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Origins of

the Surname

Variations of

the Surname

Armorial Bearings,

 Symbols and Mottoes

Locations of

the Surname

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Origins of the Surname

An Introduction

to the Surname

Source/Meaning

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History of

the Surname

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Surnames

An Introduction to the Surname

The practice of inherited family surnames began in England and France during the late part of the 11^th century.   Surnames were first utilized in the Germanic region of central Europe during the second half of the 12th century.  The custom of taking on surnames began in the southern areas of Germany, and gradually spread northward during the Middle Ages.  It took about three hundred years for this tradition to apply to most families and become a constant part of one’s identity.        With the passing of generations and the movement of families from place to place many of the original identifying names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with today.  Over the centuries, most of our European ancestors accepted their surname as an unchangeable part of their lives.  Thus people rarely changed their surname.  Variations of most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary act such as when a government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in transcription. 

Map of European Languages

Research into the record of this RHODES family line indicates that the variations, meanings and history of this surname are most likely linked to that area of Europe where English linguistic traditions are commonly found. 

Sources and Meanings of the Surname

Most modern Germanic and French family names are a means conveying lineage.  For the most part, German surnames were developed from four major sources: (1) Patronymic & Matronymic surnames most common in northern Germany are based on a parent’s first name, such as Niklas Albrecht (Niklas son of Albrecht);  (2) occupational surnames are last names based on the person’s job or trade for example Lukas Fischer (Lukas the Fisherman);  (3) descriptive surnames are based on a unique quality or physical feature of the individual like Karl Braun (Karl with brown hair); (4) geographical surnames are derived from the location of the homestead from which the first bearer and his family lived such as Leon Meer (Leon from by the sea), or derived from the state, region, or   village of the first bearer's origin for example Paul Cullen (Paul from Koeln/Cologne).

Most of the modern English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh family names throughout Great Britain have originated as a result of the following circumstances: patronym or matronym, names based on the name of one's father, mother or ancestor, (Johnson, Wilson). Each is a means of conveying lineage; occupation (i.e., Carpenter, Cooper, Brewer, Mason); habitational (Middleton, Sidney, or Ireland) or topographical (i.e. Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale); nicknames (i.e., Moody Freeholder, Wise, Armstrong); status (i.e. Freeman, Bond, Knight); and acquired ornamental names that were simply made up.

     Rhodes is a topographic name for someone who lived in a clearing in woodland. This, the most common form of the name, has been influenced in spelling by the English name of the Greek island of Rhodes (Greek Rhodos), with which there is no connection. There is no connection, either, with modern English road (Old English rad ‘riding’), which was not used to denote a thoroughfare until the 16th century.

     The surname of Rhodes is also a locational/habitational name derived from the Old English words 'rodu' and “Rode”.  It is from any of the many places named with this word, as for example Rode in Cheshire.  Other examples include Rhodes (Hill), north of Ashton-under-Lyne; Rhodes (Bank) near Oldham; and Rhodes (Green), north of Wakefield in the West Riding of Yorkshire; Rhode in County Devon or from Rhodes, the name of two estates, one between Prestwich and Ringley and the other near Middleton in Lancashire.

     Occasionally the Rhodes name was used as a metonymic occupational name for a wheelwright, or for someone who lived by the water-wheel.

History of the Surname

Most Germanic Surnames from Central Europe have their roots in the Germanic Middle Ages.  The process of forming family names in what is present day Germany began during Middle High German period in the history of the German language from the early 12^th Century to the 16^th century.   The nobility and wealthy land owners were the first to begin using surnames.  Merchants and townspeople then adopted the custom, as did the rural population.  This process took two or three centuries.  In most of the Germanic States of the Holy Roman Empire, the practice of using surnames was well established by the 1500s.

Surnames of the British Isles as we know them today were first assumed in Europe from the 11th to the 15th century. They were not in use in England or Scotland, before the Norman Conquest of 1066, and were first found in the Domesday Book of 1086. The employment in the use of a second name was a custom that was first introduced from the Normans who had adopted the custom just prior to this time.    Soon thereafter it became a mark of a generally higher socio-economic status and thus seen as disgraceful for a well-bred man to have only one name.  It was not until the middle of the 14^th century that surnames became general practice among all people in the British Isles

The concept of French Surnames come from the Medieval French word 'surnom' translating as "above-or-over name," surnames or descriptive names trace their use back to 11th century France, when it first became necessary to add a second name to distinguish between individuals with the same given name. The custom of using surnames did not become common for several centuries, however.

EARLY HISTORY OF THE SURNAME

     The RHODES surname was originally derived from the Old French word 'rode' and was probably brought into England soon after the Norman Invasion of 1066.  The use of the Rhodes name in England is first found in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire where they were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Hugh de Rodes. This was dated 1219, in the "Assize Court Rolls" of Yorkshire.   Other early records of the name mention Alexander de la Rode of Norfolk in 1277; John atte Rode in Bedfordshire in 1294; Robert del Rodes of Lancashire in 1332 and William Rhodes of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379.  A later instance of the name mentions Robert Roades of Lancashire who was listed in the Wills at Chester in 1660.        

Some Notable Persons or Places Having This Surname

Some of the best known persons or places bearing the RHODES name or its close variants are: Alexander de Rhodes, French Jesuit missionary;  Augustus Rhodes, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California;  Cecil Rhodes (1853–1902), British businessman after whom Rhodesia was named, theorist of imperialism, creator of the Rhodes Scholarship;  Jewell Parker Rhodes, American novelist;  John Harold Rhodes, English recipient of the Victoria Cross;  Phillip Rhodes, drummer for the Gin Blossoms;  Randi Rhodes, talk radio host;  William C. Rhodes (businessman), American businessman, CEO of AutoZone;  Elijah Rhoades (1791–1858), New York politician;  Randy Rhoads (1956–1982), American rock guitarist;  Robert E. Rodes, Confederate general in the American Civil War.

More About Surname Meanings & Origins

GERMAN SURNAMES

Many German names have their roots in the Germanic Middle Ages. The process of forming family names began early in the 12^th Century and extended through the 16^th century. All social classes and demographic strata aided in the development of names. First Names (Rufnamen) identified specific persons. Over time the first name began to be applied to the bearer's whole family.  At first through verbal usage, family names (Familiennamen) were later fixed through writing.  Until the 17th century, first names played a more important role. The earliest family names derived from the first name of the first bearer (Patronym). Later names derived from the place of dwelling and location of the homestead.  If a person of family migrated from one place to another they were identified by the place they came from.  Of more recent origin are names derived from the vocation of profession of the first bearer. These names comprise the largest group and the most easily recognizable, for they tell what the first bearer did for a living.  Another group are names derived from a physical or other characteristic of the first bearer.  Finally, there are names that tell you the state or region a first bearer and his family came from; the age old division in tribes and regions (Low German, Middle German and Upper German) is often reflected in names.

