JONES, Owen O., b. 1846: 1905 Bio, Rio Blanco County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/rioblanco/bios/jonesoo.txt --------------------------------------- Donated August 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Owen O. Jones Between mining slate from the bowels of the earth in Wales and Pennsylvania and conducting a flourishing ranch and cattle industry on the fertile soil of Colorado there is a wide difference in employment and conditions, and it is a tribute to the versatility and adaptiveness of a man when he can easily and successfully turn from the one to which he has been long accustomed and engage in the other. This has been the experience of Owen O. Jones, of Rio Blanco county, whose well improved and highly cultivated ranch of three hundred and fifty-one acres in Powell Park is a gratifying evidence of his energy, skill and foresight as a husbandman. Mr. Jones was born in Wales on March 17, 1846, and is the son of Owen and Margaret (Williams) Jones, also natives of that country, where the father devoted his time to a number of different occupations. He was the father of three children, Thomas, deceased, Owen and Robert O., both of whom are living, the latter being a son by a second marriage of Mr. Jones. The mother died in 1848 and the father in 1875. The death of his mother when he was but two years old and the circumstances of the family limited the educational advantages of Owen within very narrow bounds and placed upon him at an early age the burden of making his own living. At the age of fifteen years he went to work as a regular hand quarrying slate in his native land, and after four years of active industry in this occupation there he emigrated to the United States in 1866, and locating in Pennsylvania, pursued the same calling there in Lehigh county until 1872. He then came to Colorado and located a homestead in the San Luis valley, making his residence at Golden City. He began to improve his ranch and at the same time engaged in mining in many places on the Western slope. In 1878 he disposed of his ranch and bought another in Sagauche county, and this also he sold, then in September, 1883, he moved to the White river valley and soon afterward bought the ranch on which he now has his home in Powell Park. This comprises three hundred and fifty-one acres and three hundred and forty acres of it are under cultivation. He raises general farm products in abundance, especially grain, hay and vegetables, and always runs a large band of cattle. He has been successful in his undertakings here and is looked upon as one of the substantial and representative men of the community in which he lives. He raised the first crop of oats in the White river valley, thus adding a new product to its range of commodities, and also was the father of the first white child born in the section. He was married on July 6, 1883, to Miss Margaret Jones, a native of Columbia county, Wisconsin, a daughter of David and Anna (Roberts) Jones, who were born and reared in Wales and emigrated to this country soon after their marriage, locating in Wisconsin, where they passed the rest of their lives. The father was a prosperous farmer, and in political affairs supported the Republican party. Their living children are William, David, Griffith, Thomas, Winifred and Mrs. Jones. The mother died on February 5, 1893, and the father on April 12, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Owen Jones have had five children. David died on October 12, 1886; Anna, Margaret, Owen and Levi are living. The family are Methodists in church connection. =================================================== 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.