Person:George Jones (119)

Biography

Birth

George W. Jones was born in 1840, in or near the town of Platteville, Grant County, Wisconsin, probably on the 11th of July.^[30] In later years, beginning with his second marriage, he often claimed to have been born about 1842,^{[2][11][20][21][22]} but George often had a somewhat elastic view of events in his life, depending on his circumstances and motivations. Although nearly all early records show George with an age consistent with an 1840 birth date,^{[1][10][13][7][18][14]} the most critical are the two deeds recording his double sale in 1861 of land inherited from his father. On 11 January 1861 George sold that property to his mother, then rescinded the sale on 19 August 1861 and sold it to someone else for significantly more money, saying, “I was under twenty one years of age at the time, which [my mother] well knew”.^[5][6] This is a legal document, one that strongly suggests George turned 21 between the months of January and August of 1861, meaning that he was born in 1840, not 1842.

George's father died when George was about 15. During the next five years, his mother remarried and divorced, and the family appears to have moved at least once. About six months after George turned 21, he married Eliza Liscum, on 14 February 1862 in Platteville, Wisconsin.

Civil War Service and after in Wisconsin

George claimed on several occasions that he had served in the American Civil War. In the winter of 1915/1916, he said that he served under Col. Moore^[31] for two and one-have years, beginning not long after his marriage.^[2] He also claimed that what he had done was to steal horses.^[32] He also claimed to have served in the Civil War in 1890 for the U.S. Veterans Census, but refused to provide any information about the details of his service.^[28] This seems to be another example of George's somewhat elastic view of events. Several people, including at least two archivists,^[33] have been unable to find any record of George's service. Instead, George appears to have remained in Wisconsin, living as a farmer in Iowa County where he was registered for the Draft on 30 June 1863.^[7] And in at least one other document, he swore that he never served in the military, although that may have been in hopes of getting a military pension in the name of his deceased son Frank.^[11] Based on a family rumour remembered by one of his descendants, it may be that George "served" as a civilian, supplying horses to the army.^[34]

Whatever George did during the Civil War, he seemed to have some minor financial problems afterwards, as he was late paying his taxes.^[9] He and Eliza remained in Lima for another two years, then followed Eliza's father to Lancaster, where George seems to have farmed successfully.^[8][10][12] Then, sometime between 1875 and 1800, he and Eliza moved to Iowa, again following other members of Eliza's family.

Moving West

George and Eliza and family were living in Wright County, Iowa in 1880 when George apparently decided to move further west, applying for Homestead land in Palo Alto County,^[14] then later, in 1885/86 making an unsuccessful attempt to purchase more land.^[15][16] Early the next year, for reasons unknown,^[35] George sold the Homestead property to his son Stephen, who promptly resold it to Eliza.^[17]

A year after Eliza gained ownership of the family property, she died, leaving George with a large family, including a newborn daughter and several toddlers. George apparently purchased several plots in the county cemetery in the neighbouring town of Whittemore, where Eliza is buried, arranged for others to care for his younger children, and left looking for work elsewhere. The Homestead land that Eliza had purchased was eventually sold at a Sheriff's sale for back taxes.^[19]

By 1890, George was in Lincoln, Nebraska.^[28] From there George may have moved to Cherry County, Nebraska, based on a deposition made in 1903 by an acquaintance who said he had known George for 12 years and had met him in Cherry County where they were both farmers.^[11] However, George married his second wife, Sylvia Putnam Bridges, in Trenton, Saline County, Kansas, over 400 miles away on 7 February 1893, raising at least the possibility that George did not arrive in Cherry County until after his re-marriage.

About 1895, George and Sylvia, and possibly her children from her first marriage, had moved to Spearfish, Lawrence County, South Dakota. Here, on 8 October 1896, George applied for his second Homestead Grant. He was able to make sufficient improvements on the land that he received his Patent on the 15th of May 1905.^[21] He seems to have worked partly as a small scale farmer or gardener, partly as a hunter, and, at least temporarily, as a partner, although the nature of the partnership is unknown.^[11][22][20] It was also during this time that George began to try to get money from his children. During the winter of 1899 he visited relatives,^[11] and this is likely when he tried to take his son Reuben's earnings. November 1899 is also when he began a series of efforts to receive a federal pension, based on the service and death of his son Frank. In his applications, he claimed that he had been unable to work a full day as a result of a "rupture" [hernia] he had had since about 1877; that his son Frank had been his sole means of support prior to Frank's death, and that since then he had been dependent on the charity of friends and neighbours to support his family.^[11] He never received the pension.

