In colonial times the first American Jones came from Wales and settled in Culpeper, Virginia. In that county John Jones was born, and was a gallant soldier with the colonists in the struggle for independence.
He participated in one of the most decisive battles of the western frontier, the Battle of Point Pleasant, on the western slope of the Alleghenies at the junction of the great Kauawha and Ohio rivers. He established his permanent home in Kanawha County, Virginia, in 1797, and owned large tracts of land there, including the site of Grafton.
John Jones married Frances Morris, daughter of Levi Morris of Virginia. She was an aunt of Thomas A. Morris, who later became a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of the children of John Jones and wife William, Edmund, Thomas, John and Levi M. all located in Wayne County, Indiana.
Levi Morris Jones, grandfather of Oliver Perry Jones, was born on a farm in Culpeper County, Virginia, October 10, 1785, and was twelve years old when his parents moved to what is now West Virginia. In Kanawha County he married Mary Thomas. She was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, February 7, 1784. They were married in 1806.
The father of Mary Thomas, Joseph Thomas, was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, August 3, 1759, and also took his family to Kanawha County in October, 1797. Joseph Thomas, who died in 1839, was a Revolutionary soldier directly under the command of General Washington. His father, Henry Thomas, was born in Wales in 1728 and came to Virginia soon after his marriage.
Joseph Thomas married in 1781 Rebecca Tindal, who was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, November 5, 1763. The Thomas children were Lewis, Mary, Washington, Henry, Thomas M., Rebecca Tindal, Sarah, Dolly H., Janie Pleasant, Norburn and Helena. Several of the sons were magnificent specimens of physical manhood and the pioneer instinct in them was strong. Lewis Thomas at the age of sixty-six started for the gold fields of California and died of typhoid fever en route.
Levi M. Jones, after his marriage, continued farming in West Virginia until March, 1815, when he started for Wayne County, Indiana. He journeyed down the Ohio river on a flatboat to Cincinnati, and then drove across country to Wayne County. He first located at Old Salisbury and a year later bought 160 acres in Center Township of Wayne County. Two years later he sold that property and bought lots in Centerville, where he built a hotel, and in 1819 constructed the first brick house in the town.
This brick house became associated with many important events in the history of Wayne County. Levi M. Jones also took the first contract to carry mail from Centerville to Indianapolis, and his son Lewis was the carrier, making the trip of sixty-five miles without any stop. Levi M. Jones was not only a man of much business enterprise but of generosity and confidence in his fellowmen that was frequently betrayed, and security debts swept away most of his estate. He died October 5, 1823, honored and respected, but left his family in straightened circumstances. It was his wife, a noble woman of the pioneer type, who came to the rescue of the family fortune.
Source: Indiana & Indianans; Vol 3; By Jacob Piatt Dunn ~ 1919; Transcribed and entered on FAG by Dan Tate, Novemember 10, 2009.
He participated in one of the most decisive battles of the western frontier, the Battle of Point Pleasant, on the western slope of the Alleghenies at the junction of the great Kauawha and Ohio rivers. He established his permanent home in Kanawha County, Virginia, in 1797, and owned large tracts of land there, including the site of Grafton.
John Jones married Frances Morris, daughter of Levi Morris of Virginia. She was an aunt of Thomas A. Morris, who later became a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of the children of John Jones and wife William, Edmund, Thomas, John and Levi M. all located in Wayne County, Indiana.
Levi Morris Jones, grandfather of Oliver Perry Jones, was born on a farm in Culpeper County, Virginia, October 10, 1785, and was twelve years old when his parents moved to what is now West Virginia. In Kanawha County he married Mary Thomas. She was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, February 7, 1784. They were married in 1806.
The father of Mary Thomas, Joseph Thomas, was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, August 3, 1759, and also took his family to Kanawha County in October, 1797. Joseph Thomas, who died in 1839, was a Revolutionary soldier directly under the command of General Washington. His father, Henry Thomas, was born in Wales in 1728 and came to Virginia soon after his marriage.
Joseph Thomas married in 1781 Rebecca Tindal, who was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, November 5, 1763. The Thomas children were Lewis, Mary, Washington, Henry, Thomas M., Rebecca Tindal, Sarah, Dolly H., Janie Pleasant, Norburn and Helena. Several of the sons were magnificent specimens of physical manhood and the pioneer instinct in them was strong. Lewis Thomas at the age of sixty-six started for the gold fields of California and died of typhoid fever en route.
Levi M. Jones, after his marriage, continued farming in West Virginia until March, 1815, when he started for Wayne County, Indiana. He journeyed down the Ohio river on a flatboat to Cincinnati, and then drove across country to Wayne County. He first located at Old Salisbury and a year later bought 160 acres in Center Township of Wayne County. Two years later he sold that property and bought lots in Centerville, where he built a hotel, and in 1819 constructed the first brick house in the town.
This brick house became associated with many important events in the history of Wayne County. Levi M. Jones also took the first contract to carry mail from Centerville to Indianapolis, and his son Lewis was the carrier, making the trip of sixty-five miles without any stop. Levi M. Jones was not only a man of much business enterprise but of generosity and confidence in his fellowmen that was frequently betrayed, and security debts swept away most of his estate. He died October 5, 1823, honored and respected, but left his family in straightened circumstances. It was his wife, a noble woman of the pioneer type, who came to the rescue of the family fortune.
Source: Indiana & Indianans; Vol 3; By Jacob Piatt Dunn ~ 1919; Transcribed and entered on FAG by Dan Tate, Novemember 10, 2009.
