The Jones Families of Greene County, Missouri

CAPTAIN GEORGE M. JONES.

Capt. Jones is the son of Henry F. and Mary (Waller) Jones, and was born in Shelby county, Tennessee, Oct. 19th, 183(5. His father is still living there, aged eighty-one, his mother died in 1856. George M. grew up on the farm, receiving his education at the common schools of the county where he lived. At the age of seventeen he went to Memphis, Tenn., and sold dry goods for the firm of Cossitt, Hill & Talmadge. He remained with them something over three years, receiving for his first year's service, $75.00 and board; for the second, $100.00, and the third, $150.00. He came to Springfield, Missouri, in January, 1858, but went back to Tennessee after a short time. In the fall of the same year he returned to Springfield and engaged in the general merchandising business, the firm being Miller,

Jones & Co. He only remained here a year when he went to Dillon, Phelps county, Missouri, and embarked in the forwarding and commission business, which he carried on until the war broke out in 1861. In June of that year he enlisted as a private, in Capt. Dick Campbell's company of independents. Mo. State service, in the interest of the South. He was next transferred to Foster's regiment. Company A, McBride's division, C. S. A. He was shortly afterward made quartermaster, with the rank of captain. On account of ill health, he was honorably discharged at Jacksonport, Arkansas, in August, 1863. In 1864 he re-enlisted, and was for some time acting provost marshal in Chicot county, Arkansas. He next engaged with Col. Campbell in the recruiting service until Gen. Price's last raid in 1864. He surrendered and received his parole at Monroe, Louisiana, in the spring of 1865, and saw the cause he had espoused forever lost, and the flag he had followed so long and so faithfully uprolled, never again to be unfurled over the land he had fought for and loved so well. Capt. Jones went back to his native county in Tennessee, in 1865, and remained until 1868. On the 15tii of Oct., 1868, he was married to Mrs. Elizabeth (Berry) Campbell, widow of Colonel Campbell. They were married in Lee county, Arkansas, and their union has been best with three children, two girls and one boy. In December, 1868, they came to Springfield, locating on the property where they now live, in the eastern part of the city. For two or three years he was engaged in the real estate business here, but has since devoted his time and attention to his farm, a part of which lies in the city limits. His home-place contains three hundred and fifty acres, and his farm at Campbell Station, three hundred and sixty acres. Capt. Jones has been one of the board of curators of the University, and is now upon the executive board of Drury College. He is a member of the Masonic order, and is president of the Confederate Cemetery Association here at Springfield. He and his wife are members of the M. E. Church South, and he has been a steward of the church for twelve years. He was also a member of the last three general conferences of that church. Greene county has no better citizen or truer gentleman than Geora:e M. Jones.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM J. JONES.

We have stronger evidence with each succeeding day that the bitterness and animosity resulting from the great Civil war and preceding influences is passing away and that the solidarity of the nation is becoming more and more a fact. To this many things have contributed, among which may be mentioned the natural kindly spirit of the South, which has invited the people of the crowded North to share its vast unoccupied land spaces and invest in its promising possibilities, while enjoying its delightful climate. And in the long lapse of half a century the war trenches have been filled, the temporary forts demolished, and the plow passes peacefully over their ruins. Many of the actors in the bloody drama are dead and their graves with those of their comrades who fell in battle are green and fragrant with grass and flowers, while the wounds, physical and moral, of the survivors have long since healed and only cars remain.

One of the Confederate veterans of Greene county is William J. Jones, better known as "Hickory" Jones, a merchant of Walnut Grove, formerly engaged in general farming near that place. He is one of the soldiers of the sixties who is willing to "forget." Mr. Jones was born in this county on May 22, 1840, and is therefore one of the oldest native suns of this community, having passed his sixty-ninth birthday, and during that long period of residence here he has noted and taken part in many great changes, seeing the country develop in a general way. He is a son of Richard M. and Mary Ann ( Hartin 1 Jones, the father a native of Virgina, and the mother was a native of Tennessee. The father died in this county in 1898. The mother died here in 1896. Our subject's father was a cabinet maker by trade. He was in the land office here for eight years in the fifties. In his latter life he did some farming but lived retired until his death. Our subject was one of eleven children, only two living at this writing: Mrs. Mary J. McDowell, who lives in Springfield, and our subject.