BRITISH SURNAMES

Although the Domesday Book compiled by William the Conqueror required surnames, the use of them in the British Isles did not become fixed until the time period between 1250 and 1450.  The broad range of ethnic and linguistic roots for British surnames reflects the history of Britain as an oft-invaded land. These roots include, but are not limited to, Old English, Middle English, Old French, Old Norse, Irish, Gaelic, Celtic, Pictish, Welsh, Gaulish, Germanic, Latin, Greek and Hebrew.  Throughout the British Isles, there are basically five types of native surnames. Some surnames were derived from a man's occupation (Carpenter, Taylor, Brewer, Mason), a practice that was commonplace by the end of the 14th century.  Place names reflected a location of residence and were also commonly used (Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale) as a basis for the surname, for reasons that can be easily understood.  Nicknames that stuck also became surnames.  About one-third of all surnames in the United Kingdom are patronymic in origin, and identified the first bearer of the name by his father (or grandfather in the case of some Irish names). When the coast of England was invaded by William The Conqueror in the year 1066, the Normans brought with them a store of French personal names, which soon, more or less, entirely replaced the traditional more varied Old English personal names, at least among the upper and middle classes. A century of so later, given names of the principal saints of the Christian church began to be used. It is from these two types of given name that the majority of the English patronymic surnames are derived and used to this day.  Acquired ornamental names were simply made up, and had no specific reflection on the first who bore the name. They simply sounded nice, or were made up as a means of identification, generally much later than most surnames were adopted.   Source: http://www.obcgs.com/LASTNAMES.htm

FRENCH SURNAMES

Suffixes & Prefixes - While not in common use as in Italy or Sweden, some French surnames are formed by the addition of various prefixes and suffixes. A variety of French suffixes including -eau, -elet, -elin, -elle, and -elot, mean "little son of" and can be found attached to a given name to form a patronym. Prefixes of French surnames also have specific origins. The prefixes "de," "des," "du," and "le" each translate as "of" and may be found used in patronymic and geographical French surnames. Some French-Norman patronymic surnames will have the prefix "fritz," from the Old French for "son of" (Fitzgerald - son of Gerald). 

Alias Surnames or Dit Names - In some areas of France, a second surname may have been adopted in order to distinguish between different branches of the same family, especially when the families remained in the same town for generations. These alias surnames can often be found preceded by the word "dit." Sometimes an individual even adopted the dit name as the family name, and dropped the original surname. This practice was most common in France among soldiers and sailors.

Germanic Origins of French Names - As so many French surnames are derived from first names, it is important to know that many common French first names have Germanic origins, coming into fashion during German invasions into France. Therefore, having a name with Germanic origins does not necessarily mean that you have German ancestors!

Official Name Changes in France - Beginning in 1474, anyone who wished to change his name was required to get permission from the King. These official name changes can be found indexed in: Jérôme, archiviste. Dictionnaire des changements de noms de 1803 à 1956 (Dictionary of changed names from 1803 to 1956). Paris: Librairie Française, 1974.   Source: French Surname Meanings & Origins

Use this LINK to find the ethnic origin and meaning of last

names. Surname dictionary and

genealogy helps include names of Irish, German, English, French, Italian, and Jewish descent.

Variations of the Surname

Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of variants.  As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized.  Later on spellings would change with the branching and movement of families. The complexity of researching records is compounded by the fact that in many cases an ancestors surname may have been misspelled.  This is especially true when searching census documents. 

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rhodes, Rhoades, Rhode, Rhoads, Roades, Roads and many more, (as noted below). 

Spelling variations of this family name may be ascertained through the utilization of several systems developed over the years.  The most prominently known are Soundex, Metaphone, and the NameX systems.  Of the three we recommend NameX as the most accurate for family historians.

Click on the button to find the variants of this or any other surname by utilizing The Name Thesaurus a ground-breaking technology for finding Surname and Forename variants.

This useful genealogy research tool has identified 385 million variants for 5,929,000 Surnames and 26 million variants for 1,246,000 Forenames, as well as gender identification for more than 220,000 Forenames.

NameX matched 147 spelling variations of the RHODES surname. The top 20 are:

Metaphone is a phonetic algorithm, first published in 1990, for indexing words by their English pronunciation.  It fundamentally improves on the Soundex algorithm by using information about variations and inconsistencies in English spelling and pronunciation to produce a more accurate encoding. Later a new version of the algorithm named Double Metaphone was created to take into account spelling peculiarities of a number of other languages. In 2009 a third version, called Metaphone 3, achieves an accuracy of approximately 99% for English words, non-English words familiar to Americans, and first names and family names commonly found in the U.S.  The Metaphone Code for RHODES is RHTS.  There are 113 other surnames sharing this code.

The Soundex System was developed in an effort to assist with identifying spelling variations for a given surname. Soundex is a method of indexing names in the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census, and can aid genealogists in their research.  The Soundex Code for RHODES is R320.  There are 4012 other surnames sharing this Code. 

If The Name Thesaurus doesn’t adequately address the name you are looking for check out the following link:

Top 10 Tips for Finding Alternative Surname Spellings & Variations

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Use LINK button to view our Surname Locator & Resources page.

Locations of the Surname

Locational Distribution of this Surname

Historical Distribution of this Surname

Locational Distribution of This Surname

Knowing the geographical areas where the surname you are researching is clustered and distributed is an indispensable tool in deciding where to focus your research.  We believe that the “Public Profiler” website will open up to you a wide range of solutions which implement current research in spatial analysis.  This site provides an array of local spatial information tools useful to the genealogist. 

The information presented herein shows where the RHODES surname is distributed within North America as well as in Europe the location of origin for this surname.      Statistics show that the country were this surname is the most highly clustered is United Kingdom with approximately 396.06 persons per million of population.  The density of population in the within the United States is 358.54 persons per million of population.  The top region in the World where this surname is the most highly clustered is Waimate District, New Zealand with 1712.92 persons per million, and Leeds , Yorkshire and Humberside , United Kingdom is the top city where this surname is found.

North America

Europe

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Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of a surname.  You can

get greater detail for any of the following maps by clicking on the area, i.e state, county that you are interested in.

·        Database of Surnames in the Netherlands

·        Database of Surnames in Belgium

·        Names Distribution in France

·        Map of the surname: Austria

·        Distribution of Surnames in Spain

·        Map of the Surname: Switzerland

·        Distribution of Surnames in Italy

Historical Distribution of this Surname

The main value in historical surname distribution databases and maps is that they enable genealogists to pinpoint the predominant location of a surname. This can quickly narrow down your search for a BDM certificate.  Knowing where to look is half the battle to finding ancestry records; if you can narrow down the search field it can save you a lot of time and trouble.  The core of historical surname distribution is that most people stayed within a fairly close locale.  Concentrations of surnames are clearly visible on Surname Distribution Maps, and name distribution tables (along with an atlas) make it quite likely that the origin of that name is from the area of its highest concentration.

The following “historical locations” for the RHODES surname and some of its close variant spellings have been primarily extracted from either Burke’s The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, or Rietstap’s Armorial General.   Both books were first published in the 1860’s and revised over the next two decades.  The information therein is relevant to that period as well as earlier times as far back as 1500.   Most of the locations cited by Riestap are on the continent of Europe such as Germany, France, Switzerland, etc.       

(2) = the frequency with which this place occurs.

We recommend that you utilize our Tools for Finding Ancestral Locations.  If you have an elementary knowledge of heraldry you may wish to use this practice to trace your founding forefather.  For more information about this approach to seeking out your ancestral locations see our Using Heraldry as a Family History Research Tool.  

·        Great Britain Family Names - 1881 Census

·        England and Wales: 1891 Census

·        Scotland: 1891 Census

·        Distribution of surnames in Ireland in 1890

·        Family Name Distribution in Germany: 1942

·        Nom de famille en France: 1891-1915; 1916-40; 1941-65; 1966-90

·        United States: 1920

Armorial Bearings, Mottoes & Symbols

An Introduction to

 European Heraldry

Gallery of Images

Descriptions of the

Armorial Bearings

Motto(es) Associated

 With This Surname

Heraldry as a Family

History Research Tool

More About

Armorial Bearings

An Introduction To European Heraldry

The seeds of heraldic structure in personal identification can be detected in the account in a contemporary chronicle of Henry I of England, on the occasion of his knighting his son-in-law Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, in 1127. He placed to hang around his neck a shield painted with golden lions. The funerary enamel of Geoffrey (died 1151), dressed in blue and gold and bearing his blue shield emblazoned with gold lions, is the first recorded depiction of a coat of arms.

