. “David Hall was chosen as an Autos2050 award winner for making game-changing contributions to the automotive industry over the past year,” said Dave Schwietert, Interim President and CEO, Auto Alliance. Auto Alliance also cited Velodyne’s close collaboration with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to promote safe mobility. The organization also saluted Hall for leading Velodyne in its launch of the World Safety Summit on Autonomous Technology in 2018 that seeks to educate the public, media, and industry about the benefits of autonomous vehicle (AV) safety and industry challenges. The Auto Alliance recognized Hall as an industry leader by achieving his company’s goal of safe autonomous driving by providing some of the most advanced lidar sensors at automotive-grade pricing. Velodyne’s smart, powerful lidar solutions can advance port terminal automation.
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