A brief history of Grandpa Jones transcribed from a story written in 1969 by Carroll Jones as he had gathered this information from his grandfather, his uncles, and his Aunt Clara Jones.
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...Benjamin Franklin Jones's famiily moved out to Wells County, Indiana in the early days and settled on a farm which they had to clear of timber. The nearest town was Bluffton and Ft. Wayne was about 35 miles away. Benjamin was born on August 24, 1841. His siblings were named: Tom, Ed, Cornelius, Mary, and Hannah. Benjamin was only twelve years old when his father died. His first job on his own was riding race horses. He rode many horses and was considered a good horseman. His next job was at Echman's Saw Mill; and when he was eighteen years old he told his boss that he intended to be married. Mr. Echman told him to take his axe and go out where there was plenty of timber to cut down to build himself a house. Benjamin built a log house and then was married to Clarisa Barns and settled down. Two children, Will and Benjamin Jr., were born before the Civil War broke out.
...Benjamin enlisted in Company C 34th Indiana Infantry and served more that three years. His wife went to live with her folks while he was at war. Benjamin was one of the few who buried the dead after each battle. He dug trenches and laid the blue and gray uniforms side by side in the trenches, then covered them with dirt. When he was discharged he had granulated lids of the eyes and became blind for a few months. After his recovery he moved his family to Paris, Illinois. Three more children were born: Rosella, David, and Clara.
...In 1873 he again moved his family to Allen County, Kansas where he rented a farm and put his first crop in. The grasshopper plague hit them the first year after Benjamin moved to Kansas; it made farming conditions and survival mighty tough. Relief supplies were shipped in from the east coast, Benjamin got a piece of meat and some flour. They survived and stayed in Kansas with five more children born: Mary, Walter, Alonzo, Charles, and Ralph.
...In 1883 Benjamin moved his family to Grey County, Kansas near the small town of Ingalls. Ben and his older sons had gone ahead driving 166 head of cattle, along with a hired man named Mr. Kitamiller. His wife, Clarisa, followed later with the smaller children on a train. Ben built a sod house that was their home for two years until he proved up his claim of 320 acres which after that time he built a house near Ingalls so the children could attend school.
...In the spring of 1894 Ben traded in his Ingalls home for a new wagon and a team of mules and headed back east with his family. They had not prospered in western Kansas. He settled by his son Benjamin Jr. near Turon, Kansas. The family stayed and prospered in this area of Kansas.
...In 1902 Ben Sr. (now sixty years old) and his daughter, Clara, went out to California by train prompted by his wandering drive for a better place after their house was struck by lightening. He apparently liked it there as he wrote back a few month later saying he intended on staying and that one of the boys should bring their mother out to California.
...After five long tiring days on the train Clarisa, and her son Lon, arrived at Burbank, California. As they got off the train they could see no town. A man standing nearby told them that the business buildings were just beyond the eucalyptus trees. They walked up to the highway (San Fernando Road) and then they could see the schoolhouse and the new house that Ben Sr. had built. The residence section consisted of a few houses scattered over the foothills. Ben had bought two acres at the corner of Magnolia and San Fernando Road. In 1970 the Bank of America building stood where Ben had built his house in Burbank.
...Ben and Clarisa remained in California the remainder of their lives building and moving to a house on the corner of Keneth Road and Tujunga in Burbank.
===============================
...Benjamin Franklin Jones's famiily moved out to Wells County, Indiana in the early days and settled on a farm which they had to clear of timber. The nearest town was Bluffton and Ft. Wayne was about 35 miles away. Benjamin was born on August 24, 1841. His siblings were named: Tom, Ed, Cornelius, Mary, and Hannah. Benjamin was only twelve years old when his father died. His first job on his own was riding race horses. He rode many horses and was considered a good horseman. His next job was at Echman's Saw Mill; and when he was eighteen years old he told his boss that he intended to be married. Mr. Echman told him to take his axe and go out where there was plenty of timber to cut down to build himself a house. Benjamin built a log house and then was married to Clarisa Barns and settled down. Two children, Will and Benjamin Jr., were born before the Civil War broke out.
...Benjamin enlisted in Company C 34th Indiana Infantry and served more that three years. His wife went to live with her folks while he was at war. Benjamin was one of the few who buried the dead after each battle. He dug trenches and laid the blue and gray uniforms side by side in the trenches, then covered them with dirt. When he was discharged he had granulated lids of the eyes and became blind for a few months. After his recovery he moved his family to Paris, Illinois. Three more children were born: Rosella, David, and Clara.