William J. Jones grew to manhood in his native county and he received a good education in the common schools, attending school eight years in Springfield. His early life was spent on the farm. He was quite young when the Civil war began and did not enlist until in the tall of 1863, when he entered the Confederate service from Arkansas, in Company F, Third Missouri Cavalry, under I ol. oltori Green, who was subsequently promoted to brigadier general, being succeeded in his former command by Col. Lenten Campbell, who was promoted to that rank. Our subject saw considerable hard service and participated in a number of important engagements, proving a very courageous soldier despite his youth. He was paroled at Little Rock in the spring of [865 at the close of the war. After coming home from the army he resumed farming, which he followed for four years, then located in Springfield, where he worked in a hardware store for D. J. B. Skinner and \Y. H. Mansfield for some time, then returned to the farm for several years. In 1882 he moved to Walnut Grove and farmer in this township with his usual success until 1896, when he went into the grocery business in Walnut Grove, which he continued for seven years, then sold out and lived retired for two years, then went into the furniture business in 1907 here and is still thus engaged. He keeps a good stock of general furniture and has a very satisfactory business.

Mr. Jones was married in 1872, to Josie B. Carter, of Greene county. She is a daughter of Tillman Carter and wife, who were well-known early settlers here. He was in the tobacco business for several years.

Four children have been born to our subject and wife, namely: George E., deceased; William H., Richard T. and Hattie B.. all live in Walnut Grove. Here they grew to maturity and received good educational advantages.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

HENRY B. JONES.

A gentleman who has been considered one of the best farmers and stock raisers in the vicinity of Elwood, Greene county, is Henry B. Jones, who, as a citizen is intelligent and enterprising, combining with himself those sterling qualities of manhood that make not only a useful member of society, but a leader in whatever he undertakes. He has been contented to spend his life in his native county, rightly concluding that for the miller of the soil and the live stock grower no better place could be found.

Mr. Jones was born in Greene county, Alissouri, March 21, 1860. He is a son of Isaac and Martha (AIcClure) Jones, both natives of Alonroe county, Tennessee, where they spent their childhood and received a common school training, which, according to the times, was meager. Isaac Jones was twenty-three years old when he came to Greene county, Alissouri, and by home study he had added to his education sufficiently to teach school, which he followed for some time in this county or until the commencement of the Civil war. I'he latter part of his life was devoted to general farming here. During the Civil war he w'as deputy sheriff under Elisha White. His death occurred in 1883. His widow survived nineteen years, dying in 1902. They were the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, named as follows: Sarah E., Jas. L., Henry B., the subject; Effie K., Alice, Dora, J. Lyman, and Geo. B. W.

Henry B. Jones grew to manhood on the home place and there worked during the crop seasons when a boy, and attended the district schools during the winter. When a young man he began farming for himself, which he has continued to the present time, and is now owner of a well-improved and productive place of two hundred acres near Elwood. He has always l)een a very careful general farmer, rotating his crops at the right time, and he has made livestock raising and feeding a specialty, always keeping good grades and spring no pains in their care. He has a good set of buildings and modern farming implements.

Hr. Jones was married on August 12, 1885, to Elorence Pickering, a daughter of Samuel and Margaret (Gray) Pickering. She was born on her father's farm in Greene county, Tennessee, and here grew to woman hood and received her education in the country schools. Mrs. Jones had two brothers, both deceased, namely: Charles B. and James B; also one sister, Mrs. Alary E. Graham.

Two children have been born to Air. and Mrs. Jones, namely: Fred, born July 17, 1886, owns a ranch in New Alexico and intends devoting his life to farming; Bert L, born November 18, 1888, owns a farm in Republic township, Greene county, where he carries on general farming; he married Ora E. Ccggin, a native of this county, and they have one child, Ruth Mildred.

Politically, Mr. Jones is a Republican, and he and his family attend the methodist Episcopal church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOSHUA L. JONES.

Farmers come nearer being their own business masters than any other class of workers. It takes considerable capital these days to go into farming properly, but a farmer nowadays does not need so much land as he has been taught to believe he should have. Where one hundred and sixty acres has been considered a necessity for a good farm, forty acres will soon he regarded as plenty; and for some kinds of crops ten acres is all a man can properly care for. Intensive cultivation with modern methods makes a successful farm out of few acres of land. Ownership and proper development of even a few acres will amply provide for the unproductive period in the lives of farmers.

