| HANCOCK COUNTY, ILLINOIS FAMILIES NEWS MEMORABILIA |
BYRON L. JONES 1844-1920
MARY ANN ALTON 1848-1928*
National Publishing Company, 1891, page 868
Our subject was married March 26, 1868, in Illinois, to Miss Mary A. Alton, the daughter of David and Susan Alton. They have no children. Politically, Mr. Jones is a Republican, and is an honored member of Neitzsch Post, No. 139, G.A.R. |
Byron L. Jones, a hardware merchant at Little Sioux, Iowa, who has been a resident of Harrison County for twenty-five years, will be made the subject of the subjoined notice. He was born in Knox County, Ohio, in 1844, and is the son of William and Eliza (McCurdy) Jones. There were eight children in his father's family, he being the fourth in number, there only being three others living--one in Monona County, one in Jackson Township, Harrison County, and one in Illinois. When our subject was a small boy, his parents removed from the Buckeye State to Hancock County, Illinois, where they located on a farm. When the dark war cloud of the Rebellion hung heavy over this Union, and President Lincoln was constantly calling for more men, it is found, that on August 15, 1862, our subject enlisted at Fountain Green, Illinois, as a member of Company A, One Hundred and Eighteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was assigned to the Army of the Mississippi, and participated in the engagements at Arkansas Post, Thompson's Hill and Champion Hill. He was taken prisoner at the last named place, May 16, 1863, but paroled on the ground, and sent to St. Louis; was discharged July 5, 1864, and returned home, but re-enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Forty Sixth Illinois Infantry, September 13, 1864, and was sent to Camp Butler and did Patrol and guard duty that year. Was discharged July 8, 1865, and in the spring of 1866 came to Iowa and located on a farm in Jackson Township, where he remained until 1885, and then came to Little Sioux and established his present hardware business, the only one of the kind in the village. In 1887, he and his brother, A. M. Jones, bought a lumber yead of B. F. Bonney, the firm still continuing as Jones Brothers, who operate the only lumber yard at Little Sioux.
By Charles W. Hunt and Will L. Clark Published by B.F. Bowen and Company, Indianapolis, 1915, pp. 702, 703, 704 Bryon L. Jones - The attention of the reader is now directed to a brief sketch of the career of Bryon L. Jones, for many-years engaged in the hardware and lumber business in Little Sioux, Harrison county, Iowa, and now living in quiet retirement from the more active affairs of life. Some philosopher has remarked that a keen insight into the life of any man, a thorough study of its motives and actions, would be beneficial to all those who strive to attain to the better things of life. Life is so complex and we know not the secret strivings and efforts of our brother's life; we can judge only of its results, and in the kindly life of the present subject, much is found that is elevating and has a tendency to increase one's faith in mankind generally. Bryon L. Jones was born on September 13, 1844, in Knox county, Ohio, a son of William S. and Eliza (McCurdy) Jones, the former a native of Wales and the latter of the state of New Jersey. The father of William S. was Isaac, who emigrated to this country and settled in Knox county, Ohio. William S. Jones was the father of eight children, all of whom except one were reared to maturity in the freedom of farm life, the father having followed that vocation all his life. In 1847 William S. Jones moved from his home in Ohio and located on a farm in Hancock county, Illinois, where he remained until 1866, in which year he moved to this county and state, locating on the Soldier river, in Jackson township. There he purchased a tract of eight hundred acres of land, but was not long permitted to remain thereon. Death called him away in 1868, thus leaving parentless the family of seven children, the mother having passed from this life the previous year. After the death of the father, the children divided up the estate and B. L. Jones continued, for about twenty-two years, to make his home on that portion which fell to his lot. In 1885 he sold a portion of his heritage and removed to Little Sioux, where, in partnership with his brother, A. M. Jones, he engaged in the retail hardware business. This partnership continued for about a year, at the end of which time B. L. Jones purchased the interest of his brother and continued the business alone until 1905, since which time he practically has been retired from the active affairs of life. In connection with his hardware business he also carried a line of lumber and kindred supplies and did much to enhance the commercial interests of the town. Mr. Jones is a veteran of the Civil War, having first enlisted as a private in Company A, One Hundred and Eighteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with his brother, Sanders W. Jones. He remained in that company for one year and eleven months and then re-enlisted as a private in Company K, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, remaining thus attached until the close of the war. Mr. Jones saw considerable active serv1ce during his term as a soldier of the Union and at an engagement at Champion's Hill, Mississippi, was captured and held prisoner by the enemy. However, he was soon afterward released, owing to the fact that he was in frail health and clearly could not withstand the rigors of prison life. After the close of the war he returned to his home and again took up his work as a farmer.