...In 1873 he again moved his family to Allen County, Kansas where he rented a farm and put his first crop in. The grasshopper plague hit them the first year after Benjamin moved to Kansas; it made farming conditions and survival mighty tough. Relief supplies were shipped in from the east coast, Benjamin got a piece of meat and some flour. They survived and stayed in Kansas with five more children born: Mary, Walter, Alonzo, Charles, and Ralph.
...In 1883 Benjamin moved his family to Grey County, Kansas near the small town of Ingalls. Ben and his older sons had gone ahead driving 166 head of cattle, along with a hired man named Mr. Kitamiller. His wife, Clarisa, followed later with the smaller children on a train. Ben built a sod house that was their home for two years until he proved up his claim of 320 acres which after that time he built a house near Ingalls so the children could attend school.
...In the spring of 1894 Ben traded in his Ingalls home for a new wagon and a team of mules and headed back east with his family. They had not prospered in western Kansas. He settled by his son Benjamin Jr. near Turon, Kansas. The family stayed and prospered in this area of Kansas.
...In 1902 Ben Sr. (now sixty years old) and his daughter, Clara, went out to California by train prompted by his wandering drive for a better place after their house was struck by lightening. He apparently liked it there as he wrote back a few month later saying he intended on staying and that one of the boys should bring their mother out to California.
...After five long tiring days on the train Clarisa, and her son Lon, arrived at Burbank, California. As they got off the train they could see no town. A man standing nearby told them that the business buildings were just beyond the eucalyptus trees. They walked up to the highway (San Fernando Road) and then they could see the schoolhouse and the new house that Ben Sr. had built. The residence section consisted of a few houses scattered over the foothills. Ben had bought two acres at the corner of Magnolia and San Fernando Road. In 1970 the Bank of America building stood where Ben had built his house in Burbank.
...Ben and Clarisa remained in California the remainder of their lives building and moving to a house on the corner of Keneth Road and Tujunga in Burbank.
A brief history of Grandpa Jones transcribed from a story written in 1969 by Carroll Jones as he had gathered this information from his grandfather, his uncles, and his Aunt Clara Jones.
===============================
...Benjamin Franklin Jones's famiily moved out to Wells County, Indiana in the early days and settled on a farm which they had to clear of timber. The nearest town was Bluffton and Ft. Wayne was about 35 miles away. Benjamin was born on August 24, 1841. His siblings were named: Tom, Ed, Cornelius, Mary, and Hannah. Benjamin was only twelve years old when his father died. His first job on his own was riding race horses. He rode many horses and was considered a good horseman. His next job was at Echman's Saw Mill; and when he was eighteen years old he told his boss that he intended to be married. Mr. Echman told him to take his axe and go out where there was plenty of timber to cut down to build himself a house. Benjamin built a log house and then was married to Clarisa Barns and settled down. Two children, Will and Benjamin Jr., were born before the Civil War broke out.
...Benjamin enlisted in Company C 34th Indiana Infantry and served more that three years. His wife went to live with her folks while he was at war. Benjamin was one of the few who buried the dead after each battle. He dug trenches and laid the blue and gray uniforms side by side in the trenches, then covered them with dirt. When he was discharged he had granulated lids of the eyes and became blind for a few months. After his recovery he moved his family to Paris, Illinois. Three more children were born: Rosella, David, and Clara.
...In 1873 he again moved his family to Allen County, Kansas where he rented a farm and put his first crop in. The grasshopper plague hit them the first year after Benjamin moved to Kansas; it made farming conditions and survival mighty tough. Relief supplies were shipped in from the east coast, Benjamin got a piece of meat and some flour. They survived and stayed in Kansas with five more children born: Mary, Walter, Alonzo, Charles, and Ralph.
...In 1883 Benjamin moved his family to Grey County, Kansas near the small town of Ingalls. Ben and his older sons had gone ahead driving 166 head of cattle, along with a hired man named Mr. Kitamiller. His wife, Clarisa, followed later with the smaller children on a train. Ben built a sod house that was their home for two years until he proved up his claim of 320 acres which after that time he built a house near Ingalls so the children could attend school.
...In the spring of 1894 Ben traded in his Ingalls home for a new wagon and a team of mules and headed back east with his family. They had not prospered in western Kansas. He settled by his son Benjamin Jr. near Turon, Kansas. The family stayed and prospered in this area of Kansas.