       By the middle of the 12th century, coats of arms were being inherited by the children of armigers (persons entitled to use a coat of arms) across Europe. Between 1135 and 1155, seals representing the generalized figure of the owner attest to the general adoption of heraldic devices in England, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.  By the end of the century, heraldry appears as the sole device on seals.  In England, the practice of using marks of cadency arose to distinguish one son from another: the conventions became standardized in about 1500, and are traditionally supposed to have been devised by John Writhe.

     In the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, heraldry became a highly developed discipline, regulated by professional officers of arms. As its use in jousting became obsolete, coats of arms remained popular for visually identifying a person in other ways – impressed in sealing wax on documents, carved on family tombs, and flown as a banner on country homes. The first work of heraldic jurisprudence, De Insigniis et Armis, was written in the 1350s by Bartolus de Saxoferrato, a professor of law at the University of Padua.

    In the Germanic areas of Central Europe heraldry spread to the German burgher class in the 13th century, and even some peasants used arms in the 14th century.  A German coat of arms is usually referred to by any of the following terms; Wappen, Familienwappen, Blasonierung, Heraldik, or Wappenschablonen.

     In the British Isles the College of Arms, (founded in 1483), is the Royal corporation of heralds who record proved pedigrees and grant armorial bearings.  In Scottish heraldry, the Lord Lyon King of Arms in the Act of 1672 is empowered to grant arms to "vertuous [virtuous] and well deserving persons."

     Although heraldry in France and the lowlands of Belguim and Holland had a considerable history, like England, existing from the eleventh century, such formality has largely died out in these locations. The role of the herald (héraut) in France declined in the seventeenth century.  Many of the terms in international heraldry come from French.

Gallery of Images

Click on Image for Full-Size

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Descriptions of the Armorial Bearings

Heraldry symbols such as the colors, lines and shapes found on coats-of-arms are generally referred to as charges.  Although there is some debate over whether or not the charges have any universal symbolism many persons do believe they may represent an idea or skill of the person who originally had the armorial bearings created.  If this assumption has any validity charges may provide clues to early family history of that person.  The associated armorial bearings for this surname and close variant spellings are recorded in Burke’s General Armoire and Rietstap’s Armorial General.  The additional information, presented below, is offered with regard to the armorial bearings depicted above.   

When reading the following descriptions of these armorial bearings you may come across a term that you would like to know more about. 

As such we recommend you utilize this LINK BUTTON to locate additional information within the classic resource book originally published by James Parker and Company in 1894.

Mottoes of this Surname

British Isles

A motto is a word or sentence usually written upon a scroll and generally placed below the shield, but sometimes, especially in Scotland, above the crest.    Many ancient mottoes were war-cries such as the Douglas motto of “Forward.”    Many mottoes refer to the name of the bearer, for example “cole regem” for Coleridge.   In general most mottoes convey a sentiment, hope, or determination, such as the Cotter motto “Dum spiro spero” where the meaning is “While I have breath I hope“.     Mottoes are often used by several successive generations, but may be changed at any time by the grantee. The languages most in use are Latin, French, and English.  Exceptions are seen in Scotland where they are often in the old Lowland dialect, and in Wales, often in the language of the principality.   

Germany

It is unusual to find a motto associated with the coat-of-arms of a noble of the European continent especially a German family.  This does not necessarily mean that the Germanic culture is devoid of mottos.  For example, the national motto of Germany is “Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit”, meaning Unity and Justice and Freedom.  The German word for motto is “Wahlspruch.”   Some of the more well known German mottoes are as follows: Alte Wunden bluten leicht – Old wounds readily bleed anew;    Blut und Eisen – Blood and iron;  Das beste is gut genug – The best is good enough;  Ein’ feste Burg is unser Gott – Our God is a strong tower of defense;  Ewigkeit – Eternity;  Für Gott und Iht – All for God and her;  Gott is überall – God is over all;  Gott mit uns – God is with us;  Ich dien – I serve;  Krieg – War;  Mehr Licht! – More light!;  Nichts zoviel – Nothing in excess;  Prosit! – Good luck!;    Vaterland – Fatherland;  Vertrau’ auf Gott – Put your trust in God;  Vorwärts! – Forward!;        Zu dienen – At your service.

France

French phrases adopted as mottos, have a certain air of chivalry and perhaps a distinctly feudal sense of duty and allegiance. French mottos are more indicative of the warrior culture of the Middle Ages. Some of these phrases, however, are translations of better known Latin mottos, such as Toujours fidèle for Semper fidelis. Some of these phrases are often found in Old French spelling.  Examples of some well known French mottoes are as follows: Aimez loyaulté - Love loyalty;  Boutez en avant - Push forward;  C’est la seule vertu qui donne la noblesse - Virtue alone confers nobility;  Droit à chacun - To each his right;  En Dieu est ma foy - In God is my faith;  Foy pour devoir - Faith for duty;  Garde la foy - Keep the faith;  Inébranlable - Not to be shaken;  J’ai bonne cause - I have good reason;  Loyauté sans tache - Loyalty without defect;  Maintien le droit - Support the right;  Ni dessus, ni dessous - Neither above nor below;  Oublier ne puis - I cannot forget;  Parle bien ou parle rien - Speak well or say nothing;  Rien sans Dieu - Nothing without God;  Suivez raison - Follow reason;  Tachez surpasser en vertue - Strive to surpass in virtue;  Un Dieu, un roy, un foy - One God, one king, one faith;  Veilliez et ne craignez pas - Watch and fear not.

Heraldry as a Family History Research Tool

Wondering whether you are descended of the nobility*?  Are you aware of an ancestor who held a prominent political position or had a title such as Sir, or Esquire?  If so you just might be descended from royalty.   If you are of European descent, you are probably a descendant of Charlemagne.  Once you are able to prove your line of descent from him, you will then find thousands of links to other royalty in your list of relatives.  It is rare indeed that the genealogy of a person of European descent, when traceable, doesn’t hit nobility somewhere.  And once it hits one European noble, whether you like it or not, hundreds of new names will become a part of your family.

*The nobility is a class of people who had special political and social status. Nobility is inherited or granted by the Crown as a reward to people who perform a heroic deed, achieve greatness in some endeavor, or hold a prominent government position.

    If you have an elementary knowledge of heraldry you may wish to use this practice to trace your founding forefather.  If you know the geographical place (country, county, city) where the family coat-of-arms was first identified, you may well search its history for the family name in question in order to find your direct ancestor.  Remember that most noble European family pedigrees have been thoroughly researched and published.   By putting together the family surname with the known location you may find a treasure trove of valuable information about your ancestors.  Upon pursing your research you should be aware of the possibility of variant spellings of the surname.  See Variations of the Surname for more information about variant spellings of the surname.

Many family historians who have not connected with a noble ancestor may just want to know what their family coat-of-arms looks like.  If this is the situation you must know that except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname.  A coat of arms is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname.  Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee.  As a result you are advised to seek out a coat-of-arms for the locale where your ancestor resided.

