The Mayfields settled north of Shady Grove, at what is now known as the Jot Walker place. Billie Calhoun settled up near old Calloway. Dave McWhorter settled on Blue Branch, but later moved to Shady Grove. The Whites came to Texas before the Civil War and settled at old Chilton, near where Big Sandy now stands. They later moved to Shady Grove. John Wilson settled near Sam Snow. He was a blacksmith and gunsmith by trade. He made guns for the Confederate soldiers during the war. Capt. Lucy Iris Wilson, an Army nurse of national fame, is a great granddaughter of John Wilson.
The Crows, Stephensons and Prices all came together from Tennessee in 1851. A Mr. Mann settled where Hubert Snow now lives, back in the beginning. He sold out to Mr. Humphreys, who in turn sold the place to Green Weldon, just after the close of the Civil War. The Coxes and Orrs settled where old Paint Rock stood. They sold out to Jeff Stringer, a Primitive Baptist preacher. William Baird also settled near old Paint Rock, and ran a large water mill down on Big Sandy creek. Owen Davis settled where John Mooney now lives in 1845. James Blackstone came in here in the early days. Elias Hail, an ex-Texas Ranger, settled north of Shady Grove. Ed Elder came from Comanche County in 1883, and exchanged his place there for the place where Guy Weldon now lives. Wiley P. Hays came, when a young man, from Tennessee and joined his fortunes with the people of Shady Grove. Amos Willingham settled where A. T. Hill now lives. F. M. Satterwhite, a Primitive Baptist preacher, settled at the Lowe place. These family names, together with many others, are woven inseparably into the history of Shady Grove.
Churches
The first church at Shady Grove was established back in the beginning of the settlement by a congregation of Missionary Baptists. They erected a building and continued to meet for some time. Later, some evangelists of the Church of Christ held revival meetings here and a congregation was established. The Baptists sold their building to them and disbanded.
A Primitive Baptist Church was established at Paint Rock with Jeff Stringer as minister. Later F. M. Satterwhite served this church. A Missionary Baptist Church was organized and a building put up at Myrtle Springs, just west of Shady Grove.
Before the World War, the fourth Sunday in each month was spent in singing and preaching. Lunch was spread at noon, and the afternoon was spent in singing. This custom had been kept up for years, but as flour and sugar and other foods were scarce, these meetings were discontinued. After the war, conditions had changed so much it was impossible to restore the old order. Now the fourth Sunday in June is Home Coming Day.
Schools
In the latter part of the 1880’s, some of the citizens of Shady Grove were sending their boys away to school. This was inconvenient and expensive, so they decided it would be better to build a school at home. Accordingly, in 1889, a number of the leading citizens organized a board of directors, erected a new building, hired a competent teacher, and opened up a high school to run eight months in the year. The first teacher was C. B. Reader from Add-Ran Christian University, then located at Thorp Springs.
When the school opened up in the fall of 1889, there was a number of local boys and girls in attendance. Prof. Reader only taught one year. He was followed by Prof. A. F. Shepperd, who also held a degree from the Christian University. The board of directors made all rules and regulations governing the school. The rules were strict and well enforced.
Miss Mittie Warren from Gilmer taught piano music in connection with the school, and while Mr, Shepperd was principal, they had a brass band. The school did a fine work, and sent out a number of young teachers. In a few years, however, the board of directors disorganized and turned the management of the school over to the local trustees. Soon after this the district voted bonds and erected a nice two-story school building and equipped it in the modern way. It soon proved to be too small to meet the requirements of the school, so it was torn down and a larger one put up in 1935. This building had fine class rooms, a large auditorium and stage, two halls, cloak rooms, and library and store rooms. The school had electric lights and running water. It was destroyed by fire in 1943. The present building was ready for use in 1943.