Edward Pedigo. Born April 15, 1805 in Patrick County, Virginia. Died September 4, 1894 in Whitman County, Washington. In a letter written to his daughter on March 20, 1891, he wrote:

    Well Zerelda, my dear daughter, I will try and comply with your request as near as I can. My great grandfather* was born in France in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and came to America while a single man, and settled in Maryland, not far from Baltimore. And here he married an English lady.

    They raised fifteen children, my grandfather Edward Pedigo being the youngest child. And he, while quite a youth, moved with his brother Robert to the southern part of Virginia. Their old French name was Perigoy. But the people of Virginia called the name of these two brothers “Pedigo” so they finally adopted that name (Pedigo).

    My grandfather was a soldier under King George before the Revolutionary War, in the troublous Indian War. He married Hannah Elkins in Virginia and raised fourteen children. My father Joseph being the oldest son.

    The names of Grandfather’s other sons were Abel, Elijah, Levi, Henry, John, and Elkin. His daughters names — after marriage — were Bashia Cochran, Lucy Clark, Nancy Sneed, Hannah Reeves, Elizabeth Edwards, Keziah Bell, and Amy Hardy. My father Joseph Pedigo, raised six sons and three daughters. The girls names — after marriage — were Polly Hetton, Betsy Taylor, and Nancy Bell. His sons names were, James, William, Joseph, John, Henry, and Edward.

    So I am the youngest of my father’s family, and I was born April 15, 1805. So I am eighty-six years old almost. And I have raised four sons and four daughters, all yet living, and trying to obtain a home in Heaven.

    March 21, 1891. In looking over the items which I have already written, I find that I have left out some things that you would probably like to know.

    P.S. I was born in old Virginia in (I think) Patrick County, April 15, 1805. And when I was about five months old, my father and grandfather, and eight of my Uncles and Aunts emigrated to Barren County Kentucky. And when I was about seven or eight years old, my grandmother died when about eighty years old. After which my grandfather lived with my father until he died in 1831, at the advanced age of 105 years. So you see, I was almost-raised in the presence of my grandfather, whence my knowledge of these things.

    My Uncle Elijah Pedigo and his wife and only child were drowned while trying to cross the Yadkin River on horse-back. My brother Joseph was murdered when I was a small boy, and thrown into Hamiltons Millpond in the Little Barren River Kentucky. I left Kentucky in the fall of 1830, one year before my grandfather died, and two years before the death of my father. I moved to Illinois in the year 1830. From Illinois to Iowa, in 1835. From Iowa to Oregon in 1854. From Oregon to Washington in 1871. Settled in Eden Valley in the fall of 1872. And am still alive March 1891.

*Thanks to JoAnn Pedigo Crouch for the following information: Joseph Peregoy b. about 1665 in France d. May 10, 1720 in Baltimore Co. MD, Royal Colony m. about 1688 to Sarah Mumford b. April 22, 1671 in Baltimore Co.MD, Royal Colony d. 1721 in Baltimore Co. MD, Royal Colony They had 5 children: Henry, Joseph, Edward, Susannah, and Frances. Joseph was said to be an indentured servant who worked for the Mumfords.

Note: While Edward's letter above indicates that there were 15 children in this marriage, the source for the letter was a typewritten transcript. The number 15 might have been a typographical error.

  • Click here for an "Old Timer's Story" written for the newspaper by Edward Pedigo.

  • Click here for an epic poem written by Edward's granddaughter, Mary Hendrix Thompson. It was published in the Garfield (Washington) Enterprise in February of 1894, about 6 months before his death.

  • Click here for the complete transcript of Edward Pedigo's obituary, published in the Garfield (Washington) Enterprise on September 7, 1894. The obituary occupied almost the entire front page of that day's paper.

  • Shorewood Place Footprints and Odysseys A great site, great deal of Pedigo information, including links to other sites.
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Zerelda Jane Pedigo. She was married to Hanley Harrison Hendrix and they had 3 small children when the entire family crossed the Oregon Trail in 1854. Their youngest daughter died at the very end of the trail.

Mary Emerine Hendrix. Daughter of Zerelda Pedigo and H.H. Hendrix, named after the earlier child who was buried at the end of the Oregon Trail. It was she who wrote the epic poem in honor of her grandfather's life.

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