For example: we have an Arnold ancestor who is known to have emigrated to America from the town of Erlangen, in Bavaria, Germany.  Current research shows Erlangen is located in the area of Bavaria known as Middle Franconia.  Upon review of the historic locations for Arnold as noted in one source of armorial bearings we find places in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands and others.   One coat-of-arms is listed as belonging to an Arnold of Franconia, Bavaria.  As such we may conclude that this is the coat-of-arms having some relevance to our ancestor.  He may well be a blood relative of the aforementioned noble Arnold.   He or his ancestor may have been employed by or a serf of the noble Arnold family of that locale.  In some cases the name of the noble family becomes the name of the locale resulting in the ancestor appropriating it a as surname, see Sources and Meanings of the Surname to ascertain whether the surname you are interested in is a locational name.

If you are interested in the armorial bearings of a particular surname we strongly advise that you utilize the resources provided within this area of our web page.  If you have any questions or need any assistance with regard to using heraldry as a means to further or widen your family history research you are welcome to contact us, see About This Webpage.

More About Heraldic bearings

The art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry.   A Coat of Arms is defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special insignia of some person, family, or institution.  Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname.  A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname.  Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee.  The rules and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even when the surname is the same. 

Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a  coat of arms are :

Crest - The word crest is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms.  The crest was a later development arising from the love of pageantry.  Initially the crest consisted of charges painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet.

Wreath or Torse – The torse is a twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second the tincture of the metal, and so on.

Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield.

Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets.

Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms.  At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object.  The items appearing on the shield are known as charges.

Motto - The motto was originally a war cry, but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment. It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms.

Searching for more information about heraldry? Click on the button at the  right to look at our webpage featuring links   to   websites   with  

a wide variety of arms, crests, and badges.  They may also feature additional heraldry resources as noted in the accompanying descriptions.

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·             Our Surname Locator And Resources web page contains the following: (1) links that will take you to an updated listing of all surnames as posted in our three databases at the Rootsweb WorldConnect Project; (2) the Surname List Finder a tool that finds sound-alike matches for a given surname from among RootsWeb's thousands of surname lists; (3) the Soundex Converter that can be used to find the soundex code for a surname, plus other surnames/spellings sharing the same soundex code;  (4) Surname Message Boards the world's largest online genealogy community with over 17 Million posts on more than 161,000 boards; (5) Surname Mailing Lists of all surnames having mailing lists at RootsWeb, as well as topics that include (6) Surname Heraldry, and  (7) Mapping a Surname. 

·              Your genealogy research of this surname can be facilitated by use of Surname Web. This website links to the majority of the surname data on the web, as well as to individual family trees, origin and surname meaning if known, and many other related genealogy resources. 

·              Surname Finder provides easy access to free and commercial resources for 1,731,359 surnames. On each surname specific "finder" page, you can search a variety of online databases all pre-programmed with your surname.

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Our Ancestral Lineage

Family History

Ancestral Lineage

Source Documents

Migrations of the

American Family

Ancestral Locations

Family Images Gallery

Family History

     Our earliest known Rhodes ancestor is William Calvin Rhodes.  William was born 1820 in eastern Tennessee, most likely in Knox County.   Nothing is known of his parent or early life until his marriage to Sarah Rebecca Douglass at McMinn County, Tennessee in 1848.  Some time around 1849  he and Sarah moved on to live in Rusk County, Texas where his at least five of his 12 children were born between 1849 and 1856.     

      In 1857 William and his family made preparations to move west to California.  The family now consisting of their five eldest children joined up with the Turner-Duke wagon train and began the long and dangerous trek west in the summer of the aforementioned year. During journey the Rhodes family narrowly missed becoming involved in the now famous massacre at Mountain Meadows located in the Utah Territory. According to historical accounts all of the members of the Baker-Fancher wagon train, save seventeen children, were murdered by Indians and Mormons on September 7, 1857.  It is known that the wagon train containing the Rhodes family did travel with the  Baker-Fancher companies from time to time for mutual protection against Indians due to harassment from them.   The frequency of this harassment was probably due to fact that the Duke group had a sizable herd of cattle, some of which probably belonged to William Rhodes.  It is also probable that because of the difficulties with moving the herd the Duke and Turner wagon train was two or three days behind the ill-fated Baker train on that awful day of the massacre.  After learning of the event they paid some Mormons to lead them and were guided on a route skirting the meadow.  A mail train driven by two Mormons, Sidney Tanner and William Matthews, in company with three immigrant wagons had preceded them. They traveled the meadow at night a week after the massacre and arrived in San Bernardino October 1. It was from these various immigrant wagon parties that newspapers in Los Angeles and San Francisco pieced together a story of the attacks that so outraged the nation.

     Upon arrival in California William traded his team and wagon to some Mormons for a furnished home.*  The Rhodes family settled at San Bernardino, where they lived for about two or three years. During this time his son Will Rhodes was born.  Some accounts say that he may have been the first or among the first white babies to be born in San Bernardino County after the Mormons had removed from the area.  Around 1858 William returned to Tennessee via the Isthmus of Panama to bring back more animal stock.  On the return trip he left the stock at Huston Brothers in near Carson City, Nevada for the winter.  Unfortunately they all died before spring.

         By 1860 the family moved on to Tulare County locating near the present site of Farmersville. William purchased 40 acres of land in Tulare county on June 25, 1860 and another 40 acres on August 11th of that year.  The family consisting of William, Sarah and six children are found in the 1860 census of Tulare County living near the town of Visalia.  Although William listed his occupation as a carpenter in the census it is known that he was also engaged in farming.     He later continued to work as a stockman raising cattle and sheep.  In August of 1865 William and his son William Robert Rhodes were attacked and severely injured by a grizzly bear while herding sheep in the Yokoli Valley located about 30 miles north of Porterville.

     William Rhodes and his family are found in the 1870 census as living in Tule River Twp.  The 1880 census shows only Sarah and four of their children.  It is assumed that William was off wandering the country as was his custom throughout his marriage.   It is known that William was a member of the Masonic order and his political affiliation was Democrat.   William Rhodes died in 1888, at the age of 68 years.  He may have been "bushwhacked" or committed suicide somewhere in the frontier in Texas or Mexico.

    Our great-great grandmother, Julia Rhodes, the fourth child of William and Sarah Rhodes, was born at Rusk County, Texas in 1855.  Julia Rhodes was just two years old when she and her family left Texas and crossed the great plains toward California.     In 1872 17-year-old Julia Rhodes married Thomas Turner.  Turner only lived a short time.  She had one child by him, Sarah Belle, born in 1873.  Julia married Albea Edgar Scruggs in 1875.  Around this time she and her husband moved to the homestead 6.5 miles west of Porterville.  Julia and Albea had 9 children, (7 males and 2 females).  Her boys Samuel Roy and Daniel Ray were twins.

     Soon after Albea's death in 1906 Julia moved to 504 Mill Street in Porterville, California.  Later, she broke her hip and was in a wheel chair for the rest of her life.  At the end, she suffered a paralytic stroke. Julia passed away in her home in 1922 at the age of 67 years.  Julia Rhodes Scruggs was laid to rest next to her husband Albea in the Porterville Cemetery (Plot D-199-5) on 11 October 1922.       We are descended through Julia and Albea’s son John Eldridge Scruggs.  

* In 1851 Brigham Young had sent a group of Mormons into the San Bernardino area where they purchased an existing ranch and laid out a town by 1852. About 1400 Mormons settled there, cultivating 4000 acres.  In the summer of 1857 Brigham Young recalled the people from the San Bernardino colony along with others from the Carson City, Nevada area back to Utah due to the pending Utah War.         

