Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
WILLIAM HENRY JONES is a farmer
and stock man, residing about one mile northeast of Tipso. He was
born in Lane county, Oregon, October 28, 1865. His father, Richard
Jones was born in Tennessee and moved to Iowa with his parents when a child.
In 1852 he drove an ox team from Iowa to the Willamette valley, then started
to farming in Lane county. During the Indian troubles of 1856, he
enlisted to repel the savages and did some good work. He was a prominent
citizen in Lane county and died in 1890. The mother of our subject
was Alice A. (Ellmaker) Jones, and she was born in Jefferson county, Iowa.
Her father, Enos Ellmaker, assisted to construct the first railroad built
in the United States. Our subject received his education from the
public schools of the Willamette valley and remained with his father until
twenty years of age, when he went to work on the neighboring ranches for
wages. He remained in that county until 1888, in which year he journeyed
to the Big Bend. After due investigation, he selected his present
location and took land by squatter's right. Later he homesteaded
and has since bought one quarter section, making his entire estate one-half
section. He has an excellent orchard on the breaks of the Columbia
river, which has all varieties of fruits that are adapted to this section.
Mr. Jones, like most of the well-to-do men in the Big Bend country, began
life with no capital whatever, and his entire holdings are the result of
his skillful labor. He has two brothers, Arthur and Frank R., and
two sisters, Mrs. Mary E. Job and Mrs. Clara Miller.
In 1892, Mr. Jones married Miss Martha A.
Jackson, who was born in Fentress county, Tennessee. She came to
Kansas with her parents when young, and in 1889 they located in Washington.
Mrs. Jones' parents are Moses H. and Esther A. (Zachny) Jackson, natives
of Tennessee. To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson four children have been born,
Virgil E., Cecil V., Reed E. and Zada A.
Mr. Jones has always taken an interest in
political matters and local affairs and is considered a good substantial
citizen and an upright man.
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