Lester T. Jones Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 1022, 1025

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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LESTER T. JONES, one of Edmunds county's most prosperous farmers, dates 
his residence in Dakota from the pioneer days. He is one of the wide 
awake men of Fountain township, and has been a central figure in the 
progress of that region. His home is one of comfort, and the facilities 
afforded for the lessening of labor make the property one of the best 
in the locality. As a public-spirited citizen he well merits the esteem 
of his large circle of acquaintances, and his enviable position has 
been reached through the exercise of the strictest honesty, and 
persistent effort for the welfare of his community. 

Mr. Jones was born in Oswego county, New York, June 24, 1861, and was 
the second in a family of seven children, five of whom grew to 
maturity. His paternal grandfather, David Jones, was a. native of 
Wales, and emigrated to America in 1801 at the age of two years, with 
his father, John Jones, who settled in New York state and engaged in 
farming in Madison county. Our subject's grandfather on the maternal 
side, Charles H. Mitchell, was born in Connecticut in 1805, and was a 
farmer by occupation. His ancestry dates back to the Pilgrim times. The 
father of our subject was born in Oswego county, New York, April 6, 
1830, and his mother, Theodocia (Mitchell) Jones, was born November 16, 
1830. The father is a farmer and lives on the old homestead, though he 
has been in the west several times, having been one of the Pike's Peak 
gold hunters in "'39." 

Our subject was reared on his father's estate, and received his 
education through the common schools. At the age of twenty one he left 
home to seek his fortune in the western states. 

In the spring of 1883 he started for South Dakota, and March 11 stopped 
at Aberdeen. He immediately located land in the southeast part of 
section 13 in Ipswich township, and March 15 began life in the new 
home. He erected an 8 x 10 shanty, and for three years lived the life 
of a bachelor. He and his brother had interests in common and their 
effects consisted of one yoke of oxen, a plow and a wagon. Our subject 
purchased additional land, and is at present the possessor of a fine 
tract consisting of four hundred and eighty-five acres, about four 
hundred acres of which is under cultivation. He has a plentiful supply 
of farm machinery, and the improvements, including a fine set of farm 
buildings, makes the property one of the best to be found in the 
township. During the first years of his residence in Dakota our subject 
engaged principally in the raising of grain, wheat more especially, but 
he has since enlarged his interests to include horse and cattle 
raising. 

Mr. Jones was married October 27, 1886, to Miss Frances Mitchell, a 
native of Missouri, and the daughter of a farmer, Z. W. T. Mitchell. 
Mrs. Jones' father was a native of New York, and after living in 
Missouri, removed to Virginia, where he resided for ten years. The home 
of Mr. and Mrs. Jones has been blessed by the birth of one daughter, 
Theodosia, now aged four years. Our subjects, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, are 
Christian people, belonging to the First Baptist church and the 
Congregational church, respectively, of Ipswich. Mr. Jones is a 
gentleman thoroughly conversant with popular topics, and is a man 
strong in his convictions for right. He takes an active part in local 
affairs, and has been called upon to fill various township offices. He 
is a prominent figure in all county and state conventions of the 
Populist party, and stands firmly for the principles set forth in the 
convention of 1890.