George Getz Shumard

George Getz Shumard (January 10, 1823 – September 29, 1867) was an American geologist and surgeon. In the 1850s, he took part in a number of expeditions, including the exploration of the Red River of the South, Wichita River, Brazos River, and the Llano Estacado. He later served as a surgeon in the Union Army.

Biography Early life George Getz Shumard was born on January 10, 1823, in Burlington, New Jersey. His father was John Shumard and his mother, Ann Catherine (Getz) Shumard. His brother, Benjamin Franklin Shumard (1820–1869), went on to serve as the first state geologist of Texas. At the same time, he served as an assistant geologist to his brother and much of North and West Texas.

Together with Randolph B. Marcy (1812–1887) and George B. McClellan (1826–1885), he explored the Red River of the South in 1852. He kept a diary, which focused on the geology of the Northern plains from Fort Belknap in Young County, Texas to the Llano Estacado in the Texas Panhandle. From 1858 to 1861, he served as Assistant State Geologist for the Texas state geological survey, working on the Red River of the South.

In 1861, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he served as Ohio State Surgeon briefly before resigning.

Legacy The Shumard Mountain (a.k.a. Shumard Peak), in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas, is named in his honor.