EDWARD A. JONES   

  Is a native of Madison county, Ohio, and 
was born February 20th, 1818. His ancestors settled at an
early period on the eastern shore of Maryland, where they
lived for several generations. His father, Thomas Jones, and 
his mother, whose name before marriage was Mary Dale Truitt, 
were both natives of Worcester county, Maryland. His
maternal grandfather was a sea-captain. In the year 1816 his 
parents moved from Maryland to Ohio, and at first located in 
Ross county, and in 1818 settled in Madison county. The
subject of this biography was the third of a family of seven 
children. The schools which he attended in his boyhood were
held in log school-houses of rough external appearance; but
it was his fortune to be under the instruction of thorough
and capable teachers, among whom was a man named Miskey and
one Peter Smith, who died recently in northern Illinois,
both men of superior qualifications. In 1838 Mr. Jones came
to Illinois with an elder brother for the purpose of buying  
cattle. He subsequently usually spent a part of each year in 
this state, and in 1854 made it his permant home.     On
coming to Macon county he purchased land in Maroa and Austin 
townships and other parts of the county, and settled at his
present location on the Bloomington road, north of Decatur.
At that time the settlements in the county were along the
timber. It was then thought that considerable portions of
the prairie would always remain uncultivated, and Mr. Jones' 
purchases of land in the northern part of the county were
made with the idea of securing a cattle ranch. He had
altogether improved about three thousand acres of land in
Macon county, and has been engaged in farming and dealing in 
land and stock. Mr. Jones has been interested in
agricultural matters, and with the Macon County Agricultural 
Association he has been connected since its first
organization. He was its second president, assisted in the
purchase of the present grounds, and has subsequently been
associated with it as a director or one of its general
officers.     Mr. Jones began his political course as a
member of the Whig organization, but became a Republican on
the first formation of that party, and has acted with it
ever since. He was married July 1st, 1852, to Margery F.
Elkin, of Springfield, Illinois. Her father, William F.
Elkin, was born in Clark county, Kentucky, came to Illinois
in 1825, and settled in Sangamon county, on Fancy creek,
eight miles north of Springfield, where Mrs. Jones was born.
    History of Macon Co., Illinois, 1880   Transcribed by
Pat Hageman

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