Stephen Clark Hodges

Sacramento County

Biographies

Stephen Clark Hodges

Stephen Clark Hodges, in 1850, took the bite from gold fever and headed westward to the rich California gold fields, like many others, hoping to attain a fortune from one of nature's vast resources. Born in 1815, Stephen was one of sixteen children born to David and Roby (Archer) Hodges in their native state of New York. Of those sixteen children, there were two sets of twins that died early and one that walked away from the family never to be heard from again. The other children grew up into adulthood, married and left their own legacies for family descendants to discover and recount as a part of this nation's history.

The mother, Roby Archer, has a family ancestry that is well documented in numerous sources. She was one of thirteen children born from the union between the Archer and Freeman families (Bezaleel and Hannah Freeman Archer) who have extensive New England ancestry. The Freeman families established themselves in Sandwich, Mass., Barnstable County after arriving in America from England around 1638. The Archer families were prominent citizens of Uxbridge, Mass., and later of Kingston, Rhode Island. Drifting westward, both families established themselves in New York around Orleans and Saratoga Counties. During the Revolutionary War, many members of both families displayed their bravery and true patriotism by their daring adventures in battles. From New York the families moved westward to the states of Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. Members of the Archer and Hodges families were some of the earliest residents in Michigan, especially Bunkerhill Township of Ingham County.

Little is known about the early Hodges ancestors other than what was written in a family history compiled by a descendent of Stephen's brother, D. L. Hodges. It was written that the early Hodges member from which the family extended came to America at the age of nineteen years in the accompaniment of a Frenchman, whom we all know as the General Marquis de Lafayette. He displayed such heroic actions during the Revolutionary War and established an everlasting friendship with General George Washington. One of David and Roby Hodges' children were named after this famous French general, his name being Marquis de Lafayette Hodges, my great-great grandfather.

Very little is known about the subject of this article, Stephen Clark Hodges, when he was growing up in New York. After the father died between the years of 1843 and 1846, the mother moved her brood westward making a stop in Steuben County, Ind., where she remarried an Englishman known as John Grant. From here it is believed that Stephen continued on to the gold fields in California, locating in Dutch Flat of Placer County in 1852. Stephen's obituary lists him as one of the founders of the historic mining camp but in reality, was only one of its earliest residents.

Dutch Flat is located in a valley nestled among the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It is about 80 miles to the northeast of San Francisco and near the edge of Lake Tahoe. The camp was established in 1851 by two German immigrant brothers, Joseph and Charles Dornbach, who had arrived in the gold fields around 1850. They spent part of their time prospecting the rich placer lodes along with building and operating a general store to supply miners in the area with provisions.

In his early years in Dutch Flat, Stephen C. Hodges engaged exclusively in mining operations. He was joined by two brothers at different time periods working in the mines, namely Hiram and B. A. (Bezaleel Archer) Hodges. Hiram eventually returned to Michigan but B. A. continued on in the area for several years. Stephen was also a very gifted carpenter and was known to have built several of the historic buildings that still stand in the town. He had built many of the first frame homes and buildings in the town which included an opera house that he owned and operated. This opera house was eventually destroyed by fire as many buildings had in camps throughout the California gold fields. Mark Twain, the famous author and orator, was reported to have frequented this opera house giving readings of short stories and speeches. He also was known to have rented a summer cabin in the low-lying foothills surrounding the town for several years.

Stephen C, Hodges married in 1857 to Elizabeth Akin, daughter of Oregon pioneer, James Akin Sr. and his wife, Eliza Richey. It is not known how or when Stephen and Elizabeth met. The mother, Eliza Richey, was the daughter of James Richey Sr. and his wife, Susannah Browning. The early Richey ancestors were from Donegal County, Ireland, and their history extends back to the reigning royal Stuart family of Scotland. Both the Akin and Richey families had migrated from Pike County, Illinois to Salem, Henry County, Iowa, in 1836. In May of 1852, four families made plans to migrate to Oregon Territory in search of new land. These four families, all related by marriage, included the James Akin Sr. family, the James Richey Sr. family, the James Ingram family, and the Robert Booth family.

These families formed the Akin - Booth - Ingram - Richey wagon train that departed Salem, Iowa on 14 May 1852 and arrived in Portland, Oregon, 22 October 1852. The complete passenger list of this wagon train can be found on the website managed by Stephanie Flora which is part of the OrGenWeb, Multnomah County site. The families made the unforgettable journey over 2170 miles of wilderness which was recorded in a daily journal (diary) kept by James Akin Jr. and which has been published and is still available for purchase today through major bookstores. James Akin Jr. was the eldest son of James and Eliza Akin and wrote in his diary faithfully and recorded many of the hardships and personal tragedies that befell the pioneers along the trail westward. The families lost several family members along the trail, disease taking a toll upon their souls. The first member of the wagon train to lose their life was the young wife of Stuart Richey, the eldest brother of Eliza Richey Akin. Louisa Richey died from Cholera as thousands had along the trail through the Great Plains. Numerous Oregon Trail histories have given detailed accounts of these cholera deaths with reports of thousands of gravesites scattered throughout the wilderness and were caused by unsanitary conditions and contaminated waterholes.