Ancestral Lineage

Additional information about the persons in our database  as   well  as   a   complete  listing   of

individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on this LINK.

WILLIAM CALVIN¹ RHODES was born in Mar 1820 in Knoxville, Knox Co., Tennessee. He died in 1888 in frontier between Texas and Mexico. He married Sarah Rebecca Douglass, daughter of John Douglass and Nancy Dickson Bishop on 27 Apr 1848 in Athens, McMinn Co., Tennessee. She was born on 04 Feb 1829 in McMinn County, Tennessee. She died on 21 Mar 1913 in Los Angeles County, California.

William Calvin Rhodes and Sarah Rebecca Douglass had the following children:

                  i.    THOMAS² RHODES was born in Jan 1850 in Rusk County, Texas. He died on 11 Sep 1917 in San Luis Obispo County, California. He married (1) SARAH ANN FLY, daughter of John R. Fly and Elizabeth Turner on 23 Mar 1871 in Tulare County, California. She was born on 27 Nov 1851 in Barry County, Missouri. She died on 02 Oct 1908 in San Luis Obispo County, California. He married (2) EMMA R. GRAY BLOSSER, daughter of George Blosser and Marie Klinefitter on 26 Feb 1909 in Oakland, California.

                  ii.   JOHN RHODES was born on 04 Jul 1851 in Rusk County, Texas. He died on 19 Jan 1919 in Phoenix, Maricopa Co., Arizona. He married (1) MARY ANN CRIGGER, daughter of First Nm. Unk.? Crigger and Linda Ann Morkton on 20 Dec 1888 in Yavapai County, Arizona. She was born on 28 Oct 1864 in California, USA. She died on 23 Dec 1950 in Florence, Pinal Co., Arizona. He married FIRST NM. UNK. RHODES (NEE?). She was born in Mexico.

                  iii.   HARRIET RHODES was born in Dec 1853 in Rusk County, Texas. She died in Jun 1929 in Orosi, Tulare Co., California. She married James Lafayette Johnson, son of James H. Johnson and Mary Murray on 23 Jun 1870 in Tulare County, California. He was born on 22 Aug 1844 in Arkansas. He died after 1930 in Orosi, Tulare Co., California.

                  iv.   JULIA RHODES was born on 04 Feb 1855 in Rusk County, Texas. She died on 10 Oct 1922 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California. She married (1) ALBEA EDGAR SCRUGGS, son of Joseph C. Scruggs and Francis Parks Sheperd on 21 Oct 1875 in Tulare County, California. He was born on 04 Feb 1846 in Palmyra Twp., Fluvanna Co., Virginia. He died on 23 Dec 1906 in Poplar, Tulare Co., California. She married (2) THOMAS TURNER on 25 Aug 1872 in Tulare County, California.

                  v.   ANN HAZELTINA RHODES was born on 08 Dec 1856 in Texas. She died on 22 Feb 1945 in Tulare County, California. She married Charles William Harper on 26 Jul 1874 in Tulare Co., California. He was born in Jan 1854 in Missouri. He died in Apr 1928 in California, USA.

                  vi.  WILLIAM ROBERT RHODES was born on 07 Mar 1859 in San Bernardino County, California. He died on 23 May 1946 in Riverside, Riverside Co., California. He married Louisa Mefford on 20 Sep 1880 in Prescott, Yavapai Co., Arizona. She was born in Oct 1862 in Missouri. She died on 07 Sep 1934 in Prescott, Yavapai Co., Arizona.

                  vii. TENNESSEE BOGART RHODES was born on 05 Dec 1862 in Farmersville, Tulare Co., California, USA. She died on 15 May 1947 in Ventura County, California. She married Spencer Fay, son of Benjamin A. Fay on 22 Jan 1882 in Tulare County, California. He was born in Aug 1849 in Concord, Erie, Co., New York. He died on 11 Mar 1932 in Alameda, Alameda Co., California.

viii. MARTHA ELLEN RHODES was born on 17 Oct 1863 in Farmersville, Tulare Co., California, USA. She died on 28 Feb 1941 in Terra Bella, Tulare Co., California. She married Edward Duffield Halbert, son of Joel Blackburn Halbert and Mary Tirzah Sherrill on 24 Apr 1881 in Tulare County, California. He was born on 23 Nov 1846 in Hickory County, Missouri. He died in May 1917 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California.

ix.     SAMUEL JACKSON RHODES was born on 01 Dec 1866 in Visala, Tulare Co., California. He died on 19 Jun 1933. He married Mary Ann Garrison on 30 Sep 1901 in Prescott, Yavapai Co., Arizona. She was born about 1865 in Missouri.

x.      NANCY RHODES.  She died before 1880.

xi.     HUGH B. RHODES was born about 1869 in Tulare Co., California. He died in Oct 1870 in Tulare Co., California.

xii.   ORA RHODES was born on 13 Jan 1873 in Woodville, Tulare Co., California. She died on 22 May 1969 in Berkeley, Alameda Co., California. She married George L. Robbins in 1901 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was born on 22 Jun 1862 in Cedar City, Iowa. He died on 27 Jul 1940 in Los Angeles County, California.

JULIA² RHODES (William Calvin¹) was born on 04 Feb 1855 in Rusk County, Texas. She died on 10 Oct 1922 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California. She married (1) ALBEA EDGAR SCRUGGS, son of Joseph C. Scruggs and Francis Parks Sheperd on 21 Oct 1875 in Tulare County, California. He was born on 04 Feb 1846 in Palmyra Twp., Fluvanna Co., Virginia. He died on 23 Dec 1906 in Poplar, Tulare Co., California. She married (2) THOMAS TURNER on 25 Aug 1872 in Tulare County, California.

Albea Edgar Scruggs and Julia Rhodes had the following children:

i.        WILLIAM JOSEPH³ SCRUGGS was born on 06 Oct 1876 in Tulare County, California. He died on 27 Dec 1946 in Norwalk, Los Angeles Co., California.

ii.      JOHN ELDRIDGE SCRUGGS was born on 03 Feb 1878 in Poplar, Tulare Co., California. He died on 07 Feb 1945 in Tulare County, California. He married (1) MINNIE V. MCVICKER, daughter of John Robert McVicker and Mary Ella Johnson on 22 Sep 1897 in Tulare County, California. She was born on 21 Apr 1878 in Union Twp., Sedgwick Co., Kansas. She died on 03 Feb 1920 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California. He married (2) EDITH L. TIPTON after 1920 in Tulare Co. California. She was born on 13 Sep 1892 in Illinois. She died on 22 Aug 1959 in Auberry, Fresno Co., California.

iii.     PEARLE PARKS SCRUGGS was born on 26 Nov 1879 in Poplar, Tulare Co., California. She died on 09 Apr 1900 in Porterville, Tulare Co. California.

iv.     HUGH EDGAR SCRUGGS was born on 29 Jan 1881 in Poplar, Tulare Co., California. He died on 25 Dec 1962 in Modesto, Stanilaus Co., California. He married Margaretta Frechette, daughter of Clifford Frechette and Ella McDonald on 05 Nov 1914 in Redlands, San Bernardino Co., California. She was born on 08 Jun 1893 in Redlands, San Bernardino Co., California. She died on 09 Feb 1965 in Modesto, Stanilaus Co., California.

v.      CLARENCE HENRY SCRUGGS was born on 12 May 1882 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California. He died on 07 May 1947 in Gridley, Butte Co., California. He married Dozier "Daizie" C. Hodgdon on 02 Mar 1907 in Napa, Napa Co., California.

vi.     LOUELLA FAITH SCRUGGS was born on 04 Jan 1884 in Poplar, Tulare Co., California. She died on 08 Sep 1963 in Auburn, Placer Co., California. She married Elmus Fisher Parsons on 13 Jul 1915 in Tulare County, California. He was born on 07 Apr 1886 in Tennessee. He died on 15 Feb 1957 in Sacramento, California.

vii.   EDWARD CLIFFORD SCRUGGS was born on 06 Feb 1887 in Tulare County, California. He died on 05 Sep 1913 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California.

viii.  SAMUEL ROY SCRUGGS was born on 24 May 1891 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California. He died on 26 May 1969 in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa Co., California. He married Maude Mae McMahan, daughter of Clarence Robinson McMahan and Myrtle Nora Flinn on 14 Jun 1926 in Riverside, Riverside Co., California. She was born on 01 Nov 1899 in Tunnelton, Lawrence Co., Indiana. She died on 01 Sep 1999 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah.

ix.     DANIEL RAY SCRUGGS was born on 24 May 1891 in Poplar, Tulare Co., California. He died on 14 Nov 1914 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California.

