TAYLOR COUNTY, GA - BIOS Rhodes, Eliakim Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Beth Collins collins@negia.net Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/taylor.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Eliakaim Rhodes was born on September 15, 1795 in Georgia. At the age of 18, he bought his first land in Warren County, Georgia and that set him on his career as a land speculator. He married in Warren County, Rhoda Savage, on April 30, 1812 and they had a daughter, Marina on August 12, 1813. Rhoda Rhodes’ death date is not known but Eliakaim was remarried on August 3, 1815 in Hancock County to Elizabeth Henderson. She was born on September 15, 1798 in South Carolina. They had four children: 2. Absalom Morgan Rhodes (b. June 20, 1816) 3. Henderson Smalley Rhodes (b. August 18, 1817) 4. Cynthia Cason Rhodes (b. October 19, 1819) 5. Joiscy Barrett Rhodes (b. December 17, 1820) Eliakaim moved around as he bought and sold land. In the 1830 census, he was in Crawford County, 1840, Macon County, and in 1850, he was in Talbot County. When Taylor County was formed, the 3000 acres he owned became a part of it. Elikaim died on February 9, 1863 and Elizabeth Henderson Rhodes died on June 4, 1871. Generation 2 1. Marina Rhodes married Moses Rawls on April 2, 1826 in Bibb County and they moved to Butler County, Alabama where they lived out their lives. They had twelve children: William R., John H., James Wesley, Margaret, Martha Jane (Ellards), Benjamin, George W., Mary F., Susan R., Louisa, Elizabeth (McCormick), and Sarah. Marina died on April 20, 1901 and Moses died on September 9, 1876. 2. Absalom Rhodes was in the 1840 Talbot County census and when Taylor County was formed, his land became part of that county. He became the first school superintendent of Taylor County and later served for sixteen years as its tax receiver. He was a county commissioner for seven years and was a Baptist minister for thirty-five years. Absalom married Eliza Williamson on April 4, 1839. She was born on December 15, 1824 in South Carolina. While Absalom was a Baptist minister, Eliza remained a staunch Methodist all of her life. He was buried in the Butler Baptist Cemetery upon his death on July 16, 1884 and she was buried in the Bethel Cemetery when she died on May 25, 1904. 3. Henderson Rhodes lived in Talbot County in 1840 and was married to E. Dotra Wall on November 29, 1837. They had a son, King A. J. Rhodes, who was born on September 11, 1838. Henderson and his family moved to Butler County, Alabama, where his sister, Marina, also moved. 4. Synthia Rhodes married Willis Whatley on December 15, 1836 and they had one son, Eliakaim George Washington Whatley who was born on September 11, 1837. Synthia died as a young woman and Willis went on to remarry twice and he died in Texas. Eliakaim G. W. Whatley married Susan Williamson on October 25, 1860 in Taylor County. He is buried in the Butler Baptist Cemetery. 5. Joiscy Rhodes married David Hiram Williams on September 29, 1844. They had five children: Synthia Ellen, Luisa Fridonia, Thomas J., Absalom M., and Eliakaim G. Washington. Generation 3 (Children of Absalom and Eliza Williamson Rhodes) (Many of these children are buried in the Bethel Cemetery in Butler) 1. Frances Elizabeth Rhodes (1842 – 1927) m. William S. Brewer on December 31, 1865. 2. Martha Jane Rhodes (1843 – 1868) m. Persons Walker Williamson on December 14, 1865. They had a son, George, who married Leona Rayburn in 1893. 3. John Worth Taylor Rhodes (1846-1918) m. Frances Greene Caldwell on November 18, 1869. He was a Civil War veteran and farmed land on the Butler level. He donated the land where the Rhodes schoolhouse was built. They had ten children: William Edwin, Sarah Elizabeth (Adams), Mollie May (Fountain), Mary Saludy (Chapman), Eunice Belle (Smith), Yelverton Henry Eugene, Absalom Morgan Clifton, Alice Valeria Myrtle (Jones), Eva Laverne (Royal), Ruby Elizabeth (Royeton). 4. Mary Eliza Rhodes (1857 – 1944) m. Charles M. Bartlett after his wife (her sister) died. 5. Lena Florence Rhodes (1866 – 1928) m. Charles M. Bartlett on May 23, 1886. They had five children: Jewel (Gray), Jamie, Vera (Brooks), Victor, and Warren. Sources: Bibles of Eliakaim Rhodes, Absalom Rhodes, John Rhodes, public records, family information from Mrs. Clyde Walker.