James RODEBACK

• General Notes
  • Burial:  Date: 25 May 1875 Place: Cedar Fort Cemetery, Cedar Fort, Utah, Utah  Individual Note: TAXATION: Platt, Lyman. Nauvoo, Illinois Tax Index, 1842, listing of taxpayers from Hancock County, Illinois in 1842. Rodeback, James, p. 216, Cord.: 6N8W.  CENSUS: 1850 Dist. 21, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 77., Rhodabeck, James, family. 1860 Fort Cedar,Cedar,Utah, p.1060.  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah: RODEBACK, JAMES (son of Charles Rodeback and Margaret Quaintance of Chester county, Pa.). Born May, 1807, in Chester county. Came to Utah 1852, Uriah Curtis company. Married Phoebe Beagle, 1832 (daughter of Henry Beagle and Sarah Evans), who was born June, 1811, and came to Utah with husband. Their children: Edward H. b. May, 1833, m. Elizabeth McMichael 1855; Phoebe A. b. Nov. 1836, m. David Crafts 1855; Lorenzo Barnes h. March 11, 1843, m. Mary E. Bassett June 7, 1875; Rebecca H. b. May 1846, m. William Cook 1875; Catherine A. b. Nov. 1848, m. George W. Thurman 1864; James, Jr., b. Feb. 1853, m. Lourana Weeks 1874. Family home Cedar Valley, Utah. Bishop's counselor; president high priests quorum; superintendent Sunday school. Justice of peace Cedar Fort 1856-75; postmaster 1854-75; assessor; collector Cedar county 1858-61.   LIFE SKETCH: by his daughter, Rebecca R. Cook, from a copy in the possession of Rebecca Norton, 11937 Jody Drive, Boise, Idaho 83713. NOTE: For a more complete account, refer to the life sketch of Phebe Beagle Rodeback. On May 22, 1807, born to Charles and Sarah Quaintance Rodeback, their first child, a son whom they named James Rodeback, born at Newlin, Chester County, Pennsylvania. At the age of 24 years he was working as a wheelwright for Edward Hunter. Here he met Phebe Beagle who was also working for Mr. Hunter. They were married May 25, 1832 . . . Here they studied the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They accepted the gospel in Chester County on August 10, 1839 and shortly thereafter moved to Nauvoo. James Rodeback was ordained an Elder and a Seventy in Nauvoo. The special mission of the Seventies at this time was to testify for and protect the Prophet of the Church. He was a wheelwright and carpenter and spent much of his time in helping to build up the city of Nauvoo and the temple. . . . After leaving Nauvoo they lived at Council Bluffs, Iowa, where they prepared to make the journey to Salt Lake Valley. He and his family came to Utah in 1852, having a comfortable outfit, consisting of a good wagon, three yoke of oxen and provisions enough to suffice for a family of seven for three months. They arrived in Salt Lake City, Oct 9, 1852, moving at once on to the farm of Squire H.D. Wells, at Battle Creek, (Pleasant Grove, Utah.) From whence, in April, 1854, they moved to Cedar Valley. NOTE: James Rodeback, crossed the plains in the 16th Company, Uriah Curtis, Captain, numbering about 365 saints, which had been organized by Elder Jedediah M. Grant on Jun 24, 1852. He left the Missouri River a few days later and arrived in Salt Lake City, 1 October 1852. On January 5, 1856 the inhabitants of Cedar Valley organized a county in Utah territory called Cedar County. It remained this way until 1861 when it became part of Utah County. James Rodeback was the county assessor and collector of taxes of Cedar County, Cedar Fort being the county seat. He was a fine carpenter and built many of the frame homes and other buildings in the early days of Cedar Fort. . . . He was postmaster of Cedar Valley until his death. In 1855, the saints in Cedar Fort decided to organize into what was called the United Order and listed their property . . . . James Rodeback's schedule of conscrated property consisted of the following: 4 acres in Stone city, Garden lots in Utah County, value - $40.00, one house in the picket fort of Stone city with my interest therin, value - $75.00. My interest in the Stone fort of 3rd city, value - $60.00 - One yoke of oxen and 2 wagons at $155.00 - Two cows at $30.00 each and calf at $8.00 - 18 sheep at $5. pr head, value $90.00. 1 pig at $8. and 2 guns $20., value - $28.00. 40 lbs of wool rolls at .75c pr lb., value, $34.30, 1 cooking stove, value, $30.00. Household furniture, beds, bedding etc., value, $40.00. Farming and carpenter tools $60. and $40., value, $100.00. Outstanding accounts, $90.00. Total amount, $810.30 In 1874 they formed the 'Cedar Fort and Fairfield Branch, Utah County, Utah of the United Order. . . . When they sent in to Salt Lake and told Brigham Young what had been done, and asked for instructions, he sent this word back: "Wait 'till the head moves before the tail starts to wiggle," so the movement was discontinued. Deseret News - 30 Dec 1967 - Church Section: Historically interesting documents once owned by James and Phebe Rodeback, neighbors of the Prophet Joseph and Emma Smith in Nauvoo, have been donated to BYU's pioneer collection. . They were presented by Mr. and Mrs. Barnes A. Cook of Cedar Fort, Utah. . . The documents are located in Special Collections, fourth level of the Clark Library. Included are certificates of Rodeback's ordination to the office of Elder in Nauvoo in 1844 signed by Willard Richards and Joseph Smith . . . . BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES: Memories That Live, Utah County Centennial History, compiled by Emma N. Huff, FHL #979.224 H2d, p.284 -285: Aug 8, 1854, a very tragic incident took place. William and Warren Weeks, went up into Pole Canyon (a distance of from 2 to 3 miles), to get a load of poles. The boys did not return at night . . . Just as it was beginning to get light in the morning they found the boys camp and their mutilated bodies where some hostile Indians had attached and killed them . . . David K. Craft was constable at the time, and he with others went and talked to friendly Indians, and got them to get the Indians who murdered the boys and deliver them to the authorities . . . At one time a group of Indians were seen approaching town from the north. Ed Rodeback, who spoke the Indian language, and David Craft went out to meet them. settlers were very alarmed and some wanted to shoot the advancing Indians. Some said if they did shoot, the two white men who had gone out to meet them would be killed immediately. One man said, "better that the two men be killed than to let the Indians come into town and perhaps have several white people killed." James Rodeback held an ax handle in his hand and said he would attack the first man that attempted to fire a shot at the Indians. It developed that the Indians were friendly. They had camped in a canyon north of Cedar Fort and ran out of food, and were coming in town because they were hungry.