My Genealogy Hound

GABRIEL S. JONES. Probably no resident in Randolph County is more worthy of representation in this Record than Mr. Jones, who was born here in 1818, when Illinois was a territory. He has pursued a course which has resulted in securing for him the hearty respect of those who know him. Having witnessed the development of the state from a wilderness to the site of thriving towns and highly cultivated farms, he has also contributed to this work and has been an important factor in the growth of Chester.

The father of our subject, who also bore the name of Gabriel, was a native of Virginia, and came to Illinois November 17, 1817. The journey, which was made overland to Illinois, was interrupted suddenly at Percy, when the axle tree of the wagon broke. The family was compelled to stop for a time and the elder Mr. Jones was induced to remain during the winter and teach school. In the spring of the following year he was appointed Colonel of the State Militia, he having been a soldier in the War of 1812. He was a very prominent man in his community, and had the honor of filling the positions of Mayor, County Clerk, County Commissioner and Deputy United States Marshal in 1820, and served as Colonel in the Black Hawk War in 1832. In 1824 he represented his district in the Legislature, being elected on the Whig ticket. He met his death November 9, 1864, in a cyclone, at which time his house was blown down, and many lives were lost in that locality.

The maiden name of our subject’s mother was Elizabeth Tillotson. She was born in Virginia, and died in Nashville, this state, in 1844. Of her family of eight children, our subject was the fourth in order of birth, and is the only survivor of the family. He remained upon the home farm near Steeleville, this county, until reaching his sixteenth year, in the meantime having received a fair education in the district school. On coming to Chester in 1834, he began life on his own account as clerk in the general store of Holmes, Swanwick & Co., with whom he remained until 1840, and then removing to Nashville, opened up a store of his own, continuing to make that place his home until 1839.

The date of our subject’s marriage with Miss Elizabeth Cox was November 12, 1839. Mrs. Jones is the daughter of Richard Cox, a native of England, who came to the United States when a boy. By her union with our subject she became the mother of three children, viz.: Eunice, now the wife of A. A. Anderson, of Chester; Ann M., Mrs. A. G. Jones, now residing in Delphos, Kan., and Richard, a book-keeper in the city of New York. Mrs. Elizabeth Jones departed this life in Chester in 1855. The lady whom our subject married in 1858 was Mrs. Lucinda M. Hildreth, nee Stone. By this marriage have been born two children, Mary, the wife of George Neville, City Treasurer of Chester and attorney-at-law, and Paul G., a merchant in Chester. Our subject is still engaged in the mercantile business in this city, and is highly esteemed by all who know him.

Mr. Jones relates many an interesting anecdote of life during pioneer times, and tells how he traveled six miles to school in order to gain a knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic. He has always been actively interested in all that pertains to the welfare of his native county, and as a keen politician keeps himself well informed in regard to party movements, and votes with the Republican party. Socially he is a member of Chester Lodge No. 72, A. F. & A. M., and is also connected with the Herman G. Reynolds Commandery.