Evan C. Jones

As printed in 1912

EVAN C. JONES, SR. (1877) is a dealer in caskets in the village of Russell. He is a native of Wales and was born January 22, 1842. He learned the carpenter's trade and worked at it in the old country until twenty-four years of age. His parents were John and Grace (Jones) Jones, both of whom died in Wales. They were the parents of six children, as follows: Winnie (Mrs. Morris Jones), of Wales; Jennett Thomas, Jane Jones and Griffith, of Wales; Ann and Richard Jones, of Utica, New York.

Our subject came to the United States when twenty-four years of age and settled in Rutland county, Vermont. There he worked in the state mines thirteen years. In 1877 he came to Lyon county and homesteaded the northeast quarter of section 8, Lyons township. He secured his claim in this way: The man who held the quarter section was a squatter, having failed to secure a right to the land. Mr. Jones was looking around for a claim and came across this man and offered to buy him out, and the squatter consented to sell. Mr. Jones paid him fifteen dollars in cash for the farm and fifteen bushels of potatoes.

Mr. Jones lived in a sod shanty on the place several years. During the snow year (1881) he went to Balaton for provisions on snow shoes, which he had made from red elm lumber. At that time the snow was over the telegraph poles. He resided on his Lyons township farm until 1900, when he sold to his son and moved to Russell, where he now resides. Since moving to Russell he has been engaged in selling caskets at the hardware store of his son, E. C. Jones, Jr.

Mr. Jones was a member of the Township Board of Supervisors of Lyons township and was chairman of the board.

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

Mr. Jones has in his possession a clock of considerable historical importance. It is the first time-piece bought by the Lyon county commissioners and for many years was used by them in the old building which stood on the present site of the Lyon county court house. Prior to moving into the new court house the officers sold some of the old furniture and among the lot was this old clock. Mr. Jones was present and bid it in for twelve cents. The clock is still doing duty and keeping good time in E. C. Jones' hardware store at Russell.

As printed in An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.