The next family member to lose their life to illness was the three year old daughter of James and Ritta Ingram, Elva Ingram. Ritta Ingram was the sister of James Akin Sr. Elva died near Fort Laramie in Wyoming Territory. The Oregon-California Trails Association located the child's gravesite in 1999 and registered it as a historical National Landmark. Near Independence Rock, a large granite landmark located near the Sweetwater River, the families had a chance to rest before they continued on with their journey. 14 year-old, James Ingram Jr., a lad with an adventuresome spirit, carved his name into the granite rock on the southwestern edge near eye level, as thousands had before and after him. Near Fort Hall in Utah Territory, the wagon train families experienced another death along the trail. Miranda Jane Richey, the young daughter of Caleb and Alice (Booth) Richey, died from mountain fever. They had been camped near the forks of the California and Oregon Trails.

While the wagon train waited at the Three Island Crossing of the Snake River on the border of Idaho Territory (August 22, 1852), the Akin children lost their mother to Typhoid Fever. She was 38 years old at the time and was buried just below the falls of the Salmon River. A week later, on the 9th of September, sickness and death again idled the wagon train. This time it was the 6 year old daughter of Stuart Richey, Eliza Ann, who had died from mountain fever. They were located at the base of the Blue Mountains near Fort Boise. On the 10th of October, the wagon train families began their final descent into Oregon Territory by rafting down the Columbia River into the Willamette Valley. The journey down river was known to be perilous due to the six miles of rapids that culminated near the Cascades. At the Lower Cascades, Mary Ann Akin, the two year old daughter of James Akin Sr. died and was buried near the falls. There was much sickness within the pioneer camps as they waited for a steamboat to take them into Portland.

On the 22nd of October, the four families arrived in Portland, saddened and in ill-health. Portland was a bustling city and plans were made to spend the winter months there. Two weeks after their arrival, Mr. James Akin Sr. died from the effects of mountain fever and scurvy, leaving seven children orphans and homeless in a new land. Kindred helped the children out with whatever they could but the older children were forced to take care of the younger ones. With great perseverance the orphans survived and many became prominent citizens of their communities.

After Stephen Hodges and Elizabeth Akin married, they took in the youngest Akin child, Caroline, into their home. In 1858, a son, Jay Clarke Hodges, was born from their union. As a young adult, Jay Clarke worked as a farm laborer in W. Butte, Washington Co., Ore. He established a permanent residence in Colusa County after his marriage to Martha Vienna Thompson. After 1860 there is not much known about this family until a marriage record was discovered by family researchers of Stephen Clarke Hodges to Miss Caroline Akin in 1866 of Washington County. These researchers have not been able to determine what had happened to the first wife, Elizabeth. The first portion of Stephen and Caroline's married life was spent in E. Butte, Ore., where Stephen farmed several acres of land. By 1900, this family had returned to Placer County in California, living at various times in the towns of Dutch Flat, Alta, and Towle. In Dutch Flat, Stephen owned numerous properties which included a ranch on the eastern edge of town, near the Bradley Reservoir and the railroad tracks belonging to the Southern Pacific Railroad.

From the marriage of Stephen and Caroline, three were born nine children, two of whom died at an early age. All these children are listed as having been born in Oregon. Charles C. Hodges was the eldest, born in 1867, remained single, and died in 1915 with burial in the family plot of the Old Public Cemetery of Dutch Flat. Charles had worked for sometime in a planing mill and later as a packer for hire. Clarence Webb Hodges was born in 1869, remained single his entire life and was known to have worked as a teamster for the railroad. He lived with his parents and brother, Charles, until the parents deaths. He then drifted southwards, ending up in Colusa County, where his oldest brother, Jay Clarke Hodges, and family resided. After a period of several years there, Clarence traveled northward to North Sacramento where he died in April of 1948. Funeral services for him were held at the N. Sacramento Funeral Home with cremation following at the East Lawn Cemetery.

Winifred Hodges (possibly may have been Winford) was born in 1871. Ralph James Hodges was born in 1874, lived next door to his parents in Dutch Flat, and was married to Stella _______. His wife was known to be of Irish descent. James worked as a miner for many years and then later as a packer for hire. Kate Hodges was born in 1875. Frances Hodges was born in 1878, married to Alfred G. Schroeder, and resided next door to her parents and brother. Later this family removed to Colfax where they spent their remaining years. Alfred's parents were of German descent and he worked as an engineer of a locomotive on the Southern Pacific Railroad until his retirement. Cora Hodges was born in 1884 and first married to Robert E. Linder of Dutch Flat. They lived next door to her sister, Frances. Robert worked as a foreman in the South Yuba Ditch until his untimely death. Cora removed to North Sacramento around 1920 where she gained employment as a waitress. She remarried to H. C. Epps of the city, had one daughter, and was again a widow by 1930. She and her daughter resided in a local boarding house where she worked and remained in the Sacramento area the rest of her life. Ione Hodges was born in 1887 and was the wife of Daniel J. Sullivan, an Irish immigrant. They resided in Dutch Flat, had four sons, and spent their remaining years in Alameda County. Another son, Riley Hodges, was born in 1881 and died in 1899 from complications which resulted from an accident at the Shasta Mine. The official cause of death was listed as pneumonia and occurred just after his 18th birthday. He, also, was buried in the Dutch Flat Cemetery.

In their latter years, Stephen and Caroline experienced a reversal in fortune and spent their remaining years living on rented property in the Alta school district. Caroline passed away in 1910 and Stephen, in 1916. Both are buried in the Dutch Flat Cemetery.

This is my story of one of the earliest pioneers to Placer County in California. The information presented here was obtained from family records, official public documents, periodicals, and individual research from family historians. I dedicate this article to Robert J. Hodges, who gave me encouragement often in my genealogical research, and publishes a family genealogical newsletter, The Hodges - Archer Family History Newsletter.

Written by Sally M. Kaleta (a Hodges family descendant).