AMERICA'S GR~ATEST PIONEER FAMILY A History of the Shrode Family in America COPYRIGHTED, 1945 by I. T. TAYLOR Alt Rights Reserved Including the Right to Reproduce This or Parts Thereof in Any Form. Printed in U. S. A. AMERICA'S GREATEST PIONEER FAMILY HISTORY OF THE SHRODE FAMILY HISTORY OF THE TAYLOR FAMILY HISTORY OF THE DUFFEY FAMILY HISTORY OF THE JAMISON FAMILY THE AUTHOR 65 Ira Thomas (I. T.) Taylor (Major James, Captain, James, Henry C., Daniel P., Franklin), LLD., Sc.D., D.D., Ph.D. Educator, Historian, Scientist, Social \Vorker, Genealogist, Author, and Superintendent of Public Instruction of Jackson County, Texas. DEDICATED TO MY MOTHER YB Mrs. Minnie Adelle (Shrode) Taylor (John, John, Henry, Francis Asberry). A GOOD :MOTHER, AN EDUCATOR, AND AN ARTIST. America's Greatest Pioneer Family is dedicated to my dear 1'1.other, Mrs. 'ylinnie Adelle (Shrode) Taylor, who was a truly typical American .Mother. In loving memories of her and in re­ spect of her great pioneer family this volnme was made possible and is cleclicated to her. A·MEMORIAL TO MY MOTHER 54B Mrs. :Minnie Adelle (Shrode) Taylor (John, John, Henry, Francis Asberry). A MEMORIAL TO MY MOTHER AMERICA'S GREATEST PIONEER FAMILY was written as a memorial to my dear Mother, 54B, Mrs. Minnie Adelle (Shrode) Taylor (John, John, Henry, Francis Asberry), who passed on to her heav­ enly reward at the age of twenty-six years, before she had time to make very much contribution to the world. She was an exponent to the Nth Power as a representative of American Motherhood and she came from this typical American Pioneer Family. It is the hope and prayer of the author that this memorial will be a great incentive to all the -Shrodes throughout the United States to carry on and build a great family history in the future as our pioneer fathers have done in the past. The lives and deeds of our pioneer forefathers are a challenge to us. Read this volume over carefully and accept the challenge. If you will do this, then my Mother will not have passed on in vain. In making this memorial to my Mother possible, I realize that it is the greatest contribution that could pos­ sibly be made in honor of her pioneer people. Let it become a living memorial in the hearts of every living Shrode and their descendants throughout the ages. AMERICA'S GREATEST PIONEER FAMILY History of the Shrode Family in America By I. T. TAYLOR, LL.D., Sc.D., PH.D., D.D. Author of "The Cavalcade of Jackson County" "The Romantic Flags and Emblems of Texas" "A History of the Alabama Indians" "Progressive County Superintendent and Rural School \York'' "Taylor Ancient History Chart" "Taylor Character and Citizenship Chart" and coauthor with his daughter, Nawona A. Taylor, "Taylor Texas History Chart," Centennial series Please direct all inquiries and communications to I. T. Taylor, Edna. Texas. PREFACE The name of this book was carefully selected by the author The Shrode Family is the most typical pioneer family in Amer­ ica. Hence, the name "AMERICA'S GREATEST PIONEER FAMILY" or the HISTORY of the SHRODE FAMILY in AMERICA. Those that read this book will think that many names and data were left out. This is true. The Shrode Fari1ily, being a typical American pioneer family, made it all the more necessary to leave out many names and data. Most of the members of the Shrode Family were too busy pioneering to keep their family records. The data and records of the Shrode Family became obscure because of floods, fires, Indian wars, and the dust of time. If this family history had been written twenty-five years ago, it would have been twice the size it is now. -:VIore than a score of the fam­ ily's greatest historians have "Crossed the Bar to Meet Their Pilot." The author was ten years collecting all the data for this family history. He wrote thousands upon thousands of letters in gleaning this data. He spent days and weeks in Libraries, Museums, Archives, and the Census and \Var Department getting facts to make this family history possible. Besides this, he has traveled 12,000 miles in search of information on the Shrodes. The author is in debt to Mrs. Viola Norman, ~frs. Rose Thur­ man, William Guy Srodes, Mrs. Lida 0. Shumaker, Thomas H. B. Patterson, William McClinton Shrode, and many others for the valuable information furnished and their 100% cooperation given to make this family history possible. This family history was finished in 1940. It was impossible to have it printed at that time on account of ·world \Var II. A family history is like a tree-it grows. It was impossible to revise it with new data without re-writing the whole book. The readers will note no war records of any members in the armed service in \Vorld \Var II are given. Some of the author's immediate family biographies were re­ vised by adding some