1.Judge ThaddeusM.1Rhodes was born January 1828 in N.C., and died July 1, 1904 in Relampago, Texas. He married RafelaHernandez in Texas. She was born in La Palma Ranch, Mexico, and died Unknown in Relampago, Texas.
Notes for Judge Thaddeus M. Rhodes:
Thaddeus Rhodes came to Brownsville, Texas in 1846 with Gen. Zachary Taylor's troops, and latter established business as a druggist. When Hidalgo County was formed in 1852, he was appointed county clerk. Rhodes purchased 3,188 acres out of the old Rosario Ranch, in share 5 of the Llano Grande Land Grant of Juan Jose Hinojosa, 1790. His ranch, named Relampago (Lightning), stretched 15 miles back from a 1675 foot river frontage.
Rhodes raised cattle, established a freight business into Mexico, and became an active political leader, along with Ben Kidder, Pete Champion and W.P. and Jim Dougherty. When the office of county judge was abolished during Reconstruction, he held the powerful position of justice of the peace (collecting taxes) for 10 years. From 1876 to 1890, he was county judge.
His wife Rafaela was from La Palma Ranch just across the Rio Grande.
In 1902, Rhodes sold his back acreage, 2,655 acres north of Llano Grande Lake, to the American Rio Grande Land & Irrigation company for a large irrigation project. The rest of his property has passed into commercial farming operations.
Judge Thaddeus M. Rhodes died in Relampago. He was buried in the ranch cemetery, which was latter given to the Relampago community by his daughter Amelia.
More About Judge Thaddeus M. Rhodes:
Fact 1: 1900, 12th Population census of Hidalgo County precint #1 listed Thaddeus M. Rhodes as
Fact 2: 1900, being 72 years of age.His son Thad Jr. was 30.
Children of Thaddeus Rhodes and Rafela Hernandez are:
