"Portrait and Biographical Record of Portland and Vicinity, Oregon." Authors: "a
compilation of this work....by a number of writers".  Chapman Publishing Co;
Chicago, 1903. p. 756.
 
WILLIAM B. JONES

     Randolph county, Ind., was the scene of the early life of Mr. Jones, his
birth occurring there in the year 1823. When he was seventeen years old,
however, his father changed the family abode to Bluffton, Wells county, that
state, and there William grew to sturdy manhood, dividing his time between
assisting his father with the farm work and attending the common schools of the
vicinity of his home. At the age of twenty the desire to be independent and earn
his own livelihood became paramount, and accordingly he started out on his own
account, engaging as a farm hand. Not the least important even in the life of
Mr. Jones was his marriage, which was solemnized in the year 1843 and united his
fortunes with those of Miss Mary J. Douglass, a native of Crawford county. Pa.,
born in 1822.
     In the fall of 1851, with his family, Mr. Jones started on the long journey
across the plains with ox-teams, but when they reached Rock Island decided to
spend the winter there. Resuming the journey in the spring of 1852, the next six
months were spent in reaching their destination. The first year Mr. Jones was
engaged in logging on the Columbia Slough, and later, in the fall of 1853, he
located upon his present farm near Gresham. Taking up three hundred and twenty
acres of donation claim land from the government he at once began its
improvement, clearing it of the heavy forest with which it was covered. He
subsequently built a cabin of round logs 14x16 feet in dimensions, and this is
still standing, a monument to his early pioneer work. This was the family abode
for a number of years,  but as he was prospered be built a more commodious
residence, the one in which he now resides. He has disposed of a portion of the
original claim of three hundred and twenty acres and now has only sixty acres in
the tract surrounding the homestead. He and his wife became the parents of
eleven children, only four of whom are living: Elizabeth, the widow of A. J.
Stafford; Matilda, the wife of D. S. Dunbar of Fairview; Austin, who married
Ella Bony; and Amanda, who became the wife of George Shirts. In politics Mr.
Jones is a stanch Republican believing thoroughly in the principles of that
party. During the early days of his residence here he rendered valuable
assistance in laying out the roads and helped build the first log school house
in the district, donating one acre of ground for a school site.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in July 2009 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.