George did not wait long after gaining ownership of his land before moving on. On 24 December 1906, he filed for a third Homestead Grant, this time in Crook County, Wyoming, just outside the present day entrance to Devils Tower National Monument. His Patent for the land was approved 10 October 1916, three and one-half years after submitting proof of completion.^[24] At least some members of Sylvia's family came with them. In 1910, Sylvia's grandson Robert Reynolds was living with them,^[23] and Sylvia's daughter Cora (Bridges) Moss was living nearby. Sylvia died 30 September 1910, and her daughter Cora and son-in-law also died within the next year and a half, leaving a family of children without anyone to care for them. George adopted his namesake, George Washington Moss, a young boy of about six.^[25] Two years later, in the fall of 1915, George and his adopted grandson traveled to North Dakota to visit some of George's own children, whom he hadn't seen in eighteen years. He may have visited Henry, certainly visited Neva, and ended up spending the winter with Reuben, having gotten snowed in.^[36]

Although George had apparently been able to manage his farm in Wyoming, by 1917 he was again struggling, and made yet another attempt to receive a military pension based on his son Frank's service.^[11] When his daughter Lottie arrived in June of that year, said to have been fleeing an abusive marriage, he took her and her children in. She would later claim that her time there was spent "nursing, field and housework", before she moved on to North Dakota.^[26]

Death

George died 23 December 1917 on his farm, near Hulett, Wyoming, apparently of a heart attack. He was buried three days later in the local cemetery.^[27] His children did not attend. His estate was that of an old man barely managing to eke out a living, and the assets were largely eaten by a long list of debts. What little was left went to provide some support for his adopted grandson.^[26] He was known for his skill with horses and, perhaps, for his opinions.^[37] One can only wonder why the supposed military service of his father was reported in his obituary, along wit his own.^[27]

Events and Facts

Source Citations

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Grant County (Eastern District); FHL #0444985, in United States. Census Office. 7th census, 1850. Wisconsin 1850 federal census : population schedules. (Washington [District of Columbia]: The National Archives, 1964)
   HH 369, Family 373.

   Jas. Jones, age 53, male, miner, RE=$200, born Penn
   Polly Jones, age 25, female, born Ind., unable to read and write
   Clarinda Jones, age 14, female, born Wis
   Geo. Jones, age 10, male, born Wis [not marked as attending school] [occupation not asked of persons under 15 yrs. of age]
   Elnora Jones, age 6, female, born Wis
   Thomas J. Jones, age 4, male, born Wis
   Jas. Jones, age 1, male, born Wis.

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Notes from transcription of handwritten note, Reuben Jones, Tioga, North Dakota, interview with father George Jones in response to a written request for information from Ona [sister of Reuben]. (Photocopy from Lila [Jones] Campbell, 26 Feb 1999), in Jones Family Documents.

   Mch 24 1916
   GWJ
   Age 74 July 11
   Birth place Plattsvill Wis
   Mothers “ “ 7 Mi North of Plattsill on the Liscomb branch a creek.
   Did He serve in War? Yes
   before or after Marriage?
   Feb 14 2 1/2 yr
   Just after ^ 1862 He was assigned to the S.W. Was never in any Grate event served under Col Moore

3. ↑ Dodge, Fond du Lac - La Point Counties; FHL #1032687, in Wisconsin. Department of State. Wisconsin state census, 1855. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1979).

   Grant County, Paris Township - Geo. W. Jones, 2 males [George, brother James], 5 females [mother Polly, sisters Clarinda, Elnora, Mary Elizabeth, 1 unknown]

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Mifflin, Iowa County; FHL #0805412, in United States. Census Office. 8th census, 1860. Wisconsin 1860 federal census  : population schedules. (Washington, District of Columbia: The National Archives, 1950, 1967)
   HH 340, Family 338.

