First Wagon Train Going Thomas Rhoades and Family Text of a
talk given in Sept. 2001 at Galt, Ca. at the Rhoads Cousin's Luncheon by Leroy Hayes Mary Ann
"Polly" Rhoads b. 7 Mar 1817: d 27 Jun 1875; m John Turner Elder (Sr.). Oldest
daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Rhoads. Polly and her family traveled along with Thomas
Rhoads when he went back to Salt Lake City in 1849. They
spent the winter in SLC and went on to MO in the Spring.
Whatever
Became of Polly, her husband Turner, and their family after their return to Missouri? By the Spring of
1849, Turner had had enough of California. He had been exceptionally successful in the
gold fields and had what he considered to be enough gold to last a lifetime. Besides, he still owned property in Missouri to
which he could return to. There was an ever
increasing lawless element which was pouring into California along with the 49'ers which
he felt was becoming nearly impossible to control. Fear
that he could no longer afford adequate protection for his family and possessions were his
primary concern. Later events which occurred
in the family that remained in California proved him to be correct. About this time,
his father-in-law, Thomas Rhoads, decided to return to Missouri to reunite his
grandchildren with their father Arthur F. Rhoads. Arthur,
or Foster, as he was know, had remarried and could now make a home for his children. (Foster's new wife was Nancy Elder Matthews, the
widow of David Matthews and older sister of Turner.)
There was a problem though: Polly
was pregnant and would not be able to make the hard journey in her condition. So it was decided that they would wait until after
the baby was born and Polly could travel. The
baby came on July 3, 1849, about two months early. Despite
all efforts to save it, the child lived only four days.
The unnamed male child was laid to rest in the Slough House Cemetery beside
the child of Dan and Amanda Rhoads. When Polly was
able to travel, the party set out for the East, but it was too late in the year. Arriving in Salt Lake City, they were informed
that snow had closed the passes through the Rockies, and it would be too dangerous to
proceed. Family tradition has it that Turner
was so anxious to return to Missouri that he was willing to press on anyway. At this point, Brigham Young, the Mormon leader,
stepped in. He was a personal friend to
Thomas Rhoads, and used his influence to convince Turner to remain in Sal Lake. He told Turner that if he was set on
self-destruction, he could proceed, but his family would remain in Sal Lake until it was
safe to continue in the spring. It worked! Turner and family wintered-over in Salt Lake. Upon their
return to Tinney's Grove in Missouri, Turner set about buying up the surrounding land and
eventually amassed over 1800 acres of land and had 28 slaves to work his plantation. When the Civil War came along, Turner supported
the Southern Cause and gave most of his fortune in support of it along with providing
three of his sons for the Southern Army. The
War nearly ruined him. At its end he had no
money and only a few hundred acres of land. Emancipation
eliminated his work force without compensation and he was forced to hire men to do the
work. As time progressed, Turner managed to
rebuild some of his fortune, but never as large as it once was. Then tragedy struck: Polly passed away on June 27, 1875. Turner's grief was not very long-lasting. He remarried Nancy Elizabeth Harlow Johnson, widow
of William Henry Johnson on March 9, 1876. The
couple had three children together. Turner
lived until either 1907 or 1909, and was blind with cataracts and bed-ridden at the time. How about their children? Martin Van Buren Elder: born July 3,
1838, Tinney's Grove, MO. had a hair-lip like his mother.
Accompanied his parents to California, 1846.
Served in Confederate Army 1861-65 in Company C, 3rd Mo Vol. Inf.
Captured t Vicksburg and paroled. Fought at
Kennesaw Mountain and the siege of Atlanta. Surrounded in 1865. returned
to California in 1875 and settled at Lemoore. A
very prominent man in the affairs of Fresno County. Lived
in Wildflower, east of Fresno. Died about
1925, east of Fresno. Died about 1925. Married Elizabeth Jane Brown, daughter of John
Brown, Sr. (Aug. 1, 1809, Crawford Co., PA) and Matilda Gill (June 20, 1815, Allegheny
Co., PA) on Dec. 27, 1858. Children: Albert Robert, Thomas John
"Lon", Estelle, Joseph Eggleston, Bernice, Samuel, Ellen "Nellie", and
Nora. Turner Elder,
Jr.: born Jan. 12, 1845 at Tinney's Grove. Accompanied his parents to California, 1846. Enlisted in Confederate Army 1862, Ruffner's
Company of Light Artillery, Gordon Reg't, Shelby Brigade. Last Confederate unit to surrender west of
Mississippi in 1865. Returned to California
in 1875 and settled near Stockton. Wife died
in 1879, and he moved to Lemoore. Thereafter,
he bought a large ranch near Selma. Sold his
ranch and retire in 1927 to live with his daughter in
Long Beach, where he spent the remainder of his days, passing away in 1938. Married Amanda "Minnie" Brown, sister of
Elizabeth Jane Brown, on Feb. 19, 1869 in Carroll Co., Mo.
