San Joaquin County
Biographies
ALONZO RHODES
ALONZO RHODES, one of the
pioneers of California, has been a resident of Stockton since the city’s early days. He is a native of North Carolina, born at Lumberton, Robinson County, April 25, 1825. His grandfather, Jacob, was a
Virginian of English ancestry. His father, Thomas Rhodes, was an enthusiastic
Democrat, and energetic in business. His mother’s maiden name was Ann Maria
Brockett.
About 1831 the family removed to Hinds County, Mississippi, and the following year to Vicksburg, and later up the Yazoo river to the neighborhood of the little town
of Tuscaloosa. When Carroll County, Mississippi, was created Mr. Rhodes, Sr., was elected its first
Clerk and held that office eight years, or until his death, November 5, 1839.
During the following year his widow died leaving a family of seven children.
At the age of fifteen years, an orphan,
Alonzo Rhodes started out in the world for himself. Going to Memphis, Tennessee, he soon secured employment as an apprentice in the
drug store of Hugh Horah & Co., at a salary of two hundred dollars for
three years. Hard work and close study told upon his health and he was allowed
a vacation to visit home scenes in Mississippi. Returning, he resumed his duties, and at the end of
three years, having finished his apprenticeship, he found himself sixty dollars
in debt to his employers. Upon informing the head of the firm of this fact, he
was told to balance the account by charging the amount to profit and loss. He
was then master of his profession and was promoted to the management of the
prescription department at a salary of two hundred and fifty dollars a year. In
the fall of 1846, however, his health again began to fail, and after
consultation with his employers he decided to settle up with them and go to New Orleans. After a brief sojourn in the Crescent City, he again returned to his former home in Mississippi, where he had the good fortune to meet with a former friend of his
father doing business at Greenwood.
He was offered half of the profits to take charge of the business, with an
ample supply of money, and decided later to accept the proposition, becoming
manager of the forwarding and commission business of C. F. Hemmingway & Co.
Trade flourished under his care, but failing health compelled him to abandon
the position the following year. After a trip to Northern Mississippi and Tennessee, he returned to his post in better health.
In February, 1849, he decided to remove to
California. Winding up his business relations, he bade his
friends adieu on the tenth of that month, went to New Orleans, joined a party organized for making the journey via Texas
and the southern overland route, and embarked on the steamship Palmetto for Galveston. They landed there and proceeded on to Corpus Christi, where they organized under military discipline. They
arrived at San
Antonio during
the prevalence of cholera, which carried off Gen. Worth while they were there.
Dissensions arose in the company over the peculiar enforcement of military
discipline, and Mr. Rhodes, becoming disgusted, drew out, thus forfeiting his
share, one hundred and fifty dollars, which he had paid into the general fund,
and traveling thereafter with a saddle horse and pack animal. At Fredericksburg he purchased a wagon in which he pursued his journey
as far as Fort Leaton on the Rio Grande. Here he disposed of the wagon, and in company with
W. L. Gray, Samson Gray, Benjamin F. Williams and two men named Baldwin, and
Whitman (all now deceased) continued the journey through Chihuahua, Durango and
Sinaloa to the Pacific, reaching Mazatlan about the middle of July, 1849, and a
few days later embarked for San Francisco on the Danish brigantine Johanna and
Uluffa.
Soon after leaving port the captain
violated his contract by attempting to furnish stale bread and inferior
provisions. The passengers met and passed resolutions that unless the captain
changed his tactics they would tie him to the end of a rope, pitch him
overboard and tow him through the water until he was ready to come to time.
When the captain found they were determined he ordered better fare, but both he
and the mate continued sullen and domineering. Even the cook tried to follow
their example, and a few days later shoved a sea-sick passenger over. In turn
he was himself floored with a billet of wood by another passenger. The latter
was then attacked by the mate, hatchet in hand. He heard a noise behind him,
however, and looked around in time to see a big Louisianian making for him with
a bowie-knife. This caused him to go elsewhere, and thereafter there was no
more trouble. The captain gave it out that he intended to put the passengers
through for mutiny on reaching San Francisco; but when informed that an attempt
of that kind would be met with instant death without regard to law, he changed
his mind.
On the first of September, 1849, the
brigantine entered the Golden
Gate, cast anchor in the
harbor, and the passengers were soon ashore. Three or four days later Mr.