   Jones, Ann, age 43, wf, Farmer's widow, RE=$2500, PE=$300, b. IN
   , Clorinda, 23, wf, b. WI
   , George, 18, wm, b. WI, attending school
   , Eleonore, 16, wf, b. WI, attending school
   , James, 12, wm, b. WI, attending school
   , Lizzy, 9, wf, b. WI, attending school
   , Henry, 5, wm, b. WI, attending school
   Carpenter, Elizabeth, 19, wf, b. WI, married within the year

5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 Grant County (Wisconsin). Register of Deeds. Grant County (Wis.) land records, 1837-1940. (Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin State Historical Society, 1976, 1986)
   Vol. N2, p. 574; FHL #1463519.

   See George Jones, Wisconsin for abstract

6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 Grant County (Wisconsin). Register of Deeds. Grant County (Wis.) land records, 1837-1940. (Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin State Historical Society, 1976, 1986)
   Vol. R2, p. 183; FHL #1463520.

   See George Jones, Wisconsin for abstract

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Wisconsin, 3rd Congressional District, in United States. Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865. (Online database: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010)
   vol 1, Class 1, A-K, p. 257, line 17, 30 June 1863.

   Jones, George W., age 22, farmer, Married, b. Wisconsin, Residence Lima

8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Grant County (Wisconsin). Register of Deeds. Grant County (Wis.) land records, 1837-1940. (Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin State Historical Society, 1976, 1986)
   Vol 63, p. 429; Vol 65, pp. 17, 63; Vol 68, p. 90.

   See George Jones, Wisconsin for abstracts

9. ↑ ^9.0 9.1 Tax Roll, 1865, Lima Town, Grant County, Wisconsin (Southwest Wisconsin Room, UW-Platteville).

   Unpaid Taxes - Town 4, Range 1
   G. W. Jones, S end of W1/2 of NW1/4, Sec 24, 27 acres, Tax = $4.57; paid Ma[rch] 15/66

10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Lancaster Township, Grant County; FHL #0553216 , in United States. Census Office. 9th census, 1870. Wisconsin, 1870 federal census : population schedules. (Washington, District of Columbia: The National Archives, 1962, 1968)
    HH #254, Family #250.

    Jones, George, age 30, white male, farmer, real estate = $1,600, personal estate = $400, born Wisconsin
    , Eliza, age 25, white female, keeping house, born Wisconsin
    , George, age 8, white male, born Wisconsin
    , Stephen, age 4, white male, born Wisconsin
    , Addie, age 2 months, white female, born Wisconsin in April

11. ↑ ^{11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10} Pension Application, in George Jones Documents.

    Extract: Pension Application

12. ↑ ^12.0 12.1 Tax Rolls 1875, Town of Lancaster, Grant County, Wisconsin (Southwest Wisconsin Room, UW-Platteville).

    p. 7 - Personal Property
    Jones, Geo. W.
    4 horses = $120 [value]; 10 meat cattle = $140; no mules or asses; 11 sheep and lambs = $22; no swine; 1 wagon, carriage or sleigh = $1.13; no watches, no pianos or melodians, no shares of bank stock, no merchants/manufacturer's stocks; other property = $50; State, County, County School Tax and Town Tax = $2.18; District School Tax = $2.62; Paid $4.80
    p. 5 - Real Property, Town 5, Range 3
    Jones, Geo. W.
    SE1/4 of NE1/4 of Sec 22, 40 acres = $200; State etc. tax = $1.26; Sch. Dist. Tax = 87¢
    NE1/4 of NE1/4 of Sec 22, 40 acres = $135; Taxes = 85¢, 59¢; paid
    NE1/4 of SE1/4 of Sec 22; 40 acres = $170; taxes = $1.07, $1.30; paid
    SW1/4 of NW of Sec 23, 40 acres = $200; taxes = $1.26, 87¢; paid
    NW1/4 of SW1/4, Sec 23, 40 acres = $135; taxes = 85¢, $1.03; paid

13. ↑ ^13.0 13.1 Troy Township, Wright County; FHL #1254371, in United States. Bureau of the Census. 10th census, 1880. Iowa, 1880 federal census : soundex and population schedules. (Washington, District of Columbia: The National Archives, 19--?)
    HH 59, Family 61.