Thomas Turner and Julia Rhodes had the following child:

i. SARAH BELLE³ TURNER was born on 20 May 1873. She married James Beckwith on 09 May 1889.

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Source documents

The documents contained within this “Source Documents Archives” have been located during our research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.   We have source documents related to the following persons within our database with this surname.

·      Alexander Milton Rhodes - Family Group Sheet

·      Ann H. RHODES Harper - 1880 U.S. Census

·      Anna RHODES Mognett - 1930 U.S. Census

·      Bertha RHODES Acton - 1920 U.S. Census

·      Ellen RHODES  Halbert – headstone

·      Frank Edward Rhodes - Family Group Sheet

·      George Edward Rhodes - Family Group Sheet

·      George Thomas Rhodes - Family Group Sheet

·      Harriet RHODES Johnson - 1880 U.S. Census

·      Harriet RHODES Johnson - 1900 U.S. Census

·      John F. Rhodes - adopted son of John Rhodes

·      John L. Rhodes (copy of birth certificate)

·      John Rhodes - 1900 U.S. Census

·      John Rhodes - 1919 Death Certificate

·      John Rhodes - Graham-Tewksbury Feud

·      John Rhodes - Pleasant Valley War

·      Julia RHODES Scruggs - main headstone

·      Martha E. RHODES Halbert - 1892 Property Map

·      Martha E. RHODES Halbert - headstone of son Roy

·      Mary A. CRIGGER Rhodes - 1923 Phoenix Directory

·      Mary A. CRIGGER Rhodes - 1950 Death Certificate

·      Minnie E. RHODES Reis - delayed birth certificate

·      Minnie E. RHODES Reis - Golden Jubilee c.1960

·      Ora RHODES Robbins -  1937 Newspaper Article

·      Ora RHODES Robbins - 1935, Friday Morning Club

·      Ora RHODES Robbins - 1940, World Travelers Club

·      Ora RHODES Robbins - 1969 Obituary

·      Ora RHODES Robbins - Geo. L. Robbins 1940 Obituary

·      Richard A. Rhodes - 1922 obituary

·      Richard A. Rhodes - Letter of Sept., 1917

·      Samuel J. Rhodes - 1900 U.S. Census

·      Samuel J. Rhodes - 1910 U.S. Census

·      Samuel J. Rhodes - 1915 City Directory

·      Samuel J. Rhodes - 1920 U.S. Census

·      Samuel J. Rhodes - 1921 Land Patent

·      Samuel J. Rhodes - 1929 record of Incarceration

·      Samuel J. Rhodes - 1930 U.S. Census

·      Samuel J. Rhodes (Sp.-Amer. War Svc. Rcd.)

·      Sarah DOUGLASS Rhodes - 1900 U.S. Census

·      Sarah DOUGLASS Rhodes – headstone

·      Sarah FLY Rhodes  - 1908 Obituary

·      Sarah FLY Rhodes - 1908 death certificate

·      Tennessee RHODES Fay - 1944 Letters

·      Tennessee RHODES Fay - 1892 Property Map

·      Tennessee RHODES Fay - headstone of son Bertie

·      Tennessee RHODES Fay - Home of Dr.Jewel Fay

·      Thomas Rhodes - 1874 homestead application

·      Thomas Rhodes - 1874 homestead receipt

·      Thomas Rhodes - 1874 oath for land application

·      Thomas Rhodes - 1900 U.S. Census

·      Thomas Rhodes - 1909 marriage cert. Emma Blosser Gray

·      Thomas Rhodes - 1917 death certificate

·      Thomas Rhodes - Family Group Sheet

·      Thomas Rhodes - obituary, c. Sep 1917

·      Trinidad LOPEZ Rhodes - Archealogy Southwest, Fall 2006

·      William C, Rhodes - Family Group Sheet

·      William C. Rhodes - 1850 U.S. Census

·      William C. Rhodes - 1860 U.S. Census

·      William C. Rhodes - 1865  bear attack

·      William C. Rhodes - 1868 Deed of Sale

·      William C. Rhodes - 1870 U.S. Census

·      William C. Rhodes - Menefree pp.575-76

·      William C. Rhodes Family - 1880 U.S. Census

·      William R. Rhodes - 1900 U.S. Census

·      William R. Rhodes - 1910 U.S. Census

·      William R. Rhodes - 1930 U.S. Census

·      William T. Rhodes - Oct, 1908 obituary

This Link will take you to our

archive of source documents.  

     Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary evidence.  Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record.  Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error.  Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents.  Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

     Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value.  This is especially true of secondary evidence.  Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?

SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2^nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

You are welcome to download any of the documents contained within this archive that does not cite a copyright.  Should you encounter a problem obtaining a copy you may get in touch with us via the contact information found at the end of this web-page.

Migration routes

       Tracing our own family’s paths of migration can prove crucial in identifying previous generations and eventually, figuring out where and how they arrived in the “New World” as well as where they eventually settled.  Knowing the network of trails American pioneers traveled can help you guess where to start looking.  The trail map(s) provided below may assist you in understanding the routes that our direct ancestors of this family may have taken to find new homes and opportunities in the vast area now encompassed by the United States.

      During the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the perilous ocean voyage to America.  For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious persecution.  For most it was an opportunity to start over, own their own land, and make a better future for their descendents.

Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of RHODES, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17^th and 20^th centuries.  Some of these immigrants were: John Rhode settled in Virginia with his wife and three children in 1709; along with Phillip and his wife and four children; John Rhodes settled in Maryland in 1774.

