The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-08-18
In MEMORIAM.
DIED,

DIED.
| JONES.-Iu this city on Thursday morning Aug
nth 1881, BENJAMIN JONES, Esq., in the S7th
| year OF his age.
BENJAMIN JOINS, familiary known to almost
| every person in this county a. Uncle Ben, I"
died last Thursday morning at AS at tbs
| residence Of his con, Hon. A. D. Jones, in thi.
city after lingering illness Of over two years.
Mr. Jones was the founder Of the city Of Man
itowoo and one Of the early settlers Of Chicago.
| He vas born in the state Of Massachusetts
July "a, 1895, aud was, at the time Of his
death, in the s1th year Of his age. When a
child, his father moved to the state Of New
York, taking his family with him, but soon
| after died, leaving young Benjamin almost
alone in the world to take care of himself at
the tender age Of 10 years. AT the age Of 16
til the end Of the war. When about 80 years
of age he was married, at Pendleton, Niagara
county, n. Y, to Miss Electa Smith, a sister of
Hon. Perry P. Smith, now of this city. By
her he had twelve children, only three of
whom are living.
In the year 1888 he moved with his family,
then consisting of wife and four children,
to Chicago, taking with him small stock of
groceries. He sailed from Buffalo on the
schooner United States in the latter part of
the Summer of 1888, and arrived off Chicago
in the month of October, having been six
weeks on the passage. The vessel came to
anchor off the mouth of the river, then mere
creek, with no pretentions toward harbor,
and Mr.. Jones went on shore to secure tenn
porary place for his family to reside until he
could provide permanent home for them
During the night terrible storm arose, and
in the morning nothing could be seen of the
vessel which contained all of his earthly treas
ures. After vain search for several days he
came to the conclusion that the vessel had
gone to the bottom, which however, luckily
proved not to be the case. The vessel was
torn from her moorings by the violent gale,
and was drifting onto the shore where Michi-
gan City now stands. but, by an opportune
shift of the wind, she was enabled to make
st. Joseph harbor and was saved from de-
struction. After the gale subsidized she again |
set sail for Cchieago, ARRIVING this time in
safety, bringing to Mr. Jones his family, re-
storing them, as it seemed to him, from the
dead. He Immediately set about building tor
himself house and store, choosing for a site |
South Water street, between Dearborn and |
Clark, where he did prosperous business for
several years. Chicago had then about three |
thousand inhabitants, and Mr.. Jones was one |
of its principal merchants. He also specula- |
ted some in real estate, and when he left Chi |
cage, a few years later, he had accumulated
large property. He at one time owned the |
block upon which the new custom-house now
stands, and he sold it to Capt Bigelow for
$500. Mr.. Jones was cotemporary in Chi
cago with Charles Walker, Thomas Church,
VIM. B Ogden, Geo. W. Snow, B. F. Haddock
and brother, G. S. Hubbard, Major Kinzie,
VIM. Jones, his brother and that class of old
citizens, and is among the last of them to pass
away from earth.
In June, 1886, Mr.. Jones came to Manito-
voc, then a wilderness, and purchased about
2,000acres of land where this city now stands,
and adjoining, and has spent more than 40
years of his life here. He Immediately en-
tered extensively into the lumber and milling
business, employing large number of men.
In the fall of 1887 he put up one of the first
four houses ever built in this city, and in
which his daughter Alkaline NOW the wife of
DIR. S. C. Blake late of Chicago,) was born,
she being the first white child in Manitowoc
county. The house is still standing upon the
corner of Seventh and York streets, and is
well preserved. In 1876 Mr.. Jones asso-
ciated with him Hon. Geo. Reed and Mr..
Jacob Lcups and the three projected the Lake
Michigan and Mississippi railroad, intended
to be run from Manitowoc via Neenah and
Menasha west to the Mississippi river. After
two years labor in grading, ETC., difficulty
arose between the parties, and the project was
abandoned, Mr. Jones losing thereby upward
of 100000. Every public charity of this
city or county has associated with it the name
of Benjamin Jones. Nearly, if not ALL of the
churches of this city are indebted to him for
the sites they now occupy, as is the city for
its parks and grounds for other public institu-
tons. Mr.. Jones was pres minently man of
sterling worth. His life and career has been
one of assiduous industry and stern integrity
Charitable to the erring, kind and generous
to the sick and needy and just to all, he won
the respect and love of all who knew him.
He was one Of Gods noblemen-an honest
man. In his long and extensive business
career here not one single spot is upon his
| record In his habits he was remarkably cor
rect. Strictly temperate, he was never adict-
ed to the use of either liquor or tobacco and
was of the highest morality
Mr. Jones was never sick until about three
years ago, when he had an attack of apoplexy,
since which time he has been absolutely help
less, and during all of which he has been
faithfully and tenderly cared for by his only
son, Hon. a. D. Jones. His three children
| now living, all reside here, the other two be-
ing Mrs. A. ]. Blake, wife of DR.. S. c.. Blake,
and Mrs. Emily j Colby, the widow of Manito-
woes first county judge. He will be mourned
| by them as kind, faithful, and indulgent
| father, and by the community as a generous,
| kind-hearted, sympathetic neighbor and pure,
| high-minded, patriotic citizen. His remains
were conveyed to Chicago for interment in
| lakewood cemetery, beside those Of his wife,
| who died in Chicago in 1859.
| CHRISTIANSEN.-In this City, Aug. 18th, BERTHA
| wife of NJ CHRISTENSEN in the Goth year of
| her nge.