...In 1902 Ben Sr. (now sixty years old) and his daughter, Clara, went out to California by train prompted by his wandering drive for a better place after their house was struck by lightening. He apparently liked it there as he wrote back a few month later saying he intended on staying and that one of the boys should bring their mother out to California.
...After five long tiring days on the train Clarisa, and her son Lon, arrived at Burbank, California. As they got off the train they could see no town. A man standing nearby told them that the business buildings were just beyond the eucalyptus trees. They walked up to the highway (San Fernando Road) and then they could see the schoolhouse and the new house that Ben Sr. had built. The residence section consisted of a few houses scattered over the foothills. Ben had bought two acres at the corner of Magnolia and San Fernando Road. In 1970 the Bank of America building stood where Ben had built his house in Burbank.
...Ben and Clarisa remained in California the remainder of their lives building and moving to a house on the corner of Keneth Road and Tujunga in Burbank.
===============================
...Benjamin Franklin Jones's famiily moved out to Wells County, Indiana in the early days and settled on a farm which they had to clear of timber. The nearest town was Bluffton and Ft. Wayne was about 35 miles away. Benjamin was born on August 24, 1841. His siblings were named: Tom, Ed, Cornelius, Mary, and Hannah. Benjamin was only twelve years old when his father died. His first job on his own was riding race horses. He rode many horses and was considered a good horseman. His next job was at Echman's Saw Mill; and when he was eighteen years old he told his boss that he intended to be married. Mr. Echman told him to take his axe and go out where there was plenty of timber to cut down to build himself a house. Benjamin built a log house and then was married to Clarisa Barns and settled down. Two children, Will and Benjamin Jr., were born before the Civil War broke out.
...Benjamin enlisted in Company C 34th Indiana Infantry and served more that three years. His wife went to live with her folks while he was at war. Benjamin was one of the few who buried the dead after each battle. He dug trenches and laid the blue and gray uniforms side by side in the trenches, then covered them with dirt. When he was discharged he had granulated lids of the eyes and became blind for a few months. After his recovery he moved his family to Paris, Illinois. Three more children were born: Rosella, David, and Clara.
...In 1873 he again moved his family to Allen County, Kansas where he rented a farm and put his first crop in. The grasshopper plague hit them the first year after Benjamin moved to Kansas; it made farming conditions and survival mighty tough. Relief supplies were shipped in from the east coast, Benjamin got a piece of meat and some flour. They survived and stayed in Kansas with five more children born: Mary, Walter, Alonzo, Charles, and Ralph.
...In 1883 Benjamin moved his family to Grey County, Kansas near the small town of Ingalls. Ben and his older sons had gone ahead driving 166 head of cattle, along with a hired man named Mr. Kitamiller. His wife, Clarisa, followed later with the smaller children on a train. Ben built a sod house that was their home for two years until he proved up his claim of 320 acres which after that time he built a house near Ingalls so the children could attend school.
...In the spring of 1894 Ben traded in his Ingalls home for a new wagon and a team of mules and headed back east with his family. They had not prospered in western Kansas. He settled by his son Benjamin Jr. near Turon, Kansas. The family stayed and prospered in this area of Kansas.
...In 1902 Ben Sr. (now sixty years old) and his daughter, Clara, went out to California by train prompted by his wandering drive for a better place after their house was struck by lightening. He apparently liked it there as he wrote back a few month later saying he intended on staying and that one of the boys should bring their mother out to California.
...After five long tiring days on the train Clarisa, and her son Lon, arrived at Burbank, California. As they got off the train they could see no town. A man standing nearby told them that the business buildings were just beyond the eucalyptus trees. They walked up to the highway (San Fernando Road) and then they could see the schoolhouse and the new house that Ben Sr. had built. The residence section consisted of a few houses scattered over the foothills. Ben had bought two acres at the corner of Magnolia and San Fernando Road. In 1970 the Bank of America building stood where Ben had built his house in Burbank.
...Ben and Clarisa remained in California the remainder of their lives building and moving to a house on the corner of Keneth Road and Tujunga in Burbank.
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Father
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[William Erwin Jones-Grave 1] [Alonzo Jones-Grave 2] [Clara Belle Jones-Grave 3] [Benjamin F Jones father-Grave 4] [Clarrisa Barnes Jones mother-Grave 5]
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