Biography - Malden Jones
In
touching upon the history of Douglas county for the past sixty years,
none have been more prominently connected with its growth and industrial
expansion than the Hon. Malden Jones. He endured all the hardships incident
to the tough pioneer life and has passed through a most honorable and
enviable career. He is a native of Lee county, Virginia, and was born
Febrary 8, 1818. When a child he went with his parents to Kentucky, where he
was reared and where, at about the age of seventeen, he entered a store as
clerk and remained three years. In 1840 he came west, making the trip on
horseback, settled with his brother, Alfred, five miles southwest of Arcola,
and there engaged in farming and the live stock business. In 1848 he removed
to his present locality and, in company with Mr. Gruelle, opened a general
store about half a mile north of Bourbon, his store being the only one west
of Charleston. He was engaged extensively in buying and selling cattle and
horses, and drove them from his home to Wisconsin, which at that time was
the only market worthy of the name in the west. They continued at this point
about one year. Mr. Jones then built a store in Bourbon and laid out the
town. He continued merchandising here about six years. In 1858 he was
elected sheriff of the county of Coles, and removed to Charleston. There he
resided for three years, returning to Bourbon in 1861. He was elected to the
Legislature in 1864 and re-elected in 1866, and was the first member elected
from the new county of Douglas. In 1870 he was elected state senator and
served four years. He wa also a candidate for the Senate in 1880, but was
defeated by a few votes.
On coming to Coles, now Douglas county, he had but forty dollars and a pony. He now owns fifteen hundred acres of land and the finest residence in the township, which cost over six thousand dollars. He was married in 1880 to Mary, daughter of Isaac Gruelle, who was one of the earliest settlers of the county. Eleven children have blessed this union, nine now living, four sons and five daughters. His wife died June 23, 1895, in her sixty-first year. Amongst Mr. Jones' neighbors, when he first settled in the vicinity of Bourbon, might be mentioned the Abbots, Stovals, Ellises, and the Chandlers. Mr. Jones and Lemuel Chandler, in the 1860 days of old, were the leading stump speakers and authorities of the day, and being on opposite sides of the important political questions, made the old brick school house in Bourbon faily ring with the eloquent pros and cons of political debate, the condiments of which were not a little personal feeling, which, to the knowing ones, lent an added zest to their enjoyment; but, happy to say, old time fixed them with his glittering eye at last and the foolishness of political animosity gracefully gave way to the sober philosophy of increasing years. In a public career of about forty-five years, Mr. Jones, while occupying positions of trust and responsibility, such as sheriff, representative and state senator, has retained his integrity and, consequently, the respect of his fellow citizens. His character has never been assailed and he stands before th world to-day retaining the reputation of an hones and influential man. Mr. Jones is universally respected. He has seen many changes in the county and at the sunset of life still takes an active and influential part in the political, social and industrial life of the day.
Extracted by Linda Lang from the Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois, pages 225-227. Portrait added 22 Jul 2019.
