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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
J. G. JONES, of Garfield Township, is a native of South Wales, where he was born Nov 20, 1828, and is a son of William G. and Elizabeth (Thomas) Jones, natives of that country They came to America in 1840, settling in Luzerne County, Pa., and later on Mr. Jones came to Johnson County, Iowa, where he died in 1859, aged fifty-two years, his wife having died in Wales when the subject of this sketch was two years old. Mr. Jones followed his parents to America, arriving Aug. 7, 1845, and locating in Luzerne County, Pa., where for eight years he was engaged in the coal business, as a contractor. He then went to California, where for two years and eight months he operated a gold mine and was successful financially in this enterprise. After leaving California he returned to Pennsylvania, where he remained a short time, and in August, 1857, came to this county, where he has since been engaged, the greater portion of the time in farming and mining. He was one of the projectors of the Iowa Coal Company, which operated extensively under his supervision in 1868 and 1869. He was for several years engaged in mercantile business at Beacon, and was Postmaster there during that time. He is also largely interested in Colorado coal lands, and at one time was interested in 3,300 acres of coal land, with a company organized to work them. Mr. Jones was married, Jan. 1, 1856, at Hyde Park, Pa., to Miss Margaret Jones, a native of Wales. They are the parents of six children: Sarah A., wife of Thomas S. Ingles, at Hollister, Cal.; Elizabeth, wife of Dr. Joseph Bevan, of Oskaloosa; William G., an attorney-at-law, at Oskaloosa; Emma, Winifred and John, at home. The home farm consists of 100 acres of well-improved land. Mr. Jones is a member of the I. O. O. F. and A, F. & A. M. He was one of the principal men of the town of Beacon in its palmy days, when the coal wines were in full operation at that point, the old Roop Mill and distillery being operated, when it had several extensive business houses and when it was the depot for the shipment of all our products, grain and stock, and at which point all the merchandise for Oskaloosa was received; in fact, when it was the railroad station of the county.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy