The S. E. Jones Family

Facts Furnished by Jessie Jones Dolan

About 1875, when he was twenty, Sylvan Edward Jones arrived here, headed west from his native Arkansas. His total worldly goods were ten dollars and a horse. When his horse became lame, he stopped at the farm of Ike Smith. Smith gave him shelter and work on the farm. Jones agreed to take his pay when the crops came in; 1875 was a poor year for farmers and Ed Jones stayed for a second year. He saved enough to marry the widow, Cornelia Mills, and move with her and her children to Jacksonville. Jim Mills, the oldest, became a doctor, Maud married Beauregard Ragsdale and their only child, Cornelia Ragsdale Henderson, lives in Jacksonville. Ed and Cornelia reared three children. They included Ed, Jr. who practiced medicine in the Jacksonville area until his death at age 52, Mary (Young) who now lives in Palestine and Frank who died in 1966.

When Ed and Cornelia "moved to town" Ed started his first business venture—a saloon on South Bolton, near Commerce. Great big Ed extended too much credit and lost his business. It was then he started his farming and real estate investments. When Cornelia died, Ed had small children to raise. He had a roving eye for the newly-widowed, Mary Etta Lane Wright.

Mary came from a very old family of early settlers, which included the Hall and Walton families, who arrived from Virginia in the 1830s. They were great friends of Sam Houston. Others in Mary's family included the Rev. Isham Lane and his wife, who moved to this area from Tennessee after their son, Drury, had come to Texas. The Rev. Lane brought a lad of seventeen, Horatio Gates, who later married Sarah Elizabeth Virginia Hall. Horatio taught school in Rusk, and read law in Stephen Hogg's office. Horatio later became a captain in the Confederate Army with Hood's Texas Brigade.

Horatio and Elizabeth had twelve children, including Mary, who married prosperous Joe Wright for whom Joe Wright School is named. They had no children, and she was a young woman when Joe died.

Ed Jones and Mary were married and built a stately Victorian home on North Bonner Street, moving into the home in 1904. Ed continued to invest in real estate and maintained several farms. At one time, he owned most of the downtown business property in Jacksonville. Their only child is Jessie Jones Dolan, who now lives in Jacksonville. Ed Jones died in 1932, and Mary Jones passed away about one year later.

Jessie's family includes Merle Gragard, Jr., who lives in Houston and has two sons. In 1934, Jessie married Edwin P. Dolan and in 1935 the twins, Mike and Pat, were born. Mike lives in Jacksonville and has three children. Pat lives in Austin and has one child. Ed Dolan died a number of years ago.

S. E. Jones home on N. Bonner was built in 1904.

License #40 in the county for 1913. This was the first Cadillac in Jacksonville. It was delivered by G. W. Kiesow, who remained in Jacksonville and opened a garage.

Mary Jones, her sister, Clara Lane, and little Jessie

Ed Jones and horse and buggy

The first sedan in Jacksonville, a Ford and Jessie's own car at age 14. The boys called it "The Showcase."