Kentucky Township, Jefferson County, probably has not a more respected citizen than Mr. Jones, who made his way unaided to a good position among his fellowmen. He came to this township in 1878 and purchased the first eighty acres of land, to which he subsequently added until he has now 200 acres, comprising some of the best soil in this region. The greater part of this is under cultivation, and Mr. Jones has a substantial dwelling, a good barn, orchards, groves, and in fact all the appliances of a modern rural homestead.
It is located five miles north of the town of Perry. During the season of 1889 Mr. Jones raised 5,500 bushels of corn from 100 acres of ground, and fed over a car-load of cattle, besides from seventy to 100 head of swine, doing his own shipping. He is considerably interested also in good road horses.
The subject of this sketch was born near Lexington, Montgomery Co., Ky., in August 1825, and is the son of Thomas and Elsa Jones, who were natives of Clarke County, that State. His father was a free man, but his mother was a slave, being the property of his Grandmother Jones. Milton was likewise the property of Mrs. Jones. Thomas Jones was a farmer in Montgomery County, until selling out when he removed to Pilot County. There he also engaged in farming, but he was likewise a sportsman and fond of the hunt, very brave and killing bears and panthers. He died in Clarke County, where he had been connected with the Baptist Church. He was said to be part Cherokee-Indian blood. The mother was also a Baptist in religious belief and died in Montgomery County in 1865.
Mr. Jones was brought up on a farm as his grandmother’s slave and was not allowed any chance for education, although he managed to learn to read and picked up considerable information. He was exceedingly bright and especially handy with all kinds of tools, learning shoe-making, stone-masonry, and carpentering. His duties were varied by driving hogs over the mountains to Atlanta and Charleston, 750 miles away, making usually twelve miles in a day.
Such was his good judgment in the handling of these, that when arriving at their destination they were fatter and heavier than when they started. He was considered, in fact, the boss hog driver in all that region. Two men were usually employed for every lot of 200 hogs. The mountain roads were narrow, and sometimes a bear would tumble down the sides among the animals, some of whom would go nearly wild with fright, and it was difficult to keep them from escaping their drivers.
They could only be controlled by being blinded by a coat or something of the kind, and sometimes the men would sew their eyelids together when they would again take the road. On the return trip, Mr. Jones would many a time walk fifty-five miles in a day, arriving home far in advance of his comrades.
Upon the death of Mrs. Jones, our subject became the property of her granddaughter, who had married Thomas Pointer; the latter thus became the master of Mr. Jones, whom he ever treated kindly. After the death of Mrs. Jones, our subject, with several others, was taken possession of by one Jackson Toll, who kept them until the law gave them to their rightful owner.
Mr. Jones was then hired out to Dr. Hood, of Kentucky for $90. The following four years he, was permitted by Mr. Pointer to work for Mrs. Toll, in exchange for another man who was unable to attend to her work properly. Later, he remained with Mr. Pointer for one month, then went to Missouri to his wife, there to remain until sent for.
Mr. Jones was married in Clarke County, Ky., in 1845, to Miss Mary J. Allison. Mrs. Jones was born in Montgomery County and went with her master to Missouri in the spring of 1856, located in Platte County. In the fall Mr. Pointer allowed Mr. Jones to join his wife and make what money he could for himself in Missouri. Toward spring his Kentucky master wrote him to select a future master and he was sold to one Landy Barnet, who afterward sold him to Mr. Allison, the owner of his wife. Upon this occasion, he paid $200 of his own money to keep from being thrown into the hands of New Orleans traders.
About 1862 Mr. Allison returned to Mr. Jones his $200 in order to try to keep him in the place, fearful that the slaves would be driven away by the Union soldiers. The last time that Mr. Jones was sold he brought the good round sum of $1,400. In 1863, Mr. Allison, having become addicted to strong drink, was very imprudent and hurrahed for Jefferson Davis in the hearing of some of the Union troops, when he was taken charge of and his chattels driven away.
Mr. Jones, who had saved up $300 and a team of horses by working extra hours, then embraced the opportunity to leave the country and came, with his family to Kansas, locating near Oskaloosa. He bought six acres of ground to start with, to which he gradually added and besides engaging in farming and
stock-raising, chopping wood and clearing land for others in order to increase his cash income. In due time he became the owner of 170 acres near Oskaloosa. He began raising hemp and was the first man in the State of Kansas to produce this commodity.
Upon one occasion he shipped a car-load from Lawrence, which brought him very large profits. He also drove hogs through to the packing houses at Leavenworth. Thus he has been uniformly
successful with the exception of at one time loaning $300 and on account of its non-payment became involved in a lawsuit which cost him $960.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jones there have been born twelve children. George, the eldest, owns and operates a farm of 235 acres in Oskaloosa Township; Henry has a farm of eighty acres near Junction City; Julia is the wife of J. S. Carter and resides near North Topeka; Greene now owns a farm of eighty acres near Junction City; Samuel is a real-estate man and contractor, transferring wood from Oklahoma to Texas and other points, and owns ten acres of land adjoining North Topeka; Thomas, one of the best cooks in the West, is employed in a hotel at Salt Lake City; John B., is a mail-carrier in Topeka; Lincoln is a cook in a hotel in Salt Lake City; Moses S. works his father’s farm on shares; Dora is in Oakland, Cal.; Milton, Jr., is working in partnership with
his brother, Moses S.; Sarah (Mrs. Lewis) is a resident of Valley Falls.
Mrs. Jones is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Jones has a letter from the Christian Church in Kentucky. Politically, he is a sound Republican.
When Mr. Jones first arrived in Kansas there was considerable agitation on the subject of negro citizenship, and, consequently, their right to the elective franchise. He was one of the delegates to the State Convention, held at Lawrence, Douglas County, from which place he went from Jefferson County.
During the convention an amendment to the Freedman’s Bureau Bill was offered, and after two days’ discussion was adopted. Three delegates were elected and sent to the National Convention to present to that body the papers of the Kansas convention, declaring the rights of the negro to citizenship. These papers were accepted by the National Convention and forwarded to Washington. D. C, where they were ratified. To Mr. Jones much credit is due for the deep and intelligent interest he has always taken in these great and important issues, and the good he has done the colored race.
Source: Jefferson County Biographies “Portrait and Biographical Album of
Jackson, Jefferson and Pottawatomie Counties, Kansas” Chapman Bros.,
Chicago 1890