Snodgrass Family History Book

Preface
The Tapestry of History
Virgil Talbot wrote in his book that history is a giant
never-ending tapestry with threads weaving in and out of the
centuries, the scenes changing constantly, and new characters
replacing the old. Family History is the history about our
people, \Vhethcr they were rich or poor, famous or infamous,
powerful or humble. It is many nationalities, shades of
color, languages and religions.
$iu.orlgrm:1s
Such is the Snodgrass Family History. It reaches back
through the pages of ti1ne to over ten generations that \.Ve
kno\v. If our research is correct our direct lineage goes back
to William Snodgrass \vho was born in 1697 (One source
says he was born in 1704) in Tyrone, Ireland. William
Snodgrass was my 5 111 great grandfather on my mother's
side of the family. My mother was Mae Elizabeth Rauch
and her mother was Winifred '"Winnie'' Lou Snodgrass
who was my grandmother. In this book l will present the
descendants of this William Snodgrass.
Countless hours of research into every source at our disposal
leads us to believe that wc can trace our lineage back to
William Snodgrass. It is only fair that we point out that
there are some that doubt this lineage. The question arises
with what some say; is that the Snodgrass family was from
Scotland not Ireland and we must remember that this
information comes from many sources in the 1600 to l 700's
time frame so there are many chances that the information
can have errors. ·
Our research says that the Snodgrass family originated In
Scotland. Possibly some moved on to Ireland during various
wars with England and clannish wars in Scotland. Some
Snodgrass Families came directly to this country from
Scotland and Ireland and it is believed that they first settled
in Pennsylvania and later moved to Virginia.
Perhaps in time further research will definitely prove or
disprove the Snodgrass Family place of origin. Until then
we present what we honestly believe to be our correct lineage
particularly from the William Snodgrass who was born in
1697 (1704) in Tyrone County, Ireland. William died 25
Sep l 766 in Black Creek, Berkeley County, Virginia. Note:
Berkeley County, Virginia is no\v in West Virginia just
south of Pennsylvania.
William Snodgrass was married in 1727 in Martick
Township, Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Catherine Jane
Patterson who \Vas born in 1705 possibly in Virginia. She
was the daughter of John Patterson. Our ancestral quest
starts from this family to the Snodgrass families \.vho
1nigrated to Washington County, Arkansas.
Whatever the outcome of future research, our ancestors were
an amalgamation of hardy people who migrated from
Scotland and Ireland across the Atlantic tu possibly
Pennsylvania and on to the Virginia \Vilderness of Botetourt
that he and his wife Winifred ''Winnie" Norton Bradley
(Snodgrass) decided to move west alter the Civil War in
t-~~~t-i:d-la_n_rl_,
The Snodgrass Family Crest from Scotland.
about 1870 to see if his health would improve.They decided
to go to Cabin Creek. Johnson County, Arkansas. They sold
most of their household furnishings and loaded what was
left of their processions in two wagons with two good teams
of horses and their children.
William and Winnie Snodgrass and their children traveled
overland to Chattanooga, Tennessee. From Chattanooga they
loaded their teams of horses, wagons and possessions on a
flatboat boat and floated down the Tennessee River to the
Ohio River to Paducah, Kentucky. They then floated down
to the Mississippi River and later changed tu the Arkansas
River. They then traveled by steamboat up the Arkansas
River to Big Piney River, near Clarksville, Johnson
County, Arkansas.
Winnie had several cousins living in Cabin Creek, Arkansas.
William and Winnie farmed and lived near Clarksville at
Cabin Creek. Johnson County, Arkansas for about t\vo or
three years. Their daughter Martha Alice Snodgrass died in
1873 at Cabin Creek. After Martha Alice died William and
Winnie decided to n1ove again. They decided to move near
Lincoln, Washington County, Arkansas. Our Snodgrass
Family History resides 1nainly here in Washington County.
Arkansas.
Here the pattern changed and descendants scattered to the
four winds. Today, descendants of William Snodgrass live
in virtually every state of the Union and some foreign
06/30/01 The Norwood Family History Page ii