In the early 1800s, this area was known as “Swangs.” Early settlers in the area were the Hardin, Harrington, Lowery, Patterson, and Roberts families. Swangs had a post office, a train depot, and three mineral springs on the property of the Epps family. Prior to the Civil War, William George Patterson bought the land the springs were on from the Epps family. His hope was that the spring waters containing sulfur and iron would help his son, who was in poor health.
Over time, Patterson built a resort at the springs and it became a popular destination with lots of activities. People arriving by train from distant parts of the state were able to get to the resort by stagecoach. It was actually the train service that led to the name change from Swangs to Patterson Springs. People traveling to Patterson’s Springs were confused at seeing their destination as “Swangs.” So the Southern Railroad petitioned the postal service at some point after 1886 to have the name officially changed to “Patterson Springs.”
Cleveland County History 