JONES, J. M., b 1844 1905 Bio, Delta County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/delta/bios/jonesjm.txt --------------------------------------- Donated September 11, 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- J.M. Jones In that prolific region on the Western slope of this state known as the fruit belt nature has been prodigal in her bounty to the soil and the thrift and enterprise of a progressive and far-seeing people have done the rest to bring about the advanced development and productiveness of the section. Among this people J. M. Jones, who lives on a good ranch of eighty acres three miles and a half west of Hotchkiss, Delta county, where he has fifteen acres of his land in fruit, ten in alfalfa and the rest devoted to grain, is accorded a leading place in the public estimation as a progressive and wide-awake farmer and useful citizen, showing an active and serviceable interest in the welfare of the region, and making use of every proper means to aid in its development. Mr. Jones was born on March 14, 1844, at Ligonier, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where his parents John and _________ Jones, were also born. The mother died in the childhood of her son and the father in 1869, at the age of seventy-six. They were farmers and passed the whole of their lives in their native state. In 1863, when he was nineteen, the son enlisted in the United States signal service in Pennsylvania, and served in it until the close of the Civil war. In the spring of 1866 he moved to Anderson county, Kansas, and during the next six years was engaged in general farming there. In 1872 he came to Colorado and located at Fair Play, Park county, and there, at Leadville and in Gunnison county devoted his time to mining and prospecting until the autumn of 1881, when, having accumulated some money for the purpose, he turned his attention to ranching near the town of Gunnison, where he lived three years, then, in the fall of 1884, purchased the place on which he now makes his home, the ranch at the time of his making the purchase comprising one hundred and sixty acres. Of this he has since sold one-half, leaving him eighty acres at present. The country was new when he located here and in need of vigorous industry to make it productive. Mr. Jones united with four other farmers in the construction of a ditch from Leroux creek for the irrigation of their ranches, and during the first three years of his residence here carried on only a general farming enterprise, doing nothing in fruit until the spring of 1887. His farming operations were profitable from the start, and since his orchard of fifteen acres has become fruitful he gets a large revenue from it also, averaging an annual income from it of two hundred dollars to three hundred dollars an acre. The ten acres of alfalfa on his land yields about eight tons to the acre annually, and the hay sells at five dollars a ton. He also raises good crops of grain at a handsome profit. Mr. Jones was married in Kansas on November 21, 1867, to Miss Dora Jacobs, who was born in Ohio. Her father was a shoemaker and bookbinder. The family moved to Kansas in 1865, where both parents died. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have had four children, three of whom are living, Perry F., Myrtle B. and Minnie B. The other child died in infancy. The son is married and the daughters are living at home. Politically Mr. Jones is a Republican, but he is seldom an active partisan. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.