of their deaths and births. The author did his best in producing this family history. He tried to make it a masterpiece. It cost him several hundred dollars more than he will ever get out of it. This was all done for the purpose of making it a memorial to his Mother. The author never expects to write anothe.r Family History. If someone else attempts to write the Shrode Family History in the future, the author bids them Godspeed. It has been a source of great pleasure to write this family his­ tory. The author hopes that each one that reads this book will receive as much pleasure from reading it· as he has in getting the data and writing it. Regardless whether all the Shrodes like this book or not, they have a Family History that will be treasured in many· of their homes for many years to come. Their Family His­ tory will be found on the shelves of all the large libraries of the world to match the family history of other illustrious families of the world. The author would appreciate a letter from each one that reads "AMERICA'S GREATEST PIONEER FAMILY" telling him just what they think about it. Here are hopes that this book will be a great inspiration to the many generations of the Shrodes to make a greater and better history than our pioneer ancestors have made. SHRODE COAT-OF-ARMS of THE DUTCH FAMILY-AMSTERDAM HERALDIC ANALYSIS OF SHRODE COAT-OF-ARMS DUTCH FAMILY Shrode-Amsterdam, Do gu. a uno barbe d'or, Lice du mome, soutonuc de muoes aussi d'or. Arrns-"Gules, a garb or, bound of the same, supported of a cloud also of gold." .No crest nor motto is recorded with this arms. SHRODE COAT-OF-AR~IS of ENGLISH FAMILY HERALDIC ANALYSIS OF SHRODE COAT-OF-ARMS ENGLISH FAMILY Arms-"Per saltire, gules and argent four fleurs-de-lis in cross, tops to the exterior counter-charged." Crest-"A castle triple-towered proper." SHRODE COAT-OF-ARMS The fact that the Shrodes had a coat-of-arms shows that theirs was a family of distinction. The coat-oi-anns was granted and authorized by sovereigns for distinguished service. The· shield was the principal object whereon the emblem or charge of heraldry was depicted. The crest was originally worn by great men and commanders, who placed on the tops of their helmets the figures of animals and other devices, according to their fancies, in order that by looking much taller they might appear the more formidable to their ene­ mies. It also enabled them to be seen more easily by their own men in the heat and confusion of battle. On the Dutch coat-of-arms of the Shrode family the mantling shows a sheaf of wheat, superimposed upon a red background. This may have been used to signify their occupation as Shroder­ gleaners of grain or millers. A sheaf of any kind of grain, espe­ cially a sheaf of wheat, shows that the Shrodes originally held land by feudal tenure. The red background of the shield indicates valor or a warlike character. The golden color of the sheaf of wheat symbolizes Christian character and spiritual virtues-faith, justice, temperance. and charity-and of the worldly virtues it denotes nobility. splendor and riches. In the coat-of-arms of the English branch of the Shrode family there are four fleur-de-lis, which originated in France. This may go to prove that the Shrodes came from Alsace-Lorraine, as is stated by \:Villiam Guy Shrodes. Alsace-Lorraine has changed hands many times between France and Germany. The crest of the English Shrodes' coat-of-arms. a triple-towered castle, helps to verify the family tradition that the Shrodes owned a large estate on the Rhine River and were of royal blood. The marking and color of the English coat-of-arms symbolized power, valor, and nohility. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ------------------------------------------ IX Shrode Coat-of-Arms ______________________________ XIII History of the Shrode Family Why This Family History?__________________________ 1 A Great Pioneer FamilY-------~---------·------------ 4 Shrode Family Tradition _______________ .:____________ 11 Early Shrode History ------------------------------ 18 Evolution of the Shrode Name_______________________ 27 Census R~cord of Shrode Family____________________ 32 Family Characteristics of the Shrodes_________________ 53 Early Marriage Records of the Shrode Family________ 57 Cemetery Records of the Shrodes_____________________ 66 Navigation History of the Shrodes___________________ 73 Old Deeds and Diaries______________________________ 79 Diary of :Maria Christina Shrode____________________ 88 Traveling to California in 1870 (Diary of Maria Christina Shrode)--------------- 97 The Travelers Reach "The Promised Land" (Diary of Maria Christina Shrode-Can't.) _______ 110 From Texas to California in 1870 (As Remembered by "Maje" Shrode) _____________ 121 :Mention of Shrodes in