BIOGRAPHY: Griffith J. JONES, Cambria County, PA 

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lynne Canterbury and Diann 
Olsen. 

Portions of this book were transcribed by Clark Creery, Martha Humenik, Betty 
Mirovich and Sharon Ringler.

USGENWEB ARCHIVES (tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives 
remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in 
accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of 
providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by 
anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities 
so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic 
pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including 
copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to 
uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb 
Archives to store the file permanently for free access. 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ 
____________________________________________________________

From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 324-5
____________________________________________________________

GRIFFITH J. JONES, a prosperous farmer and lumberman of near the village of 
Beulah, is a son of Thomas and Eleanor (Lloyd) Jones, and was born upon the old 
homestead, near Beulah, in Cambria township, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, May 
13, 1833.
     His father, Thomas Jones, was born in Wales, and emigrated to the United 
States in the year 1828. Son after landing in this country, he purchased a large 
tract of land near Beulah, upon which he resided until his death. He followed 
mining in his native country, but abandoned that avocation to engage in farming 
after he settled in his new world home. He married Eleanor Lloyd, a daughter of 
Griffith Lloyd, a native of Wales, and to them were born two children: Mary A., 
relict of James Evans, of Summit county, Ohio; and Griffith J., the subject of 
this biographical sketch.
     Griffith J. Jones obtained his mental training in the common schools of his 
native county, and then engaged in teaching school. This, however, he followed 
but a short time until he embarked in farming and lumbering combined, which 
occupations he has since followed successfully. He owns a good and prolific farm 
of three hundred acres, upon which he resides, and one-half interest in a tract 
of timber-land containing one hundred and fifty acres, and situated in Cambria 
and Blacklick townships.
     Mr. Jones is a consistent and active member of the Christian church, of 
which he has been a deacon for the past twenty years. Politically he is a 
staunch republican, and has filled the various local offices of his township, 
and has been elected justice of the peace a number of times, but always declined 
to take out his commission. He takes a lively interest in school affairs, and 
has been a member and secretary of the school board for thirty consecutive 
years.
     In November, 1859, Mr. Jones and Miss Harriet Williams, daughter of Robert 
Williams, of Cambria township, were united in marriage, and to their union three 
children were born: Gilmore J., Williard, and Mary Ellen, the wife of Jacob 
Squires, of Ebensburg.
     Mr. Jones is the owner of the land on which the ancient village of Beulah 
was situated. It was the first town laid out within the present limits of 
Cambria county, then a part of Somerset county, and was planned in the year 1792 
by Benjamin Rush and John Morgan Rhyse, of Philadelphia, who were large land-
owners in central Pennsylvania.