Please contact the contributing institution for more information regarding the copyright status of this object.
Description
Augustus Loring Rhodes, 3/4 view with glasses, full beard, grey & brown tones, signed Duesbury & Wolfe 1891. First President of the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County. Displayed in 1978 as part of the "19th Century San Jose Portraits" in the Pacific Hotel, History Park, with the following label: Judge Rhodes came to the Santa Clara Valley with the idea of becoming a rancher. Fortunately for the county and the state, a two-year drought forced him back into law practice and the beginning of a brilliant career. A native of Utica, New York, Augustus Rhodes attended Hamilton College and then spent several years tutoring for various families in the Southern states. A diligent worker, Rhodes studied law in his spare time. Upon being admitted to the Bar, he opened a practice in Indiana. While there, he married Elizabeth Cavins of Bloomington, a judge's daughter. They crossed the Plains in 1854 and bought the ill-fated ranch. In 1856 Rhodes gave up and opened a law office in San Jose. His eyes were on a political career, and he used his practice as a springboard to a series of elected offices. In 1859 he was elected Santa Clara County District Attorney, in 1860 to the State Senate, and iin 1863 to the State Supreme Court. Rhodes served on the California Supreme Court for 16 years, 3 of them (1870-72) as Chief Justice. In 1880 he went into partnership with Alfred Barstow in San Francisco until 1899, when he was appointed to a vacancy on the Santa Clara County Superior Court. When death came to the 97-year-old judge at his home on The Alameda in 1918, he was said to be the oldest college graduate in the country. Although the raging influenza epidemic prohibited a large gathering of mourners at his funeral, resolutions were passed all over the State honoring this great man.
Type
image
Identifier
B69DBE17-4F47-489E-B7F3-076937009860 1974-637
Subject
Judges Pioneers--California (LCSH) Ranchers Lawyers Politicians Nineteenth century (LCSH) Portrait paintings Men Rhodes, Augustus L
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