In colonial times the first American Jones came from Wales and settled in Culpeper, Virginia. In that county John Jones was born, and was a gallant soldier with the colonists in the struggle for independence.
He participated in one of the most decisive battles of the western frontier, the Battle of Point Pleasant, on the western slope of the Alleghenies at the junction of the great Kauawha and Ohio rivers. He established his permanent home in Kanawha County, Virginia, in 1797, and owned large tracts of land there, including the site of Grafton.
John Jones married Frances Morris, daughter of Levi Morris of Virginia. She was an aunt of Thomas A. Morris, who later became a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of the children of John Jones and wife William, Edmund, Thomas, John and Levi M. all located in Wayne County, Indiana.
Levi Morris Jones, grandfather of Oliver Perry Jones, was born on a farm in Culpeper County, Virginia, October 10, 1785, and was twelve years old when his parents moved to what is now West Virginia. In Kanawha County he married Mary Thomas. She was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, February 7, 1784. They were married in 1806.
The father of Mary Thomas, Joseph Thomas, was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, August 3, 1759, and also took his family to Kanawha County in October, 1797. Joseph Thomas, who died in 1839, was a Revolutionary soldier directly under the command of General Washington. His father, Henry Thomas, was born in Wales in 1728 and came to Virginia soon after his marriage.
Joseph Thomas married in 1781 Rebecca Tindal, who was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, November 5, 1763. The Thomas children were Lewis, Mary, Washington, Henry, Thomas M., Rebecca Tindal, Sarah, Dolly H., Janie Pleasant, Norburn and Helena. Several of the sons were magnificent specimens of physical manhood and the pioneer instinct in them was strong. Lewis Thomas at the age of sixty-six started for the gold fields of California and died of typhoid fever en route.
Levi M. Jones, after his marriage, continued farming in West Virginia until March, 1815, when he started for Wayne County, Indiana. He journeyed down the Ohio river on a flatboat to Cincinnati, and then drove across country to Wayne County. He first located at Old Salisbury and a year later bought 160 acres in Center Township of Wayne County. Two years later he sold that property and bought lots in Centerville, where he built a hotel, and in 1819 constructed the first brick house in the town.
This brick house became associated with many important events in the history of Wayne County. Levi M. Jones also took the first contract to carry mail from Centerville to Indianapolis, and his son Lewis was the carrier, making the trip of sixty-five miles without any stop. Levi M. Jones was not only a man of much business enterprise but of generosity and confidence in his fellowmen that was frequently betrayed, and security debts swept away most of his estate. He died October 5, 1823, honored and respected, but left his family in straightened circumstances. It was his wife, a noble woman of the pioneer type, who came to the rescue of the family fortune.
Source: Indiana & Indianans; Vol 3; By Jacob Piatt Dunn ~ 1919; Transcribed and entered on FAG by Dan Tate, Novemember 10, 2009.
He participated in one of the most decisive battles of the western frontier, the Battle of Point Pleasant, on the western slope of the Alleghenies at the junction of the great Kauawha and Ohio rivers. He established his permanent home in Kanawha County, Virginia, in 1797, and owned large tracts of land there, including the site of Grafton.
John Jones married Frances Morris, daughter of Levi Morris of Virginia. She was an aunt of Thomas A. Morris, who later became a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of the children of John Jones and wife William, Edmund, Thomas, John and Levi M. all located in Wayne County, Indiana.
Levi Morris Jones, grandfather of Oliver Perry Jones, was born on a farm in Culpeper County, Virginia, October 10, 1785, and was twelve years old when his parents moved to what is now West Virginia. In Kanawha County he married Mary Thomas. She was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, February 7, 1784. They were married in 1806.
The father of Mary Thomas, Joseph Thomas, was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, August 3, 1759, and also took his family to Kanawha County in October, 1797. Joseph Thomas, who died in 1839, was a Revolutionary soldier directly under the command of General Washington. His father, Henry Thomas, was born in Wales in 1728 and came to Virginia soon after his marriage.
Joseph Thomas married in 1781 Rebecca Tindal, who was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, November 5, 1763. The Thomas children were Lewis, Mary, Washington, Henry, Thomas M., Rebecca Tindal, Sarah, Dolly H., Janie Pleasant, Norburn and Helena. Several of the sons were magnificent specimens of physical manhood and the pioneer instinct in them was strong. Lewis Thomas at the age of sixty-six started for the gold fields of California and died of typhoid fever en route.
Levi M. Jones, after his marriage, continued farming in West Virginia until March, 1815, when he started for Wayne County, Indiana. He journeyed down the Ohio river on a flatboat to Cincinnati, and then drove across country to Wayne County. He first located at Old Salisbury and a year later bought 160 acres in Center Township of Wayne County. Two years later he sold that property and bought lots in Centerville, where he built a hotel, and in 1819 constructed the first brick house in the town.
This brick house became associated with many important events in the history of Wayne County. Levi M. Jones also took the first contract to carry mail from Centerville to Indianapolis, and his son Lewis was the carrier, making the trip of sixty-five miles without any stop. Levi M. Jones was not only a man of much business enterprise but of generosity and confidence in his fellowmen that was frequently betrayed, and security debts swept away most of his estate. He died October 5, 1823, honored and respected, but left his family in straightened circumstances. It was his wife, a noble woman of the pioneer type, who came to the rescue of the family fortune.
Source: Indiana & Indianans; Vol 3; By Jacob Piatt Dunn ~ 1919; Transcribed and entered on FAG by Dan Tate, Novemember 10, 2009.
Bio by: Marcia Harnage Coulson
Inscription
Information taken from book entitled "Poems and Sketches" by George P. Emswiler dated 1897
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Siblings
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