Rhoades/Rhoads
Family Reunion
The first
Rhodes-Rhoads-Rhoades-Rhods ( R H O [A] D [E] S ) Cousin's Reunion Luncheon of the
new millenium was held Sept 23 in Galt Calif. Almost 100 gathered on the banks of Dry
Creek, just downstream from the site of Thomas Rhoads's 1847 homestead, settled with Capt
Sutter's authorization on his Spanish Land Grant. The family's 1846 Emigration rolls
and Antique Family Documents were displayed on table layouts with a copy machine available
for descendants to supply themselves with research material gathered from 7 Eastern states
and 4 Western, including the Donner Party rescuers Daniel
and John Rhoads records.
MIND-BOGGELING.....BRAIN-OVERLOAD were terms most often voiced.
Frank Tortorich of the " Mother Lode Country ", Historian Emeritus of the
Sierras described the 1847-8-9 Carson River route return to Salt Lake City of the Veterans
of the Mormon Battalion, the California Battalion and successful Mormon
"Diggers" from the Gold fields, including place name derivations. Tithings to
Salt Lake provided the backing for the 1850 Deseret economy.
Cousin Ellen Cothran Rosa brought the "First Timers" up to speed with an outline
of the 1838-1849 activities of the Rhoads, Patterson, Grimshaw, Daylor, Shelton, Esery,
Forster, House, Elder, Fanning, Weimer (Wimmer) families.
Bernie Rhoades shared the Roster of the Thomas Rhoads Gold Train organized by Elder Amasa
Lyman July 14 1849, just recently rediscovered by LDS Archivist Mike Langdon.
Brigham Young called his followers back to SLC to avoid the temptations of the
"yellow disease", the train has previously been described by J. Goldsborough
Bruff when his 1849 westbound argonauts encountered the eastbound Rhoads Party near Elko
Nv. Thomas hid a $17,000 cask of gold diggin's inside his much larger flour barrel.
More RHOADES/RHOADS Reading:
Thomas Foster Rhoades
Letter to Esery
Rootsweb ~ RHOADS Cemetery in Lemoore, Kings Co., CA
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