Use the following links to find more early immigrants with this surname:

$ Search Ancestry.com Immigration Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com

Rhodes - Douglass 1848 Migration Route

Click on the map for a larger image

The marriage of Robert’s granddaughter Sarah Rebecca Douglass to William Rhodes occurred on 27 April 1848 in McMinn County, Tennessee.   Soon after Sarah and William left Tennessee and moved to Texas.  William and Sarah are shown in the 1850 census as living in Rusk County, Texas along with their first child Thomas born in December, 1849.  There are many possibilities as to the route they took from McMinn County, Tennessee to Rusk County, Texas.  The most probable route would be along the Great Indian War and Trading Path which is now US Route 11.  This route ran through Eastern Tennessee in a southwesterly direction then through Alabama and into Mississippi.  In Alabama they would have probably taken one of several east-west routes to Natchez, Mississippi where they could cross the Mississippi River into Louisiana.  They may have then taken the “Natchez-Texas Trail( 5N6) from the Mississippi River.  This trail led up the Red River Valley to Natchitoches, Louisiana where it continued on into Texas as the Camino Real de los Tejas.  They probably left this route at Tehana, Texas and continued on the Tehana Trail (5T2)  into Rusk County, Texas.  After the Texas Revolution, this trail was used by new colonists, attracted by the availability of abundant cheap land, to come to the area around Rusk County in East Texas.  Most of them came from the Old South, particularly Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Rhodes - Douglass 1857 Migration Routes

    Our knowledge of the Rhodes-Douglass family 1857 migration to California was originally limited to a family history manuscript believed to have been written about 1971 by our cousin Jewel Margaret Coulson*.     Later more information was secured from the “History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California”, by Eugene L. Menfree and Fred A. Dodge published 1913, page 575.**  Utilizing the sketchy information in the following text, as well as several other sources, we have completed additional research into the subject and have been able to develop more in-depth story of the seven month journey from Texas to  California.

 * Julia Rhodes was just two years old when she crossed the plains by ox team to California, her parents being members of a party that narrowly missed being massacred by Indians. Their train was just three days behind the train of California-bound settlers that were massacred at Mountain Meadow, Utah.  In order to escape a like fate, the members of the train in which the Rhodes family was traveling, took a circuitous route over a very dangerous and mountainous country. So steep was the country that the wagons had to be let down over the mountains by ropes.  The oxen were able to get down by themselves, but could never have done it hitched to wagons. The party was several months on the way. The Rhodes family settled at San Bernardino, where they lived for about two years, coming from there to Tulare County and locating near the present site of Farmersville.”

** William C. Rhodes went to Texas in 1847 and in 1857 made his way overland to California by the southern route starting with a band of cattle that were eventually run off by Indians.  At the Platte river it was necessary to block up the beds of the wagons to keep them out of the water in crossing, and a box floated off with three children and their mother in it.  About this time Mr. Rhodes saw a Mexican amputate an arm of a man whose life was thought to be in danger of a gunshot wound, he having be accidentally shot while unloading bedding from his wagon.  Mr. Rhodes made his home in San Bernardino for three years…  (Ed. Note: When the aforementioned History of History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California was written Sarah Douglass Rhodes and the five children who rode the 1857 wagon train to California were still alive.)

Other Sources:

(1)  Juanita Brooks, The Mountain Meadows Massacre, University of Oklahoma Press, 2012, pages 115, 118, 121-22, 125-129, 146.

(2)  Mountain Meadows Massacre < http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wallner/mmm2.htm >, published by the Fancher Family Association at [email protected]>.

     In 1857 William Rhodes and his wife Sarah Rebecca Douglass made preparations to move west to California.  Most emigrants spent several weeks training their teams, adjusting them to yokes, and packing their wagons before actually setting out. The Rhodes-Douglass family as well as their traveling companions would have waited for the grass on the western plains to grow tall enough to support the grazing of their cattle.  As such this usually occurred by late April or early May, thus they timed their departure from Texas accordingly.  If they left too early, they might lose their animals because of lack of fodder, but if they left too late in the season, the mistake could be fatal as they then risked being caught by snowstorms in the high mountains of the West.   The long and difficult overland trip generally took 5 to 6 months to complete.    The family now consisting of their five eldest children probably departed Rusk County sometime in late March or early April, 1857.  Thus began the long and dangerous overland trek west.  It would take them seven months of traveling 10 to 15 miles per day to reach their final destination. 

     Starting in Rusk County they would travel north possibly to Fort Towson near the Texas-Oklahoma border.  From here they may have taken the road to Fort Smith.    It is believed that the group from Texas eventually attached itself to a wagon train that was variously known as the Duke Train, the Collins-Turner Company, the Duke-Turner Train, as well as the Honea-Davis Train.  Many accounts note that the Duke and Turner Party was made up of mostly Missourians, as such they may have joined up along the road from Fort Smith, or at Great Bend, Kansas where it connects with the Santa Fe Trail coming from Missouri.

Click on the map for additional information

     Much of what we know of their route from this point on has been derived from written accounts of the route taken by the Fancher wagon train with which the Duke and Turner Wagon Train traveled from time-to-time during this great journey to California. This map provides a good illustration of the routes the Fancher Party most likely took on their 1857 journey en route for California.  No one really knows exactly what routes the Fancher Train took during each part of the entire trip therefore only portions of their journey have been documented. This map, and associated information, is based on the records of their journey, and the undocumented segments appear to have been based upon the known route of the Cherokee Trail.

    The Cherokee Trail (also known as the Trappers' Trail) was the name used for the route followed by the Duke-Turner wagon train.  This historic overland trail ran through the present-day U.S. states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming.  It that was used from the late

1840s up through the early 1890s.  The route was established in 1849 by a wagon train headed to the gold fields in California. Apparently the name of the trail came from the fact that among the members of the expedition were a group of Cherokee.   The route of the trail ran from the Grand River near present day Salina, Oklahoma, northwest to strike the Santa Fe Trail at a ranch (trading post), near the present site of Great Bend, Kansas, where the Santa Fe Trail crossed the Walnut Creek.  From there it followed the Santa Fe Trail west into southern region of Colorado.   Near Bent’s Old Fort it then turned north along the base of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains over the Arkansas/Platte River divide and descended along into the valley of the South Platte River. The trail followed the east side of the South Platte River to present-day Greeley then west via a wagon road to Laporte in Larimer County. From Laporte, the wagon road went through present-day

Virginia Dale Stage Station to the Laramie Plains in southeastern Wyoming. From here the trail traveled westward and northward around the Medicine Bow Range crossing the North Platte River then turning north to present day Rawlins.  The trail proceeded about 45 miles north where it joined with the Emigrant Trail at Muddy Gap Junction.  From this point the Duke-Turner Party would follow the Emigrant Trail which continues west along the Sweetwater River and crosses the continental divide at South Pass.  From South Pass the main route which continues south to Fort Bridger.  Fort Bridger is the point at which the Mormon Trail splits from the Oregon Trail and California Trail.  From here they would continue southwest on the Mormon Trail to the Salt Lake Valley.  

      The only documentation known of any major mishaps from this part of the journey occurred in Wyoming when at the Platte River crossing it was necessary for the Duke wagon train to block up the beds in their wagons to keep them out of the water.  It was here that a box floated off with three children and their mother inside.  Around this same time William Rhodes observed the amputation of an arm of a man who had accidentally shot himself while unloading bedding from his wagon. Other than instances where Indians harassed their herd of cattle, we must assume that the journey from Texas to Salt Lake City was fairly routine for the times.  Their good fortune would change dramatically during the remaining 775 miles between Salt Lake City and San Bernardino, California. 

Click on the map for a larger image

     The Duke-Turner Party reached Salt Lake City in August, 1857 where very hostile atmosphere greeted the emigrant trains upon their arrival.  This air of unfriendliness was due to the Utah War, a conflict between Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858.  The Duke party may have camped here for a time, waiting for the weather to cool before traveling south through southern Utah on the Old Spanish Trail which would eventually cross the uncompromising terrain of the Mojave Desert.   Because of this many emigrants depended on buying much-needed supplies in places along the trail, like Salt Lake City.  Due to the aforementioned tensions the Mormons were under orders there, and in the towns that dotted the trail in southern Utah, to refuse to sell anything to non-Mormons emigrants. This factor would later contribute to the near-starvation endured by the members of the wagon train of which our ancestors were a part.

