Nevada Genealogy Trails Storey County Robert Jones Biography

ROBERT JONES, who died October 11, 1903, was one of the honored pioneers of the great west, and his identification with the Pacific coast country covers a half century. He was born on the 25th of October, 1830, in Shropshire, England, and the years of his boyhood and youth were passed there. He was a young man of twenty-three years when he made his way to California, crossing the plains from the eastern portion of the country. He walked from Salt Lake City to the Golden state, a distance of five hundred miles, accomplishing the journey in seven and one-half days. Seven young men started together, but Mr. Jones and two of his companions were the only ones who reached California at that time. At the sink of the Humboldt there was a trading post, and they tried to buy food, but found that no suppies could be obtained save whisky, and they gave one dollar a pint for this. Each one of them drank a pint, it being two waters to one whisky. They also succeeded in getting a pint of flour, which Mr. Jones made into "slap-jacks." One of the men took his cakes out when they were baked on only one side, but the others waited to have theirs baked on both sides.

At length Mr. Jones arrived in California and was engaged in mining in Rabbitt creek, where he met with prosperity. Subsequently he returned to the east by way of the water route, thence made his way to England in order to bring his parents to the new world. It was their intention to travel by water from St. Louis to California, but the mother died in St. Louis and was laid to rest in a cemetery there. The father died when only one day off on the Mississippi, and thus fate prostrated the plans of Mr. Jones in providing for his parents in the new world. During his visit in England, however, he had been married in 1857 to Miss Jane Williams, who was born in Shropshire, England, and they came to the Eldorado of the west, journeying across the plains. They brought with them two ox teams and two wagons and six head of cows, and for two years they remained in California, but in 1859 removed to Virginia City, Nevada.

Mr. Jones also took with him a few head of cattle and some oxen to Virginia City. The town had just been established and the habitations of the people were largely tents. Mr. Jones and his wife spent the winter in one of these canvas affairs and experienced all the hardships and privations of pioneer life, although they were more fortunate than some of their neighbors. They had brought with them a ton of flour, a sack of coffee, rice, bacon and a box of candles. At Virginia City they met a man who owned a cow, but had nothing to feed her, and he prevailed upon Mr. Jones to trade him food for the cow. Mr. Jones then obtained all the hay that was brought to Virginia City in order to feed his cow. Supplies of all kinds were limited because the snow lay from five to ten feet deep, and before spring he lost all of his stock, save one cow and an ox. Prices were very high that spring. Flour sold for fifty dollars per fifty-pound sack, and other provisions brought equally exorbitant prices. Mr. Jones engaged in chopping wood, which he hauled with his cow and ox yoked together. He often stopped in the streets and milked the cow as she stood in the team. At one time he received two hundred and fifty dollars for hay. His wood brought from ten to fifteen dollars per cord, and he worked very hard and long in the west in order to gain a start.

However, he made money, and for twenty-five years engaged in the dairy business at Gold Hill. During the great mining excitement there he made from five hundred to one thousand dollars a month. He bought land at Steamboat from time to time until he was the owner of twenty-two hundred acres, and he and his sons engaged in operating the ranches until his son married. In the year 1889 Mr. Jones removed to Reno and occupied a pleasant home in the city.

To Mr. and Mrs. Jones were born nine children, but six of the number have passed away. The son Frank was the first boy born in Gold Hill, his natal year being 1860. He now resides in California. Emma is the widow of Robert Williams and resides with her mother, and Charles C, the youngest son, is on the ranch. Mrs. Jones is a member of the Episcppal church. Mr. Jones held membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and politically was never allied with any party, but voted for the men whom he thought best qualified for office. His life was an extremely busy one, indolence and idleness being utterly foreign to his nature, and his hard work and persistent purpose resulted in bringing to him prosperity. Like other pioneers of the great west, he bore hardships and trials, experiencing all the difficulties of making a start in a new country where there were no improvements and no advantages. It is to this class of citizens, however, that Nevada and other western states owe their development, for such men laid the foundations for the present progress and prosperity of the different western commonwealths.