Jones, William Hughs - biography


Both parents of W. H. Jones and Mary Jane Jones immigrated from Wales in the 1850's. Their families were part of the Mormon conversion period. During that period over 5,000 Welsh people came from Wales to the Salt Lake City area of Utah. W.H. was born in Wales January 9, 1843; Jane was born in Salt Lake City August 15, 1853.

Jane's father Thomas Daniels came from Wales in 1 849 when he was 18 years old. Her mother Mary Davis was born in Wales in 1835. They married in 1852 and had five children. Jane and her family moved to Malad in the summer of 1865. Her family were important founding pioneers of the Malad Valley.

W.H.'s mother was Rachel Hughs Evans, who was born in Wales in 1 822. His father Benjamin Jones was born in 1817 in Wales. He carne to the United States with his parents and his sister in 1850 on the ship Joseph Bager. His parents had seven children. Four of whom lived to adulthood. Two very important people in W H's life were Rachel's sister Mary Jones and her husband Richard. They had come from Wales with Ben and Rachel and settled in the Salt Lake area. When W.H. was 1 7, his family decided to relocate to Oregon. While in California, his father died December 1, 1861 and in January of 1862, his mother died in childbirth. W.H. took his two brothers and sister back to Utah and his aunt and uncle took them into their family. In the summer of 1865, they came with their aunt's family to Malad.

The Richard Jones family and the Thomas Daniels family were members of the first thirteen families to settle in Malad in 1865. Both families had originally come from the Cannarthan area of 'ales. There is no evidence that they knew each other while in Wales.

In Malad, the living conditions were very difficult with log homes crudely built with dirt floors and rough furniture. Land claims were made and arms were plowed out of the valley floor with primitive tools. The women struggled to do the essential life maintenance tasks and to bring civilization to the frontier. Their lives were harsh and filled with many hardships requiring strength, and perseverance. Through great struggle, their lives slowly improved.

              W.H. and Jane married October 30, 1871, they  had eight children. Eventually they were able build a large home on the first lot on the right side of North Main Street. A Salt Lake architect designed the house and fine furniture was purchased from Salt Lake stores. The wooden house was Victorian style with a porch around two sides and surrounded by large trees. The view from the porches was of the main street of Malad City. (The picture of the family was taken in the front of their home). They owned several lots of the block up Main Street and from Main Street to what is now 70 E plus farm land in the valley at the Bend.

Jane and W.H. were always welcoming others. Their home was filled with the food, fun, laughter and great stories told by family and friends. When their son T.D's first wife died while giving birth to their daughter Annie, Jane and W.H. took her into their home and raised her with the family. Education for their children was an important goal. All their children lived into adulthood and became important contributors to the development of Idaho.

Sometime in 1915, and much to the devastation of her family and friends, Jane was diagnosed with cancer of the throat. She suffered greatly and courageously. Although Jane and W.H.'s families had come to the United States as converts to the Mon-non church, they had become members of the Presbyterian Church of Malad. Interestingly, during Jane's illness she had aid from a practitioner from the Christian Science Church of Salt Lake City. Jane, deeply mourned by all who knew and loved her, died October 16, 1915 and was buried in the Malad City Cemetery.

W.H., like so many pioneers, had an interesting life. As already written, he immigrated from Wales with his parent and sister when seven years old. They came by ship to the mouth of the Mississippi and up the river to St. Louis. They purchased an outfit for travel and in 1851 came the long distance to Salt Lake City. The family remained in this area for ten years until in 1861 when his parent decided to relocate from Utah to the Wilamette Valley of Oregon. The family consisted of his parents, Rachel and Ben, and their surviving children - brother (Ben (age 8, Jedediah  (Jedd) age 6 and his sister Mary Ellen age 5. W.H. as 18. They traveled by oxen team through Carson City and Reno areas of Nevada. While in Teharna County of California (near Redding), his father died. Cause of death is unknown. Two months later in February of 1862 his mother died during childbirth. The child also died. His mother and the child were buried together next to Ben in the Tehama County Cemetery. Besides losing this child, Ben and Rachel had lost two other girls both named Margaret. One died on the banks of the Mississippi River. W.H. had promised his mother he would take the three children (age 9, 6 and 5) back to her sister in Utah. He joined a small group of soldiers and took them back to his aunt as he had promised. His aunt Mary and uncle Richard took the family in as if they were their own.

When he was 20 he joined the gold rush to Alder Bulch,  Montana. He staked a claim but when ill with "mountain fever" his claimed was "jumped".

As stated before, in the summer of 1865 he went with his aunt and uncle and their family including his two brothers and his sister to the Malad Valley. He married Jane in 1871. (His brother Jedd and sister Mary Ellen also married into the Daniels' family). Jane and W.H. had eight children. Only with the loving support of Jane could he succeed. He had some of the earliest land claims in the area, including a land patent in 1 881. He farmed successful in the Bend area, was a rancher, had a freight company, was a United States Marshall for a time (one job was taking polygamists to prison in Leavenworth , Kansas), and he served as County Treasurer In Malad he was active in civic and social activities. He was described as a pioneer "prominently involved with the affairs of southeastern Idaho."

But as others knew, he preferred his home life to great fame. He always said that what was most important to him was his family and he lived his life congruent with this belief. He lived to see his children "Standing in the front ranks of those who had done well." W.H. did not remarry after Jane died in 1915, but lived as a widower for over 15 years. He died March 12, 1931 at age 88. He was buried in the Malad Cemetery next to Jane.

Submitted by Diane Davis

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Immigrants:

Jones, William Hugh

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