J. R. Jones Biography


	This biography appears on pages 380-383 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				J. R. JONES. 

	For twenty-eight years J. R. Jones has been a resident of 
Minnehaha county and has been prominently identified with her 
agricultural and industrial interests. He is a native of Wisconsin, 
born on the 2d of March, 1853, and is a son of William and Helen Jones, 
both deceased. His early education was acquired in the public schools 
and later he attended a seminary. After putting aside his textbooks he 
engaged in clerking in a store at Franksville, Wisconsin, for three 
years, but with the exception of that time has always devoted his 
energies to farming. For nine years he followed that pursuit in 
Wisconsin and in the spring of 1887 came to South Dakota, buying one 
hundred and sixty-four acres of land on section 1, Burk township, 
Minnehaha county. To this he has added and is now the owner of five 
hundred and sixty-eight acres, much of which is in a high state of 
cultivation and improved with good, substantial buildings. In 
connection with general farming he has given considerable attention to 
the nursery business. Besides his farm property he owns stock in the 
Farmers' Elevator Company, in the Farmers' Lumber Company and the Dell 
Rapids Telephone Company, all of Dell Rapids. He is a man of good 
business and executive ability and the success that has come to him is 
due entirely to his own unaided efforts, good management and untiring 
industry. 

	On the 29th of December, 1880, Mr. Jones married Miss Maggie J. 
Metcalf, a daughter of Joseph and Effie Metcalf, of Wisconsin. Seven 
children blessed their union, namely: Margaret M., now the wife of R. 
Irving; Effie, the wife of O. E. Crom; Nellie, the wife of F. Spencer; 
William James; John R.: Benny; and Alice M. Four of the children were 
born In this state and William and John are graduates of the Capital 
City Business College of Des Moines, Iowa. The family hold membership 
in the Methodist Episcopal church and by his ballot Mr. Jones supports 
the men and measures of the republican party. For twenty years he was 
an efficient member of the school board and for fifteen years has 
served on the township board, with credit to himself and to the entire 
satisfaction of all concerned.