My Genealogy Hound

NEWELL JONES, a prominent citizen and dealer in wool of Homer, Cortland County, N. Y., is a gentleman who has accomplished much for his adopted town and county. Mr. Jones, though he has lived in Homer for close upon seventy years, is a Green Mountain Boy by birth, and he has in his veins some of the best blood of the State of Vermont. He is a son of Nathaniel Jones, who was born and reared a farmer among the verdant hills of the good old New England State. The mother of our subject was Asenath (Baldwin) Jones, and she was united to her husband when both were very young. In 1820 the couple, with an already large family, moved into New York State, settling at Winfield, Herkimer County. After a few years spent there, the family came to Cortland County. There Nathaniel Jones did not make a long stop, but struck out farther west in the state, and located in Allegany County. But he was not so well suited with the lay of the land as he was in Cortland County, so he returned after a few years, and finally made his home in Homer, where he passed to his reward at the age of eighty-four. His wife, a woman of strong and vigorous constitution, reached the age of ninety-one. A family of ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and were named in order: Aaron B.; Elijah; Joseph; Asenath (French) (Southerland); Elliott; Nelson; Franklin; Nathaniel; Newell; and Christiana (Baldwin). The family was reared in the Baptist Church, and the boys received from their father good, sound Republican teachings.

Newell Jones, who was born in Vermont, November 22, 1818, was given all the school training that the local institutions could impart, and as he grew to manhood’s estate decided upon farming as a life-vocation. He followed the cultivation of the soil until 1858, and success crowned his arduous labors. At that date he moved into the village of Homer, where he engaged in the milling business. This line of work he followed for a time, and then became a grocer, a business that prospered him well. Mr. Jones served his townsmen as postmaster during the administrations of Grant and Hayes, handling the office extremely well. In politics Mr. Jones, like his honored father, is a strong Republican, and his keen judgment and ripe experience has been heeded by his party on many occasions. After giving up his position as postmaster, he was for some years an under sheriff for the county, and for several years assessor for the village corporation of Homer. The past fifteen years Mr. Jones has devoted mainly to buying wool, and shipping it to the market. He is without the least doubt one of the heaviest handlers of this staple article, as well as the most skilled judge of it in Cortland County.

Newell Jones has been twice wedded. His first wife’s maiden name was Polly Harvey, and she was a native of Chenango County. She died at the age of sixty-seven, having borne her husband one daughter, Mary Ellen, who only lived to be twenty-four years of age. Mr. Jones’ second alliance was with Abigail (Parker) Worsley, who is a native of Homer.

Newell Jones is a man whose influence is strongly felt in the community. His enterprise has brought many dollars into the county, and his townspeople have ever found his advice in matters of business expediency to be good. He has always been a successful man, and his success has been shared by many of his friends. He is exceedingly well liked both as a citizen and a business man. In both of these places he is ever upright, reliable and trustworthy. His many friends will view with a large degree of interest Mr. Newell Jones’ portrait*, which appears on a preceding page in company with that of his wife, Mrs. Abigail P. Jones.

*A portrait was included in the original printed volume.