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outback-020
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| Eugene Manlove Rhoades' Grave |
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Deep in Rhodes Canyon in the San Andreas Mountains lies the gravesite and what is left of the ranch belonging to Eugene Manlove Rhodes. Eugene Rhodes was, most notibly, a western writer known as "the cowboy's writer" and was also known to be very good at wrestling.
Eugene Rhodes is also known for his small part in the mysterious disappearance of Col. Albert J. Fountain and his 8-year-old son, Henry. The disappearance of the two climaxed a political war between Democrats and Republicans and a range war between small and large cattle ranchers that raged in Dona Ana County in the 1890s. Fountain and his son disappeared on the way back to Las Cruces from Lincoln, where Fountain, a Republican, had secured cattle-rustling indictments against Democratic strongman Oliver Lee and his lieutenant, Bill McNew. A posse sent to investigate their disappearance found signs of a bloody ambush at Chalk Hill, just on the other side of the Organ Mountains from Las Cruces.
Though no bodies were found, it was immediately assumed the two had been murdered. Lee, McNew and James Gilliland, another Lee ally, were the most obvious suspects and were charged in the murders. Oliver Lee and James Gilliland avoided prosecution for the murder of Albert J. Fountain at Chalk Hill for some time by hiding out at Eugene Rhodes' Ranch. Charges against McNew, however, were later dropped. Lee and Gilliland were found not guilty of the boy's death. No one was tried for Albert Fountain's slaying.
The following images show what is left of Eugene Rhodes' Ranch as the ranch house washed away in the arroyo years ago but the rocked seep spring is still visible and contains water to this day. The gravesite is located on the 'Diamond A' property within the White Sands Missile Range boundary. The entrance to the trail was worked with the effort of some Boy Scouts and the rock '61' is the cattle brand that belonged to Eugene Rhodes. The grave inscription reads Paso por aqui (Passed through this way). . (Hits: 2306)
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