One of the capable farmers of Republic township, Greene county, is Joshua L. Jones, who was born in this township and county, on the old Jones homestead, March 23, 1872. He is a son of Isaac N. and Martna (McClure) Jones, both natives of Monroe county, Tennessee, where they spent their earlier years. Isaac N. Jones was twenty-three years of age when he left his native state and immigrated to Greene county, Missouri. He received a fairly good education for a country boy in those days, and he taught school after coming to the Ozarks, continuing as a teacher until the commencement of the Civil war, during which period of strife between his fellow citizens, he acted as deputy sheriff under Elisha White. He was. also county surveyor at one time. He devoted the latter part of his life to general farming in Republic township, where his death occurred in 1883. His widow survived until 1902. outliving him nineteen years. They were the parents of ten children, an equal number of sons and daughters, four of whom are living at this writing, one son and five daughters being deceased.

Joshua L. Jones grew to manhood on the home farm and there he worked hard when a boy. He received his education in the district schools of his neighborhood, and he also studied at Marionville Collegiate Institute, Marionville, Missouri. His brother, Ben G. W. Jones, who is in partnership with him farming, and who is three years younger, was educated in the local public schools and later was graduated from the Marionville Collegiate Institute.

Joshua L. Jones began life for himself as a farmer when a young man and this has continued to claim his constant attention. He and his brother, Hen (i. Y. Jones, own a g 1 farm of forty acres in Republic township and here they are obtaining very gratifying results as general farmers and stock raisers, being very close students of modern methods of agriculture and not afraid to experiment and adopt advanced ideas in husbandry. Both he and his brother have remained unmarried.

Politicall) our subject is a Democrat and active in local party affairs.

WILLARD MAJOR B Akkn.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN H. JONES.

We are glad to note in this series of biographical articles that so many of the progressive citizens of Greene county have been born and reared here, for this is an indication of at least two things: that they are men of keen discernment, being able to see and appreciate present conditions as they are, and that the county is indeed one of the favored sections of the great commonwealth of Missouri, else these people would have sought opportunities elsewhere. As it is they did not need to heed the call of the wanderlust that is heard at some stage or other in the lives of all young men. One of this number who has been contented to spend his life in his native locality is John H. Jones, the energetic druggist at Fair Grove, Jackson township.

Mr. Jones was born in this county on November 4, 1877. He ia-on of James T. and Rachael A. 1 Norton) Jones. The father was born in Dallas county, Missouri, November 14, 184(1. and there he grew to manhood on a fa mi and attended the rural schools. Remaining in that county until 1870, he removed to Greene county and entered government land which he improved into a good farm and on which he established a comfortable home and here our subject was born. The place first consisted of eighty acres. As the elder Jones prospered through good management, he added to his original holdings until he now haa Farm of two hundred and fifty-five acres, which is well improved and productive, lie has. however, retired from active life and keeps his land rented, and is residing in Fair Grove, where he moved ten years ago, buying a good home there. He devoted all his active life to general farming and raising live stock and has been very successful in his life work. IF- was married in [868 to Rachel A. Norton, who was born in Tennessee,.May [4, 1840. and when young in years her parents brought her to Missouri, the family locating in Webster count) and there she grew to womanhood on a farm and she attended the country schools. She is a member of the Baptist church. To these parents four children have been born, namely: William < ' lives in Greene county; Messer F. is deceased; John II. of this-ketch; and Mrs. Vada Bass, of this county.

John H. Jones was reared on the home farm in his native community and there he assisted with the general work during the summer months, and attended the district schools in the winter. Be continued to work on the farm until the fall of 1901. The following year lie entered the- St. Louis College of Pharmacy, where he made a good record and from which he was graduated with the class of 1906. Soon thereafter he went into the drug business at Fair drove, which he has continued with ever-increasing success to the present time, having built up an extensive trade. He has a neat store which is stocked with a full line of drugs and drug sundries. He has been very successful in a business way and owns several lots and buildings in Greene county and a forty-acre farm in Dallas county, also a town lot in Oklahoma.