    Jones, G. W., white male, age 39, farmer, born Wisconsin, father born Penn, mother born Ind.
    , Eliza, white female, age 36, wife, keeping house, born Wisconsin, father born VT, mother born MD
    , Adelbert, white male, age 18, at home, born Wisconsin
    , Stephen, white male, age 16, at home, born Wisconsin
    , Anna, white female, age 7, daughter, at home, born Wisconsin
    , Frank, white male, age 6, son, at home, born Wisconsin
    , Henry, white male, age 4, son, at home, born Wisconsin
    , Edward, white male, age 1, son, at home, born Wisconsin

14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2} Jones Family Documents.

    Extract: Iowa Homestead Application

15. ↑ ^15.0 15.1 Palo Alto County (Iowa). Recorder. Deed records, 1859-1926; general index, 1859-1908. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986)
    Vol O, p. 381; FHL #1435115.

    See George Jones, Wisconsin for abstract

16. ↑ ^16.0 16.1 Palo Alto County (Iowa). Recorder. Deed records, 1859-1926; general index, 1859-1908. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986)
    Book R, p. 61; FHL #1436116.

    See George Jones, Wisconsin for abstract

17. ↑ ^17.0 17.1 Palo Alto County (Iowa). Recorder. Deed records, 1859-1926; general index, 1859-1908. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986)
    Vol T, pp. 9, 34; FHL #1436117.

    See George Jones, Wisconsin for abstracts

18. ↑ Palo Alto County; FHL #1026113, in Iowa. Adjutant General's Office. Persons subject to military duty, ca. 1862-1910. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978)
    1867-1910.

    1877-1885 - no Jones, no Bliss
    1887-1888 - Jones, W. G., age 48

19. ↑ ^19.0 19.1 Palo Alto County (Iowa). Recorder. Deed records, 1859-1926; general index, 1859-1908. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986)
    Volume X., pp. 3-5; FHL #1436118.

    See George Jones, Wisconsin for abstract

20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1 20.2} Lawrence County; FHL #1241551 , in United States. Census Office. 12th census, 1900. South Dakota, 1900 federal census : soundex and population schedules. (Washington, District of Columbia: The National Archives, 19--?)
    HH 43, Family 44.

    Township 7, Range 2, Reeds District No. 16
    Cowgill, Juliet, head, white female, born October 1840, age 69, widow, given birth to 5 children, 2 living, born Indiana, father born Ohio, mother born Canada, farmer, able to read, write, speak English, owns farm free of mortgage
    Jones, George W., partner, white male, born July 1842, age 57, married 39 years [N.B. - this is the amount of time he would have been married to Eliza if she were living], born Wisconsin, father born Pennsylvania, mother born Indiana, occupation farmer, able to read, write, speak English
    Kennedy, Thomas, boarder, white male, born December 1839, age 60, single, born South Carolina, father and mother born Ireland, farm laborer, able to read, write, speak English

21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1 21.2} George Jones Documents.

    See South Dakota Homestead Application for extraction

22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1 22.2} South Dakota. Assessor. State census, 1905. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 2002)
    Johnson-Jorgeson; FHL #2281691.

    George W. Jones, Card No. 1
    Spearfish, Lawrence County, Ward 1, 63 years of age, occupation: Hunter
    b. Wisconsin, in SD 10 yrs; fa. b. PA, mo b. IN, white male, married, able to read and write
    Silvy Jones, Card No. 2
    Spearfish, Lawrence County, Ward 1
    b. Ohio (no age given), in SD 10 years, fa. b. NY, mo. b. OH

23. ↑ ^23.0 23.1 Crook County; FHL #1375759, in United States. Bureau of the Census. 13th census, 1910. Wyoming, 1910 federal census : population schedules. (Washington [District of Columbia]: The National Archives, 19--?)
    HH 94, Family 97.