Click on the map for a larger image

     It is probable that the Fancher Wagons departed Salt Lake City around August 7^th.  The Duke-Turner Party followed them soon after and were the next train to travel the “Southern Route” behind the ill-fated Fancher Party.  Both wagon trains traveled south through the Utah Valley along a trail that is approximated by today’s Interstate 15. 

    At the first light of dawn, on Monday, September 7, the Fancher wagon train was attacked by Mormon militia, disguised as Indians, and their Indian allies.  After a five day siege, under a duplicitous flag of truce and a vow of safe passage by the Mormons, more than 120 men, women and children were murdered in cold blood on Friday, September 11, 1857.

     On September 10^th the Duke-Turner group was attacked by Indians at Mill Creek near Beaver located about 80 miles north of Mountain Meadows.  During this encounter the Indians attempted to drive off the cattle and a guard shot and killed an Indian.  The next day Turner and another group leader Collins were shot by Indians at the Beaver settlement.  These incidents delayed the Party for several days and probably saved them from a fate similar to that of the Fancher party. 

     Upon hearing of the massacre at Mountain Meadows members of the Duke party hired Mormon guides and interpreters for $1,810.  The guides took them on a route that by-passed Mountain Meadows where uncovered bodies were rotting and a great stench permeated the entire area.  The Duke Wagon Train was the first to take this alternate route that forked from the Old Spanish Trail near the Mormon settlement of Enoch, Utah  and followed along  present day Interstate 15 through Cedar City to near Santa Clara and present-day  St. George, Utah were they reconnected with the Old Spanish Trail.  The group had to move slowly because of the large number of cattle they were driving and also because of the steep mountain incline at Black Ridge where the wagons had to be lowered by ropes.

     On October 7^th, at the crossing of the Lower Virgin River, the Duke party was robbed of approximately 350 head of cattle by the Indians.   Some members of the group of so-called Indians were described, by a member of the Party as having blue eyes and light streaks where they had not used enough paint.  According to a Mormon report the Indians were following the Duke Train and were expected to attack them at their first opportunity.  As such several Mormons were sent out to follow and prevent another massacre by helping the Indians to stampede the cattle.   It most likely that William Rhodes owned many of these cattle and after more than 6 months herding them west his luck had finally run out.  Unfortunately this would not the only time he would encounter misfortune when attempting to move cattle to California.  The next year he returned to the East, via the Isthmus of Panama, for the purpose of obtaining more cattle.  After acquiring a new herd he drove them to Carson City, Nevada.  He left his herd there to be cared for during the winter.  When he returned the next Spring he learned that they had all died during his absence.

      After their cattle were taken the Duke Party separated into several smaller groups and made their way across the Mojave Desert.  On October 17^th the first group of 71 emigrants from the Duke Train arrived half-starved at San Bernardino.  Of the aforementioned persons there were 22 men, 17 women and 32 children.  They immediately requested that relief be sent back to the members on the road who were suffering from a lack of provisions.  Wagons were then loaded with food and a relief party started back up the trail.  Also upon their arrival the story of the Mormon theft of their cattle was added to the tale of the massacre.  It was from these various immigrant wagon parties that newspapers in Los Angeles and San Francisco pieced together a story of the attacks that so outraged the nation.   About 5 days later the second division consisting of 10 men, 5 women, and 14 children, under the supervision of Captain Thomas Turner, arrived safely at San Bernardino. 

    Upon reaching California William Rhodes traded his team and wagon to some departing Mormons for a furnished home.  The Rhodes family settled at San Bernardino, where they lived for about two or three years.  During this time their son Will Rhodes was born.  Some accounts say that he may have been the first or among the first white babies to be born in San Bernardino County after the Mormons had removed from the area. 

The Development of an Historical Migration Route

It is understood that in many if not all cases we do not know exactly what routes our ancestors took as they migrated throughout the United States.   As such certain assumptions have been utilized to re-create the migration path presented above.  With regard to 18^th and 19^th century land routes we assume that they travelled along few trails and roads that were in existence at the time.  Research shows that a great many of these old paths and trails are today designated as U.S. Highway Routes.  For example, a major east-west route of migration known as the National Road is now U.S. Route 40, and a primary north-south migration route of the 18^th century followed the Great Indian War and Trading Path is now U.S. Route 11.  In some situations the re-created migration route may travel along state routes that connect or run through the seat of a county as that populated place is probably the oldest settlement in the area. The use of water as a migration route is also likely.  For example, during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries many families travelled west on the Ohio River as they moved on the new lands in Missouri or the Old Northwest Territory.  As such when applicable water routes have been included as the possible migration route.   

Ancestral locations

Researching the locations where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed to fill in the gaps in our family trees.  It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group.

The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the Direct Ancestors in the “Ancestral Lineage” (see above) were born, married, and / or died.

UNITED STATES

California

Tulare

Tennessee

Knox

Use this LINK to find out more about this

ancestral family and the locations listed above.

Where are my

Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names. The LINK to the right will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and  other  helpful   resources 

that will assist in discovering Ancestral Locations.  These web sites comprise only a small portion of what is available for researchers interested in learning more about where their ancestors lived.

Images gallery

During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a particular family.  Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.  We have images related to the following persons within our database with this surname.

·         Ann H. RHODES c. 1916

·         Ann H. RHODES c. 1936

·         Clara Rebecca RHODES

·         Clara RHODES Acton

·         Julia RHODES Scruggs -  & husband Albea c.1875

·         Julia RHODES Scruggs - 1855-1922

·         Julia RHODES Scruggs

·         Martha E.  RHODES -  son Sherrill Halbert, 1920

·         Martha E. RHODES Halbert -  Ranch

·         Martha E. RHODES Halbert – Family

·         Martha Waites RHODES- with son & daughter

·         Ora RHODES Robbins -  & husband George Robbins

·         Ora RHODES Robbins -  Home (Glass Doors)

·         Ora RHODES Robbins -  Home (Stairwell)

·         Ora RHODES Robbins - c. 1876

·         Ora RHODES Robbins - c. 1903

·         Ora RHODES Robbins - Former Home

·         RHODES - 4 Generations

·         RHODES - Sarah, William T., & Thomas c.1881

·         RHODES - Tulare property 1892 Map

·         Richard Alexander RHODES -  Family c.1933

·         Samuel J. RHODES -  Grading Company

·         Samuel J. RHODES - 1866-1933

·         Samuel J. RHODES

·         Tennessee B. RHODES - daughter Jewel Fay's former home

·         Tennessee B. RHODES - daughter Jewel Fay's Sitting Room

·         Tennessee B. RHODES - husband Spencer Fay

·         Tennessee B. RHODES Fay -  Ranch

·         Tennessee B. RHODES

·         Thomas RHODES -  Family c.1895

·         Thomas RHODES -  Family

·         Thomas RHODES – 1

·         Thomas RHODES – 2

·         Thomas RHODES - 1849-1917

·         Thomas RHODES - Family c.1900

·         Thomas RHODES - wife Sarah Ann Fly

·         William C. RHODES - 1820-1888

·         William C. RHODES - c. 1860

·         William C. RHODES - c. 1880

·         William C. RHODES - Masonic portrait c.1870

·         William R. RHODES -  & wife Louisa Mefford, c. 1930

·         William R. RHODES – 2

·         William R. RHODES - 1859-1946

·         William R. RHODES - wife Louisa Mefford

·         William R. RHODES - 4 generations

·        William R. RHODES

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searching in the box and click “Search Images”. At the “Images” display page you will see the image, as well as the website of which it is associated.

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-- This webpage was last updated on --

01 October 2013