From the book entitled: Biographical and historical
cyclopedia of Delaware County, Pennsylvania: comprising a historical
sketch of the county
Authors: Winfield Scott Garner, Samuel T. Wiley
Publisher: Gresham Pub. Co., 1894
JOHN C. RHODES, senior member of the coal and lumber firm of Rhodes
& Wilcox, at Chester Heights, this county, and of the mercantile
firm of Rhodes Brothers, of the same place, is the second son of
William and Lydia (Cummings) Rhodes,and a native of this city, where he
was born October 20, 1861. His paternal grandfather, William Rhodes,
was born and bred in England, but left that country after attaining
manhood, and came to the United States. Later he removed to Rockdale,
this count}', and continued to reside there until just previous to his
death, when he came to Chester. Politically he was a democrat, and for
a number of years was connected with the Independent Order of Odd
Follows. He was a member of the Episcopal church, and married and had
three sons and two daughters: John B., William, Samuel, Susanna and
Kennie, who never married. William Rhodes (father) was born at
Rockdale, this county, and obtained a good practical education in the
public schools of that place. At an early age he learned the trade of
bricklayer, and worked at that occupation for several years. Later he
began contracting for brick work and carried on that business quite
extensively for a number of years. During the early part of his life he
resided at Rockdale, but removed to Wilmington, Delaware, about 1852,
and after a residence of six years in that city came to Chester in
1858. For eight years he was engaged in the contracting and building
business in this city, and then removed to Knowlton, this county, and
embarked in the manufacture of cotton and woolen jeans, in what is
known as the Crozer cotton mills of that place. He successfully
conducted that business from 1866 to 1880, and at the expiration of
that time became associated with his brother, in the latter's cotton
mills, at Llewellyn, this county, where he remained as superintendent
until his death. An ardent democrat in politics, he took an active part
in local affairs, and in religious faith and church membership was an
Episcopalian. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and of the Improved Order of Red Men. During the civil war he acted as
recruiting agent in this county, and earnestly supported the government
and the Union cause. He married Lydia Cummings, and by whom he had a
family of four children : Hannah, who married Joseph Turner; Samuel B.,
who married Maggie Carson, a daughter of William Carson, a member of
the Brookside Manufacturing Company, at Parkmount; John C., the subject
of this sketch; and Harry W., secretary and treasurer of the Media
Trust Company, who is unmarried and in business with his brother, John
C., at Chester Heights.
John C. Rhodes was principally reared in the city of Chester, and
obtained his academic education in the famous institution presided over
by Professor Gilbert, from which he was graduated in 1878, at the age
of seventeen. He soon afterward accepted a position as clerk in a
general store at Llanwellyn, for which he received one dollar a week
for six months, and then had his salary increased to ten dollars a
month. For this small stipend he worked for more than three years, and
was then promoted to be manager of the business.
Here he remained for a period of eight years, during which time he
accumulated a little money, and then went to Colorado and entered the
employ of the Milltown Cattle Company at Denver. After two years spent
in the west Mr. Rhodes returned to Chester Heights, this county, and
forming a partnership with William Carson, under the style of Rhodes
& Carson, began his present prosperous coal and lumber business.
This firm successfully conducted the enterprise for nearly five years,
until November, 1892, when it was dissolved by mutual consent, and Mr.
Rhodes took another partner in the person of Thomas C. \Vilcox, and has
since continued the business under the firm name of Rhodes &
\Vilcox. Both are men of undoubted ability and fine business capacity,
and the firm is met with abundant success and now has a large and
important business. In addition to this successful enterprise, Mr.
Rhodes is also engaged in general merchandising at Chester Heights, in
partnership with his brother, Harry W. Rhodes, under the style of
Rhodes Brothers.
This imperfect sketch of the career of John C. Rhodes demonstrates that
he is the possessor of excellent business tact and talents, and of that
rarer virtue of steady persistency, which knowing how to adapt means to
ends, tenaciously works on and patiently awaits the result which is
sure to come in the fulness of time. Beginning at the bottom of the
ladder, he has steadily pushed his way into prominence and success, and
is still extending his business enterprises and widening the sphere of
his commercial operations. He is a member of the Episcopal church, and
is also connected with Benevolent Lodge, No. 140, Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, and the Junior Order of American Mechanics.