Children: Edith, Della and Jessica " Jessie". John Elder: born
Nov. 5, 1847 on the Consumnes River in California. John
and his twin sister Nancy were said to have been the first twins born in California to
American parents. Moved to Lemoore in 1875. After farming a short time, went into business as
a butcher and returned about 1930. Died in
Lemoore in 1932. Married Cynthia Ellen
Fielder of Lamar Co., TX daughter of James Fielder (Sept. 24, 1817, Tazwell Co., VA) and
Monica Bartly ( Mary 1818, Tennessee), on Dec. 17, 1868 at Tinney's Grove. Children: Alonzo Reese, James Claude, Daniel
Robert and Harry Bartley. Nancy Elder:
born Nov. 5, 1847 Consumnes River in California. Twin
sister to John Elder. Married Alonzo Reese
Feb. 4, 1866 at Tinney's Grove. Moved to Lemoore around 1875. Unnamed Elder:
born July 3, 1849 on the Consumnes River in California.
Born at lest two months premature and lived only four days. Buried next to child of Dan and Amanda Rhoads at
Slough House Cemetery. Polly Elder:
born Sept. 12, 1850 at Tinney's Grove. Lived
about six months. Buried on land donated to
community by her father for a cemetery. Mary Ann "Polly" Elder: born April 10, 1852
at Tinney's Grove. Married Isaac Hays son of
Warren Hays ( July 27, 1824, Richland Co., OH) and Virginia Harlow (May 1, 1815 Amherst
Co., VA) on Feb. 11, 1869 at Tinney's Grove. Isaac
was a blacksmith by trade and part-time constable of Tinney's Grove. They lived in a small clapboard house on Turner's
plantation. All their children were born
there. After Isaac accidentally one of his
cousins in performance of his duties as constable, the family moved to Moniteau County, MO
for their daughter's health (Tuberculosis). After
their daughter's death in 1902, they moved to Selma, California. Isaac and his son Moses opened a blacksmith shop
on old Highway 99, on the north side of town(razed about 1970). Polly died Dec. 21, 1927 at her home on
Sylvia Street in Selma. Children: Octavia, Moses, Della, Polly Roy, Isaac Napoleon
Bonaparte "Dick", Opha Ida Frances, Katy and Leland Stanford. Hannah Elder:
born May 8, 1854 at Tinney's Grove. Killed in
1859 by a falling tree while watching her father's slaves cut it down for the honey inside
it. Paulina G.
"Pliney" Elder: born June 8, 1856 at Tinney's Grove. Married to Perry Graham Dec. 25, 1877 at Tinney's
Grove. Moved to California around 1900 and
settled near Selma. Husband owned a large
ranch north-east of Selma. Sold ranch after
husbands death. Remarried and moved to Los
Angeles around 1927. Died Aug. 27, 1942 in
Los Angeles, California. Rebecca Elder:
born Aug. 14, 1858 at Tinney's Grove. Moved
to California before 1900. Owned and operated
a millinery shop in San Francisco where she met and married Johnny Purvis, a San Francisco
Police Officer. Later owned and operated a
similar millinery shop in Fresno. Sold shop
and bought a ranch outside Selma for her husband. Johnny
was not much of a rancher and made only a marginal living even with his relatives generous
assistance. Rebecca passed away of breast
cancer in 1922. Her husband sold the ranch
soon after. Had no children. Information
drawn from the following sources: Interviews
with Turner Elder, Jr., 1928&1935, Long Beach Times Martin
Elder, biography, History of Fresno County, 1902. John Elder,
biography, History of Kings County, 1904. Arthur F.
Rhoads, biography, Atlas of Carroll County, (MO), 1876. Della Hays
Till, reminiscences, 1953. Katy Hays
Lund, interview, 1980. John
"Chick" Evans, letters, 1978-1984. Leland S.
Hays, reminiscences, 1963. Leroy Hays,
Sr., reminiscences, 1978-1990. Fred E.
Hays, reminiscences, 1980-1991. Family Bible
information in possession of Leroy L. Hays, Jr. San Jose, CA.
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