"On a September day in 1915, the big wooden doors of the local Greenfield, Ohio, carriage shop opened wide. The C.R. Patterson and Sons Carriage Company had opened these doors many times before to let the thousands of finished carriages they had built over the years roll out into the street ready for sale. The vehicle that rolled out of the doors on this particular day was different; it was an automobile. Just as many carriage makers did during this time, they made the transition from building carriages to producing automobiles. It had become apparent that the auto age was here to stay, and they had to keep up with the times.

This automobile, dubbed the Patterson-Greenfield, was similar to most cars of the time as it had no significant difference in body style, components, or performance from most of the others, yet at the same time, it was entirely unique. Frederick D. Patterson did something that no other Black man had done; he became the first and only Black auto manufacturer on the continent. The C.R. Patterson and Sons Company had been in business for 50 years before this occurred and all the experiences in life and business for the Patterson family had led up to this day. Although car production didn’t last – the company only built automobiles for about three years – it was an important step toward the company’s later endeavors. But the story of the C.R. Patterson and Sons Company began a long time before the first cars ever rolled out of their shop. This company went through several transitions and manufactured many types of vehicles throughout its 74 years in business."