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JOHN M. JONES
Vol. 5, p. 1886

In point of energy, enterprise and determination, John M. JONES, of
Hennessey is probably one of the best known men of Kingfisher County.
His career has been a singularly active one, and has been crowned
with success in a number of directions. A resident of Hennessey since
1890, he has steadily forged his way to business prominence as
president of the Jones Dry Goods Company, is an ex-mayor and present
postmaster of the city, and is a leading and influential Mason,
belonging to the Guthrie Consistory of the thirty-second degree. The
success that has been gained by this sturdy citizen and capable man
of affairs has come entirely as the result of his own efforts and in
its gaining his activities have ever been characterized by the
strictest adherence to honorable business principles.

Mr. Jones was born February 20, 1861, on a farm in the rich
agricultural community of Peoria County, Illinois, and is a son of
Hugh and Esther (BREED) Jones. Hugh Jones was born in 1806 at
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a son of Malachi and Mary (ADDY) Jones, the
former a native of Wales and the latter of Scotland. When Hugh Jones
was eight years of age the family removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio,
and there he was reared and educated and resided until 1835, when he
went to Peoria County, Illinois, and settled on United States
Government land. There he continued in agricultural pursuits on a
large scale during many years. In addition he was a steamboat pilot,
was one of the builders of the Ohio Canal, and for a period twenty
years was county judge of Peoria County. In 1858-59 he preempted land
in Douglas County, Kansas, but at the outbreak of the Civil war
returned to Illinois, where he drilled and organized a company for
the Union army, but because of disabilities did not serve actively at
the front. He was a Mason, and for forty years was a deacon in the
LaMarsh Baptist Church in Peoria County. Mr. Jones died near Canton,
in Pulton County, Illinois, May 2, 1878. In 1835, at Canton, Mr.
Jones was married to Miss Esther Breed, daughter of Jonas and Grace
(NILES) Breed, the former a native of England and the latter of
Wales. She was born in 1812, at New London, Connecticut, and died at
Joplin, Missouri, in 1895, the mother of four sons and four
daughters, as follows: William E. and Hugh, who are deceased; Amos,
who is now a ranchman of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma; John M., of
this notice; Martha, who is the widow of S. G. CHAMBERS; Barbara, who
is the widow of James NORTHRUP; Charity J., who is the wife of W. P.
ROY; and Charlotte, who is the wife of John A. POWELL.

John M. Jones was educated in the public schools of Peoria County,
Illinois, taking a special course at the county normal school, and in
1878 removed to Kansas, where he settled on Government land in
Kingman County. However, because of his youth, he failed to make
final proof on this property. The journey to Kansas had been made by
wagon, with his brother, Amos, and in 1886 Mr. Jones located at
Greensburg, Kansas, where he became manager of a loan company. He
took an active part in the organization of Kiowa County, Kansas, and
became influential in democratic politics, but confined his
activities to helping his friends, and was never seeker after
personal preferment. Mr. Jones resided at Greensburg for three years,
following which he passed a year in prospecting in Colorado, and in
1890 came to Oklahoma and located at Hennessey, which town had been
founded the year before and gave promise, since fulfilled, of
becoming an important center of commercial activity. Here Mr. Jones
associated himself with the firm of J. R. CRIDER & Company in general
merchandise operations, and three years later became identified with
Frederick EHLER, in the Ehler Dry Goods Company. He was a member of
the firm and vice president and secretary of the company for thirteen
years, or until 1908, when he incorporated the Jones Dry Goods
Company, of which he is now president. This enterprise has been
developed to large and important proportions and is one of the
leading dry goods houses of the county. At Hennessey Mr. Jones
continued to manifest an interest in democratic political affairs,
and in 1906 was elected mayor of the city, an office which he held
during that and the following year, and in which he established a
record for helpful energetic and conscientious service. He is at this
time postmaster, to which office he was appointed by President
WILSON, November 16, 1914, in recognition of his abilities and
integrity, as well as of the service he has rendered the party. He
has endeavored faithfully to improve the efficiency of the mail
service. Mr. Jones is past master of Coronado Lodge No. 56, Ancient
Free and Accepted Masons, and has risen to the thirty-second degree
in Masonry, holding membership in the Guthrie Consistory of the
Scottish Rite.

On October 20, 1890, at Hennessey, Mr. Jones united in marriage with
Miss Zetta PRINCE, who was born in 1865, in Illinois, and they have
three daughters and one son: Calla, Roy Kehler, Beatrice and Marcie.
Roy Kehler Jones was born August 15, 1894, at Hennessey, Oklahoma,
and was graduated from the Hennessey High School in the class of
1910. In 1911 was appointed a cadet at large from Oklahoma to United
states Naval Academy, at Annapolis, and was graduated in 1916 with
the rank of ensign.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Jeanne M. Misleh, September 23, 1999.

SOURCE: Thoburn, Joseph B., A Standard History of Oklahoma, An
Authentic Narrative of its Development, 5 v. (Chicago, New York: The
American Historical Society, 1916).