William Jesse Ford was the sixth of seven children born at home to Dr. James and America (Holton) Ford of Wabash, Indiana (now the Dr. James Ford Historic Home). He was named after his two uncles, William Johnson Ford of Wabash and Jesse Holton of Connersville, Indiana. He received his education in the Wabash City Schools.
After graduation from high school, he took a position as an agricultural implements salesman with his brother-in-law, Capt. William Daily Stone, in Gilman, Illinois. Here he continued until 1873 when he went to San Francisco, California for one year and worked in the house and carriage painting trade. He returned to Wabash in the Fall of 1874, and engaged in quarrying stone for pavements and walls, in a quarry owned by his father.
Jesse was married December 31, 1874 in Wabash to Miss Mary Jane Condé, an amiable, sprightly, industrious young lady, who made him a very excellent wife; she was an exceptionally good housekeeper, a member of the Christian Church, and altogether a very worthy woman.
In November 1881 Jesse and his family relocated to Montpelier, Blackford County, Indiana onto land owned by his father and here they continued farming until Spring 1884 when Jesse moved onto his own land situated nearby and erected a new house where he raised his growing family. He sold the farm and moved into Hartford City in 1904 where he was employed as rural route mail carrier for eleven years before his death.
Jesse and Mary Jane Ford had six children: William Jesse, Jr. (1876, died at age 10 days), Edwin Conde (1877-1900), Nellie Holton (1880), Ethel America (1882), Anna Elizabeth (1884) and James Oscar (1886) Ford; ten grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 46 great-grandchildren.
His father said of Jesse in his 1889 book, "A History of the Ford Family": Jesse is kind and agreeable—ready always to grant a favor to a friend or neighbor when in need. He is a pleasant, genial companion, having a 'spice' of wit and humor in his conversation, which at times is almost irresistible. He is one of Blackford County's most substantial and useful citizens."
After graduation from high school, he took a position as an agricultural implements salesman with his brother-in-law, Capt. William Daily Stone, in Gilman, Illinois. Here he continued until 1873 when he went to San Francisco, California for one year and worked in the house and carriage painting trade. He returned to Wabash in the Fall of 1874, and engaged in quarrying stone for pavements and walls, in a quarry owned by his father.
Jesse was married December 31, 1874 in Wabash to Miss Mary Jane Condé, an amiable, sprightly, industrious young lady, who made him a very excellent wife; she was an exceptionally good housekeeper, a member of the Christian Church, and altogether a very worthy woman.
In November 1881 Jesse and his family relocated to Montpelier, Blackford County, Indiana onto land owned by his father and here they continued farming until Spring 1884 when Jesse moved onto his own land situated nearby and erected a new house where he raised his growing family. He sold the farm and moved into Hartford City in 1904 where he was employed as rural route mail carrier for eleven years before his death.
Jesse and Mary Jane Ford had six children: William Jesse, Jr. (1876, died at age 10 days), Edwin Conde (1877-1900), Nellie Holton (1880), Ethel America (1882), Anna Elizabeth (1884) and James Oscar (1886) Ford; ten grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 46 great-grandchildren.
His father said of Jesse in his 1889 book, "A History of the Ford Family": Jesse is kind and agreeable—ready always to grant a favor to a friend or neighbor when in need. He is a pleasant, genial companion, having a 'spice' of wit and humor in his conversation, which at times is almost irresistible. He is one of Blackford County's most substantial and useful citizens."
William Jesse Ford was the sixth of seven children born at home to Dr. James and America (Holton) Ford of Wabash, Indiana (now the Dr. James Ford Historic Home). He was named after his two uncles, William Johnson Ford of Wabash and Jesse Holton of Connersville, Indiana. He received his education in the Wabash City Schools.
After graduation from high school, he took a position as an agricultural implements salesman with his brother-in-law, Capt. William Daily Stone, in Gilman, Illinois. Here he continued until 1873 when he went to San Francisco, California for one year and worked in the house and carriage painting trade. He returned to Wabash in the Fall of 1874, and engaged in quarrying stone for pavements and walls, in a quarry owned by his father.
Jesse was married December 31, 1874 in Wabash to Miss Mary Jane Condé, an amiable, sprightly, industrious young lady, who made him a very excellent wife; she was an exceptionally good housekeeper, a member of the Christian Church, and altogether a very worthy woman.
In November 1881 Jesse and his family relocated to Montpelier, Blackford County, Indiana onto land owned by his father and here they continued farming until Spring 1884 when Jesse moved onto his own land situated nearby and erected a new house where he raised his growing family. He sold the farm and moved into Hartford City in 1904 where he was employed as rural route mail carrier for eleven years before his death.
Jesse and Mary Jane Ford had six children: William Jesse, Jr. (1876, died at age 10 days), Edwin Conde (1877-1900), Nellie Holton (1880), Ethel America (1882), Anna Elizabeth (1884) and James Oscar (1886) Ford; ten grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 46 great-grandchildren.
His father said of Jesse in his 1889 book, "A History of the Ford Family": Jesse is kind and agreeable—ready always to grant a favor to a friend or neighbor when in need. He is a pleasant, genial companion, having a 'spice' of wit and humor in his conversation, which at times is almost irresistible. He is one of Blackford County's most substantial and useful citizens."
After graduation from high school, he took a position as an agricultural implements salesman with his brother-in-law, Capt. William Daily Stone, in Gilman, Illinois. Here he continued until 1873 when he went to San Francisco, California for one year and worked in the house and carriage painting trade. He returned to Wabash in the Fall of 1874, and engaged in quarrying stone for pavements and walls, in a quarry owned by his father.
Jesse was married December 31, 1874 in Wabash to Miss Mary Jane Condé, an amiable, sprightly, industrious young lady, who made him a very excellent wife; she was an exceptionally good housekeeper, a member of the Christian Church, and altogether a very worthy woman.
In November 1881 Jesse and his family relocated to Montpelier, Blackford County, Indiana onto land owned by his father and here they continued farming until Spring 1884 when Jesse moved onto his own land situated nearby and erected a new house where he raised his growing family. He sold the farm and moved into Hartford City in 1904 where he was employed as rural route mail carrier for eleven years before his death.
Jesse and Mary Jane Ford had six children: William Jesse, Jr. (1876, died at age 10 days), Edwin Conde (1877-1900), Nellie Holton (1880), Ethel America (1882), Anna Elizabeth (1884) and James Oscar (1886) Ford; ten grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 46 great-grandchildren.
His father said of Jesse in his 1889 book, "A History of the Ford Family": Jesse is kind and agreeable—ready always to grant a favor to a friend or neighbor when in need. He is a pleasant, genial companion, having a 'spice' of wit and humor in his conversation, which at times is almost irresistible. He is one of Blackford County's most substantial and useful citizens."
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