In 1868 Mr. Jones was united in marriage with Mary A. Alton, who was born in Hancock county, Illinois, July 15, 1848, a daughter of David M. and Susan (Harwick) Alton. Mrs. Jones had, up to this time of her marriage, passed her entire life in Illinois and had never visited this county until after her marriage. This union was without issue, but in the good hearts of Mr. and Mrs. Jones there existed an abiding love for little children and they took into their home and reared to maturity four homeless little ones. They have thus won for themselves the blessings of parenthood and conferred a lasting favor upon mankind in their care of these helpless ones. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jones are held in high regard by a large circle of friends and acquaintances and the influence of their useful lives goes far beyond their own threshold. Mr. Jones has always been an advocate of the principles of the Republican party and takes pride in the fact that his first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, that vote being cast while he was in the army. Mr. Jones has never filled any public office other than that of township trustee, but in his quiet way has been influential in the politics of his section. His fraternal affiliation he holds in the Grand Army of the Republic, being a member of Neitz Post at Little Sioux. Mr. Jones has never affiliated himself with any church society, but is keenly interested in the welfare of all and attends the various churches of his home town. While never having made a public profession of faith, he has ordered his life in harmony with the examples of the Great Teacher. Aside from some time given to the management of his farm on the River Sioux, he lives in quiet retirement, surrounded by friends and enjoying the comradeship of his faithful helpmeet, both honored and respected by all.
Little Sioux Township is located in the far northwest corner of Harrison County, with Jackson Township immediately adjacent to the east. Byron L. Jones died early in 1920; Mary filed for a widow's pension in April of that year. *The year of her death, 1928, is tentative.  David F. Alton & Susannah Harwick |
enumerated November 17, 1850, dwelling #2239 William Jones, 37, male, farmer, value of real estate 320, born Wales
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enumerated October 22, 1850, dwelling #910 David F Alton, 42, male, farmer, value of real estate 500, born NY
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enumerated August 23, 1860, dwelling #5299 William Jones, 46, male, farmer, value of real estate 3000, value of personal estate 700, |
enumerated July 27, 1860, dwelling #3458 David F Alton, 52, male, farmer, value of real estate 3000, value of personal estate 1000, |
enumerated August 10, 1870, dwelling #8 Jones, B L, 26, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 1200, value of personal estate 700, born OH, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
enumerated July 2, 1880, dwelling #63 [immediately preceding his brothers Marion, Sanders and Albert] Jones, Byron, white, male, 36, married, farmer, born OH, father born England, mother born NJ
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enumerated June 3, 1900, dwelling #62 Jones, Byron L, head, white, male, Sept 1844, 55, married for 33 years, born OH, father born Wales, mother born NJ, dealer in hardware, months not employed, could read, write and speak English, owned his home free of mortgage Mary A, wife, white, female, July 1848, 51, married for 33 years, mother of 0 children, born IL, both parents born NY, could read, write and speak English
enumerated April 16, 1910, dwelling #38 Jones, Byron L, head, male, white, 65, married (1st) for 42 years, born OH, father born Wales - Welch, mother born [NJ crossed out] OH, spoke English, own resource - income, working on own account, could read and write, owned his home free of mortgage, whether a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy - UA Mary A, wife, female, white, 60, married (1st) for 42 years, mother of 0 children, born IL, both parents born NY, spoke English, could read and write Alton, Effie N, niece, female, white, 14, single, born IA, father born IL, mother born IA, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909 Wilma G, niece, female, white, 10, single, born IA, father born IL, mother born IA, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909
enumerated February 6-7, 1920, dwelling #228, Cottonwood Street Jones, Byron L, head, owner, free of mortgage, male, white, 75, married, could read and write, born OH; father born Wales, native tongue English; mother born OH, spoke English Mary A, wife, female, white, 71, married, could read and write, born IL, both parents born NY, spoke English |
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