    Jones, George W., head, white male, age 69, married (2nd) 19 years, born Wisconsin, father born Pennsylvania, mother born Indiana, speaks English, occupation farmer on General Farm, able to read and write, owns farm free of mortgage, Farm Schedule 77
    , Sylvia, wife, white female, age 58, married (1st) 19 years, borne 3 children (2 living), born Ohio, both parents born Ohio, speaks English, able to read and write
    Reynolds [sic], Robert, grandson, white male, age 9, single, born South Dakota, father born Wisconsin, mother born Iowa, attending school

    Robert Reynolds is the grandson of Sylvia.

24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3} George Jones Documents.

    Extract: Wyoming Homestead

25. ↑ ^25.0 25.1 George Jones Documents.

    Transcription: Adoption of George Moss

26. ↑ ^{26.0 26.1 26.2} George Jones Documents.

    Extraction: George W. Jones Probate

27. ↑ ^{27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3} Barbara Hatch, email 18 Jan 1998.

    G.W. JONES DIES [Obituary]
    George Washington Jones was born in Wisconsin about seventy-five years ago and departed this life Sunday, Dec. 23, 1917, death probably being due to heart failure.
    He and his adopted son Geo. had eaten Sunday dinner at the Mont Hutchins home and were returning home when Mr. Jones dropped dead just as he reached the gate, the walk having proved too much for a man of his age and physic.
    His father served in three wars and he himself served in the Civil War. For the last several years he and his son George have lived on the ranch on Lytle creek about twelve miles from Hulett.
    Three sons and three daughters remain to mourn his loss besides Crook county friends.
    Interment was made in Miller Creek Cemetery, Wed. Dec. 26th, Rev. J.M. Brown conducting the services.

28. ↑ ^{28.0 28.1 28.2} Lincoln, Lancaster, Nebraska, in United States. Census Office. 11th census, 1890. 1890 U.S. Census Schedules enumerating Union veterans and widows of Union veterans of the Civil War. (Washington [District of Columbia]: The National Archives, 1948)
    E.D. 152, p. 2 Image 5 of 74, Ancestry.com.

    Jones, George W., living in Capital Hotel -- refuses to answer all questions about service; no reported disabilities

29. ↑ Older (original?) grave stone, as of 2010.
30. ↑ George's reported age in the 1850, 1870, and 1880 U.S. Census records is consistent with a birth in 1840. He does not appear in the 1840 Census, which was taken in June, and the 1860 Census has so many problems that the information is not useful for much more than place of residence and household members. Similarly, when reporting his age for the duplicate sale of property in Grant County Wisconsin in 1861, at the time of his first marriage in 1862, for Draft Registration in 1863 in Wisconsin and 1887 in Iowa, and In his Proof Claim in 1886 for his initial Homestead Grant in Palo Alto, Iowa, George reports his age as consistent with a birth in 1840. The first record in which George claims to have been born around 1842 is for his second marriage, where the ages for both him and his second wife were rounded down, in George's case removing a good three years from his age. From that time on, George most frequently reported his age as if he were born in 1842, which made him a little less older than his second wife than he actually was. The day and year of George's birth were reported by him to his son Reuben in March 1916, and are probably accurate. They are at least consistent with his reported age in his 1863 Draft Registration, as well as his double sale of property in Grant County, Wisconsin in 1861.
31. ↑ Colonel Johnathan Moore was a resident of Grant County and in charge of the 33rd Wisconsin Infantry, a regiment that recruited heavily from Grant County.
32. ↑ Neva Knott, oral communication.
33. ↑ Among others, Shari Post, Archives Assistant, University of Wisconsin - Platteville, per email 04 Feb 1998
34. ↑ Barbara Hatch, email August 6, 2006
35. ↑ The series of transactions obviously transferred ownership of the land from George to Eliza. Information regarding taxes as well as laws regarding property ownership as they applied to Homestead lands and to Palo Alto County and Iowa at this time George might provide some insight as to the reasons for the transitions.
36. ↑ Reuben Jones, from Lila
37. ↑ New gravestone, with horses, descriptors, and wrong birth date, added by a descendant of George's second wife