Mr. Jones has remained unmarried. Politically, he is a Democrat. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of ( )i\d Fellows and the Woodmen of the World.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

As every one knows, methods of farming are changing and we are learning many things that the husbandmen of half century ago did not know or at least did not attach much importance to. Among other things the farmer of today has learned that the soil is a mixture of ground rock fragments ami mineral mixed with more or less organic material. Some one has rightly said, "The soil is Nature's dumping-ground." All animal and plant refuse not burned or carried away by streams, eventually reaches the soil. Were it not for the fact that this vast amount of material is constantly decaying and becoming soluable we would eventually become polluted in Nature's waste products.

One of the farmers of Wilson township, Greene county, who has not been slow in adopting advanced methods of tilling the soil is John Jones, owner of "Shady Grove Farm." Mr. Jones was born in Taney county, Missouri, September 4, 1847. He is a son of Jabis and Elizabeth Jones, natives of Missouri. The father owned eighty acres and rented the same amount of land in Greene county. He at one time lived near Lebanon, Laclede county. His death occurred when the subject of this sketch was seven years of age, and a year later the mother passed away.

John Jones received a very limited education. After his father's death the mother sold the home farm, and after her death our subject lived with his uncle, James Cook, and later with an aunt. When eighteen years of age he was married to Mary Graham, a daughter of James Graham and wife, both of Christian county, this state, where they lived on a farm. After four years of married life, the wife of our subject died. To this union two children were born, one dying at the age of three years and the other in infancy. Three years after the death of his first wife, Mrs. Jones married again, choosing as a helpmate Mary Childress, a daughter of William and Ellen Childress, formerly of Illinois, from which state they came to Greene county, Missouri, after the Civil war and settled in Wilson township on one hundred and sixty acres. Mr. Childress was born in Kentucky. Our l8o8 subject's second union has resulted in the birth of seven children, named as follows: Johnnie, Ira, Robert, Madeen, Bessie (deceased), Mrs. Myrtle Barber, and Vida, the last named being at home with her parents.

Mr. Jones owns sixty acres of good land in Wilson township, which he operates together with twenty-two acres which he rents from his brother-in-law, Mr. Childress. He is making a comfortable living as a general farmer and stock raiser, and, considering his early environment and the fact that he grew up without the protection, advice and guidance of parents and lias had to "hoe his own row" from the first, he is deserving of a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished. On his farm is one of the most splendid wells in the township, which is a favorite among his neighbors. In connection with raising general crops. Mr. Jones is doing a very good business raising horses and mules, also handles other live stock.

Politically, he has voted the Democratic ticket since attaining his majority. His jovial nature makes him many friends wherever he goes.

A forward-looking, dynamic-energies citizen of Springfield, a man of vision and purpose, who has in many ways aided in Missouri's betterment, is A. J. Johnston.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

COL. F. S. JONES.

City and one to New Mexico. The latter reached its destination, but the former was snowed in at Fort Bridger, and the goods and some of the wagons used by the garrison, which had been poorly supplied by the government. Their cattle mostly died, and they got pay for the wagons and supplies used. They lost heavily on this venture, chiefly because of death of cattle and having to sell at much less than they paid when they bought at war time prices. Returning to Greene county. Col. Jones bought a farm four miles south of town, where he lived two years. He was chosen president of the Southwestern Agricultural Association, and held the position two years. He was president of the stock company, let all contracts and paid out all funds in the building of the Metropolitan Hotel, and for eighteen months was its proprietor. During the most critical period of rivalry between the two cities of Springfield he was a member of the city council and chairman of the committee on street improvement, under whose direction the four principal streets were macadamized. After another period of live stock trading, he went into the livery business with Mr. Denton till April 1882, when he leased the entire stable and fixtures, and has since done the leading business in his line, especially in the transfer department to and from all trains. He operates the only water Avorks the city has at this writing. Col. Jones was married in 1859, to Miss Sarah R. Hackney, daughter of Wilson Hackney, deceased. They have three daughters and two sons living, and one son dead. He is a Mason, and he carries a life policy in the Northwestern Mutual and also in the N. Y. Mutual. Col. Jones has worked as hard and spent as much in building up the town as any other citizen.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.