Thanks to Carlos Patoni's protege, Pastor Rouaix, we know quite a lot of biographical and historical information about Carlos Patoni, Jose Maria Patoni and Juan Bautista Patoni. I will include actual quotes from a book written by Pastor Rouaix regarding the Patoni's later. Right now because I am trying to get the Web page up and running I will give a quick summary here.

The first Patoni to arrive in Mexico was Juan Bautista Patoni who came to Mexico with the Baron Von Humboldt in 1803. The Baron Von Humboldt had been commissioned by the Spanish government to complete a scientific inventory of the human and natural resources of the Spanish Americas. Juan Bautista Patoni was a mining engineer von Humboldt brought with him to survey the mines in Mexico. Patoni stayed in Mexico when von Humboldt left Mexico. Juan Bautista Patoni moved to the State of Durango and began mining there. For more information about Baron Alexander von Humboldt, see the September 1985 issue of the National Geographic magazine pages 318-351.

 Juan Bautista Patoni was first married to Teresa Viola.  They had at least one son named Carlos Patoni who was born in Italy.  This Carlos Patoni married Maria de Jesus Reyes in Mexico City in 1812 and they had many children. At the time of  Carlos Patoni's marriage to Maria de Jesus Reyes, Juan Bautista Patoni's first wife, Teresa Viola had already died.

Juan Bautista Patoni married his second wife, Mercedes Sanchez, in Mexico.  Juan Bautista Patoni and Mercedes Sanchez had at least one son, Jose Maria Patoni. Trained as a mining engineer, Jose Maria Patoni, was later in the Mexican army where he eventually obtained the rank of Brigadier General under President Benito Juarez where he distinguished himself many times in battles against the French during the French Intervention. Jose Maria Patoni was also involved in politics in the State of Durango and served off and on for many years as the Governor of the State of Durango. Jose Maria Patoni was assassinated by General Benigno Canto in 1868. Canto was tried and sentenced to prison for the murder of Patoni. Canto died in prison.

Jose Maria Patoni had at least two sons with his first wife Dolores Ruiz: Carlos Patoni and Jose Maria Patoni(2).  Jose Maria Patoni(1) had a second wife named Josefa Flores with whom he had at least two sons. 

Carlos Patoni left Mexico in 1868 following the assassination of his father. He was educated as an engineer, surveyor, a map maker and a botanist in the United States, probably at Berkely, California. He returned to Durango, Mexico where his skills were put to good use. He surveyed many of the haciendas of the State of Durango and together with Pastor Rouaix prepared the first accurate modern map of the State of Durango, Mexico. Carlos Patoni became very active in politics.  He eventually became Governor of the State of Durango in 1912 just as the Mexican Revolution was beginning. A political ally of President Madero, Carlos Patoni resigned as Governor shortly after the assasination of President Madero.

Following his resignation, Carlos Patoni, moved to the United States for a short period. Pastor Rouaix became Governor after Carlos Patoni. Rouaix's model for agrarian reform in the State of Durango would become the agrarian reform system adopted by the framers of the Mexican Constitution following the Revolution. Rouaix would become the Minister of Agriculture for Mexico. Pastor Rouaix would not forget his old mentor. He made Carlos Patoni the Director of a special agricultural research facility in Puebla Mexico where Patoni sought to develop agricultural resources and products valuable to the future of the Mexican economy. Among the plants studied by Patoni were different plants that rubber could be produced from including Guayule. Agave patonii and Mammillaria patonii, both native to the State of Durango, were named by Carlos Patoni. Patoni died in Puebla in 1918.

See the links below to articles written by Professor Walker regarding the Mexican Revolution in Mexico focusing on the State of Durango. The papers discuss the roles of Carlos Patoni and Pastor Rouaix in the politics of the State of Durango during this chaotic period in Mexico's history.