The record., 1911-09-21

! "NASho N'"t piNNNhNN anu iNohtt'h III
the discharge of the bullet.
Most of the local traditions are
subject to a variety of versions.
The old panther story, as l have
related il, has probably changed
very little from the original since
Henry Rhoads' day. However,
another version of this incident has
lately crept into circulation and
shows to what extent some of our
old traditions are changed.
This new version has 1t that when
Henry Rhoads saw the wild turkey
in the woods he took steady aim at
the bird and then pulled the trigger
of his llint-lock. He had no more
than pulled the trigger when he
heard a panther back of him.
Rhoads turned, Immediately swung
his gun around and aimed at the
panther, then in the very act of
making a long leap from a limb
down onto the hunter. But the old
pioneer was quicker than the dis
charging powder or the charging
panther, for he had the gun pointed
at the animal before the bullet left
the barrel and thus killed the pan
ther with the load that, a few sec
onds before, had been intended
for the turkey. This same version
continues with the statement that
the animal did not drop to the
ground after it was shot, but fell
across the shoulder of the hunter,
who then lcisurely walked home
and did not throw the panther down
on the ground until he reached the
front of his house.
Henry Rhoads was the father OF
nine children, Among his four
daughters was Elizabeth Rhoads,
who married Jacob NanMeter. His
five sons were Jacob, Daniel, Hen
ry, Jr., Solomon, Jr., and David.
The descendants of Solomon Rhoads
Jr., are represented more exten-
sively in Muhlenberg county and
other parts of the Green river coun-
try than any of the other of Henry
Rhoads' children. Solomon Rhoads,
Jr., was born June 7, I77b and
died Nov. 10, 1919. This Solomon
Rhoads, Jr., was nephew to the
solomon Rhoads who, with Henry
and another brother, David p
built the first fort in Mclean coun .
ty which, as already stated, was
first called Rhoadsvillc, then Wen
ma, and which later became Cal
houu.
Solomon Rhoads, Jr., the son of
Henry Rhoads, hal two children
by his first wife: /. Bradford
Rhoads, who was a member OF Al
ney McLean's company in the War
of 1879; and :. Rebecca Rhoads,
who married Solomon Nofsinger
Solomon's second wife was Rachael
Johnson, whose mother, Rachael
Boone, was first cousin to Daniel
Boone. They were the parents Of
five children: ;. Absolem ].
Rhoads, who married Tabitha r.
Dennis, daughter of Abraham Den
mis-; !. Preston Rhoads, who mar
ried Slllie Ross; ). Henry Rhoads,
who married Elizabeth Morton; 9.
Samuel Rhoads, a bachelor; T..
Minerva Rhoads, W h married
Peter Baker.
l.. b. Rhoads, who lives near
Drakesboro, is greal-grcat grand
son of Henry Rhoads, great grand
son of David Rhoads, a grandson
of Barehus Rhoads and son of
Isaac w. Rhoads.
Henry Rhoads, as already stated,
was a member of thee state legisla-
ture from Logan county when, in
1898, Muhlenberg was formed and
was the first man to represent the
new county in the house Of repre-
sentatives. lie was sixty years of
age when the county was organized.
He died in 1914, aged seventy-fve.
lie and his children were members
OF Hazel Creek Baptist church,
which was organized Dec. 5, 1898.
Although he declined the various
county Offices offered to him, he
nevertheless continued 10 work for
the good of the community, and
probably did as much for the coun-
ty, if not more, than any of the
other early pioneers. lie helped
draw the plans for the first court
house and also did much toward
promoting the interests of Green