jonesjones-m WILLIAM H. JONES, JR., who is numbered among the largest landowners and large farmers within Sullivan county, is a native of Fayette county, Ohio, born October 21, 1855, a son of William H. and Olavi (Hidy) Jones. The mother was born in Fayette county, Ohio, and the father in Denbigh, Wales. He came to this country when about twenty- five years old, landing in New York City. He spent one year at Philadelphia, going from there to New Orleans, where he remained one year, and from that city he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where for about five years he studied medicine and graduated in the same. He commenced the practice of medicine at Oak Hill, Ohio, in 1851, but after a short period there went to Jeffersonville, Ohio, and bought out the practice of another physician. He was married there and resided there almost four years, then moved onto the farm adjoining the town, which land his wife had inherited. He remained there the balance of his life, dying in 1894 at about the age of seventy-eight years. His wife died two years later, being about seventy years old. Seven children were born to Dr. Jones and wife: Mary Jane, wife of Luther M. Irwin, residing on the old homestead, near Jeffersonville, Ohio; William H., of this memoir; Humphrey, an attorney residing in Washington Court House, Ohio; Emma O., unmarried and practicing medicine at Columbus. Ohio; Cary, practicing law at London, Ohio; Minnie, wife of Dallas Reading, of Detroit, Michigan. Another child, the next to the youngest in the family, died in infancy.


William H. Jones, Jr., grew up as a farmer's son, performing whatever work seemed best at the time, regardless of the kind. He attended the district schools while living in Ohio, and also the high school of Jeffersonville. At the age of nineteen years, he entered Buehtel College, at Akron, Ohio, and took a four year course, graduating in 1879. Later, he taught mathematics in the same college for a year, then attended Harvard Law School one year.


After he had finished his schooling, he married and settled down on a farm, near Jeffersonville, Ohio, where he remained five years. While there, he also followed civil engineering and surveying in that and the adjoining counties. Subsequently, he moved to Washington Court House and engaged in the mortgage loan business, making loans on farm property mostly, and also conducted an abstract business, continuing there until 1899. He then sold his farm in Ohio, adjoining the town, and came to Sullivan county, Indiana, locating in Gill township, in March, 1899. He had bought his land here of the Rogers heirs, of Fayette county, with the understanding that they would help circulate a petition for the construction of a levee, so the deal for the land was not closed until this petition had been granted. The tract comprised 615 acres and the day on which the petition was granted, he purchased 120 acres additional from John D. and H. Springer. To this he has added, from time to time, until he now possesses 834 acres, besides being interested in 380 acres held jointly by himself and his brother Humphrey, an attorney of Washington Court House, Ohio, who is the owner of more than three thousand acres of land. Mr. Jones is superintending this large possession in Sullivan county, besides a two hundred acre tract belonging to his sister, and on which land he holds a ten year lease. He is an extensive and thoroughgoing agriculturist, raises grain and stock, and gets the greatest possible return by feeding up the product of the land he works, thus insuring the perpetual fertility of his soil. He raises from five hundred to one thousand head of hogs annually, and horses and cattle in proportion.


Mr. Jones, by reason of his educational training and experience, is fully capable of doing almost any kind of business which he might embark in, but prefers the independence of a farmer's life, which to him is also one of much profit. Politically, he supports the Democratic party, seeing in its platforms and principles, that which he believes the best for the average American citizen.


He was united in marriage, October 18, 1882, to Miss Mary M. Loughead, born in Montezuma, Iowa, February 29, 1856, a daughter of C. B. and Elizabeth (Roup) Loughead. C. B. Longhead was a native of Pennsylvania, born November 11, 1822, while the mother was born in Ohio, January 15, 1831. The father went to Ohio in 1845 and there engaged in carpentering and the work of a millwright. He married there and moved, after nine years, to Iowa and followed his trades there for about three years, then returned to Ohio, where he died in December, 1889. The mother died March 4, 1892. Mrs. Jones received her educational training in the public schools in Meigs county, Ohio. She entered Buchtel College in 1877, and she was graduated in the class of 1882 in the classical department. While pursuing her scholastic course she was a teacher as assistant in Latin in Buchtel College, being such for three years. She is a member of the Universalist church.


Mr. and Mrs. Jones are the parents of five children as follows: Cyrinthia, born July 11, 1884, single and attending Buchtel College at Akron, Ohio; Helen Olavi, born January 30, 1887, died March 3, 1890; William Hermon, born November 12, 1888, now in Buchtel College at Akron; Lucy, born October 8, 1890, died February 22, 1892; Ruth Elizabeth, born January 14, 1893, at home with her parents, student at New Lebanon, Ind.