Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Vol. 2.
Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 152.
 
W. AL JONES
 
     No history of the Willamette Valley would be complete without due reference
to the career of W. Al Jones, whose death, on November 2, 1918, was regarded as
a distinct loss to the community, for he had been not only highly successful in
his individual affairs but had long been an important factor in the advancement
of the general welfare. A man of alert mentality, high character and wide
interests, he was one of the most influential citizens of his section of the
valley and commanded the confidence and respect of his fellowmen to a marked
degree.
 
     Mr. Jones was born near Mission Settlement, not far from the present Jones
homestead, and was a son of T. B. and Olive (Coonse) Jones. The father, who was
born on the Jones donation claim near Gervais, was a son of Silas and Nancy Jane
(Skean) Jones, who came to this locality in 1850 and took up the claim, where
the grandfather developed a good farm, there spending his remaining years. There
his son, T. B. Jones, also lived and successfully operated the farm and also
gained a high place in the esteem of his fellowmen.
 
     W. Al Jones secured his education in the Mission Bottom district school,
which his father also attended, as have his children, three generations of the
family securing their educational training there. W. Al Jones continued his
education in a business college in Portland, through which he paid his own way
by raising potatoes. He then returned to the home farm and assisted his father
in its operation most of the time until 1905, though during a part of that
period he operated rented land and also had charge of another of his father's
farms. After his marriage he settled down on the home place, to which he devoted
his attention until his death. The farm comprises two hundred acres, ten acres
of which are in cherries, the remainder being in wheat, oats and hay. Mrs. Jones
ran the farm for three years after her husband's death but now rents it.
 
     In 1905 Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Creighton, who was
born in Salem and is a daughter of John and Mary Jane (McCully) Creighton. Her
father, who was born near Dundee, Scotland, died in 1884. When fourteen years of
age he accompanied his parents to the United States, locating in Indiana, where
he lived until about nineteen, when he ran away from home and joined a company
with which he crossed the plains to Oregon about 1854. He served for five years
as wagon master for General Hancock, who blazed a trail across the western
country. Later he formed a partnership with a Mr. Crawford and established a
freight transport from Boise, Idaho, west, which he conducted until the advent
of railroads, and when his daughter, Mrs. Jones, was about six weeks old, he
located in Union, Union county, Oregon, where they lived a number of years. Mr.
Creighton later engaged in the cattle business in Wallowa county. His wife, who
was born in Illinois, died in 1920. Her father, David McCully, came to Oregon
and located in Salem in 1852, soon afterward moving to Harrisburg. On coming
west he had first settled in California in 1849 and, liking the west, returned
east for his family, whom he brought to Oregon. On locating in Harrisburg he
opened the first store there, which was operated under the firm name of Church &
McCully, and in August, 1852, he erected the first house in that place. In 1858
he took a donation claim near Harrisburg, but in the following year he went to
Salem and, in partnership with J. L. Starkey, bought a mercantile establishment.
In 1864 he turned his attention to the river transportation business and during
the following eight years had ten steamers plying the Willamette and Columbia
rivers. In 1872 he again engaged in a general merchandise business in Salem,
which he carried on until 1875, when he retired from active affairs, excepting
that in 1886 he established a bank at Joseph, Oregon, it being the first bank in
Wallowa county. His death occurred December 2, 1906. To John and Mary Jane
Creighton were born four children, namely: Mollie, who became the wife of W. H.
Dancy, of Salem; Jessie, now Mrs. Jones; Mabel, who is unmarried and lives with
Mrs. Jones; and Rose, who died in 1900, being at that time the wife of Clyde
Raabe, who was a river captain and is now a pilot. To Mr. and Mrs. Jones were
born two children, Mary Rosalie and Creighton Benton, both of whom are at home.
 
     Mr. Jones was a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the
Order of the Eastern Star at Joseph; the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and
the Ancient Order of United Workmen at Salem and the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows at Gervais, while Mrs. Jones also is a member of the Order of the
Eastern Star. Mr. Jones took a deep interest in matters relating to the raising
of stock. In 1908 he brought the first Duroc hogs to Marion county, and was also
the first to bring the Hampshire and Tamworth breed to the county. His hogs have
taken first prize at the State Fair. He introduced the Hampshire hogs and sheep
in Wallowa county in 1907, the first that had been seen in that county. He was
secretary of the State Fair in 1915. In 1915 he was elected a member of the
state legislature from Wallowa county and two years later was elected to that
body from Marion county. He served on a number of important committees and
proved an able and effective legislator. He was the nominee of his party for
state senator in 1918 but died two days before the election. He was ready at all
times to use his influence for the promotio of such public measures as were
conducive to the welfare of his fellowmen and there was not another man in his
community who was held in higher esteem, for he was open-hearted and
straightforward in manner, a man of sound and discriminating judgment, and
cordial and friendly in his social relations.

     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in July 2017 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.