Rhodes, in company with William and Samson Gray, took passage on a sloop for Stockton. Arriving here, they took passage by ox team for Jacksonville, Tuolumne County. Having reached the mines, and being encamped on the Tuolumne river, Mr. Rhodes tried his luck at mining on the morning of September
11. Procuring a pan of dirt from what he thought a favorable spot, he shook and
washed it long and carefully finding at the shining particles alone in the
bottom. He though he had at least two dollars’ worth, but upon having it
weighed at a store near by was surprised to learn it was worth only three bits.
Nothing daunted, he procured a rocker at the cost of thirty-two dollars, and
went to work in earnest, and with good results. He continued mining with
various fortune in different localities until January, 1850, when in company
with B. F. Moore he went to Columbia
and built the first cabin in the place. In 1851 he left there, and going to Old River settled on Union Island, where after one season of experience in the business
of haying he turned his knowledge of fire-arms to account by hunting elk and
fowl for the San Francisco and Stockton markets. While thus engaged he had his first and last
experience in bear hunting. He had long been anxious to distinguish himself by
killing a grizzly, and in the fall of 1851 the opportunity presented itself
rather unexpectedly. Having killed an elk one afternoon, he and his partner
were returning to their camp on Union Island with a piece of the meat, when
their attention was called to their dog, which came rushing past them his hair
turned the wrong way. On facing about Mr. Rhodes beheld two monster grizzlies,
one standing erect on its hind legs, the other making directly for him.
Instantly he raised his rifle to his shoulder, and when the bear was within
about twenty feet of him, fired. The bear fell over, but being only wounded gathered
himself together, returned where his companion was, and at once renewed the
attack. Mr. Rhodes started away, but was overtaken by the bear. Bringing his
revolver into play, he managed to extricate himself from his perilous position
and was satisfied to leave the grizzlies to their own sweet will thereafter.
After a trip to San Francisco and a visit
to Vallejo, where the Legislature was then in session, he proceeded up the San
Joaquin on Captain Halley’s little steamer, the only craft then navigating that
stream, and embarked in a wood-chopping enterprise, which proved a disastrous
failure. He returned to Stockton
with a capital of only $10, and no prospects. He was solicited by a friend to
run for the office of constable, but, not having resided in the city thirty
days he at first demurred. He finally yielded to opportunities, however, and
invested his entire capital in cards announcing his candidacy. Through
strenuous exertions he was elected over strong opposition. He filled the office
one term, and by economy and strict application to business accumulated some
money. In 1854 he was appointed a notary public by Governor Bigler, and opened
an office in the old Geddes building, corner of Center and Main
streets. Here he did a general conveyancing business, together with collecting
and lending money. He prospered, and on the 15th of March, 1855, he
was married to Miss Annie McVicker, a native of Natchez, Mississippi. In 1857, acting under the advice of his physician,
he moved to the mountains, settling at Murphy’s Camp, in Calaveras County. Here he engaged in mining operations, which he
followed with fair success until 1864, when he ceased all work in mining and
opened an office for the purpose of buying and selling mining stock. Soon
afterward he was appointed agent of the Western Union Telegraph Company. In
1869 he was acting secretary of the Union Water Company, and was also agent of
Wells-Fargo Company at Murphy’s, all of which positions he held until 1871,
when the Board of Directors of the Water Company was ousted by a decree of the
District Court, and it became necessary for him to vacate his office as
secretary of the Water Company. He then engaged in merchandising, but as the
business was too confining, he sold out, and October 1, 1872, returned to Stockton and engaged in real estate, insurance and loaning
money. In 1880 ill-health compelled a rest, and, leaving his business in the
care of his eldest son, he went on a tour of the country, visiting twenty-one
States and Territories in two and a half months. He called on relatives in Arkansas and Mississippi, and extended his trip to the principal Eastern
cities, returning in good health. He soon afterward commenced the erection of
his fine residence on the corner of Sonora and Sutter streets. In 1885 he purchased a half
interest in the Stockton street railroad, and immediately commenced extending
the tracks to different parts of the city, building lines to the fair grounds,
to Goodwater Grove and to Rural Cemetery. In 1887 poor health compelled him to
sell out this interest and cease business for a time. In the fall of the same
year, however, he again embarked in the real-estate business in company with
his second son, A. McV. Rhodes.
Mr. Rhodes is one of the most highly
respected citizens of Stockton, and has always taken an active interest in her
material advancement. He is a member of the San Joaquin Society of California
Pioneers, in which he has held office of secretary. Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes have
five children living, viz: Alonzo Willard, a resident of Los Angeles; Mary Authelia, Aurelius McVicker, Allen Lee, who is studying law at Ann Arbor (Michigan) University; and Walton Todd.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 327-330. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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