The town of Jonesville, Michigan was named after him as he helped take the area out of the wilderness.He had 7 boys and 1 girl. From MICHIGAN PLACE NAMES Pg 295 from Michigan History 32:78 1948 by Vivian Lyon Moore." Jonesville, Hillsdale County- Benaiah Jones from Painesville, Ohio,land-looked here in 1828 with his brother Edmund, bought the land in 1829, surveyed in 1830 and plotted the village named for him in 1831. The first plotted villiage in the County and the first County Seat. Elsha P. Champlin became the first postmaster 21 Jan 1841; a station on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, incorporated as a village in 1855 ---------------------------------------------------------------- From 150 YEARS IN THE HILLS AND DALES VOL1 The first white family in the area was that of Capt. Moses Allen a veteran of the War of 1812. He brought his young wife and children and located . The Indian Chief Bay Breese cordially invited him into the area. The next to arrive was Benaiah Jones and family and settled at the junction of the trail and the St. Joseph River These families probably would not have survived if it had not been for the Indian Chief providing food ect. If fact Captain Allen died and the Indian provided his young bride and children with food and aid. Records show Benaiah in Painesville in 1810 . While there he and his wife, Lois Old, had 5 sons. Soon another son was born in Jonesville. The friendly Indians undoubtedly kept them from starving the first winter. On June 8, 1829 the land was opened for homesteads and Benaiah, Edmund and Capt. Allen filed their claims. In the fall of 1829, Capt. Allen died of hardship and exposure. Benaiah Jones whip sawed a coffin from a black cherry log and buried him on his farm. Between 1829 and 1833 eight of his brothers , sisters and brother-in-laws with their families as well as his aged father moved to the Jonesville area. Benaiah opened a tavern called Block Hall in Jonesville on the Chicago Trail. They added on and it became an ample hostelry. By 1836 there was an almost continual line of wagons going to western Michigan and northern Indiana. PG.217- It is not surprising the Benaiah Jones's relatives found him too busy for peace or repose. Aside from providing for his family he acted as host for all who passes his door. He filled the office of Justice of Peace as had his father before him at Painesville. He was the first postmaster of Jonesville , the mail being brought on horseback from Detroit. He owned a stage line between Tecumseh and Coldwater. His home was the county polling place and the scene of all political events including the first town meeting at which every voter in the County were present and held office, some as many as two or three. He superintended the letting of the Chicago Road contract west from Jonesville. he was a competent carpenter, Joiner, surveyor and civil engineer. He was ever in demand. He gave one room in his house as a school room, hired and boarded teachers. He looked upon Jonesville as his plantation and exercised a general supervision over every aspect of the development. Some of the businesses cost him a lot of money but were continued for the good of the town. For instance, he ran a stage and mail line which involved 30 horses and coaches for the 45 mile run which returned him half what it cost him. With peculiar perspicacity Mr. Jones reasoned that the future county must have a capitol, and that there must be a village to receive the honor. Consequently, the founding of the village was in his mind from the moment of his arrival. in 1830, he plotted and surveyed a portion of section 4. In 1831 he recorded it under the name of Jonesville, by which the area was already popularly known. In 1835, Jonesville was enlarged by the addition of the James addition, Fulfilling Benaiah's hopes and complying with the commissioner's recommendation. Governor Glass established the County Seat at Jonesville and there it remained until 1843 when the larger and more centrally located town of Hillsdale became the County Seat. The first ball in Jonesville was held in Jones' Tavern. There was a lot of loneliness and dancing was a pleasant relief. Vol 1 pg 99 In the month of June 1828, about the third wagon to go over the Chicago Military Road was the team and family of Benaiah Jones Jr. the first settler of Fayette township. Mr Jones built a log house on the south side of the trail on the higher ground on the west side of the St. Joseph River.A son James Jones, born in June 1930 was the first white child born in Jonesville and also was the first who died in 1831 and was buried there. Fayette Township's first school was held in a bedroon of the Fayette House, a block and frame building erected by Benaiah Jones Jr. in 1831-32 to accommodate travelers. Mr Jones was also proprietor of a stage-line running over the Chicago-Detroit route. The Jonesville Post office was established in March 1829 with Benaiah Jones as the first postmaster. The first person buried at the new located cemetery was James Jones son of Benaiah Jones who had died in the fall of 1831. .------------------------------------------------------------- From THE HILLSDALE COUNTY COMPENDIUM by Mr. Reynolds. Immediately after the opening of the Chicago Road Jonesville daily had the appearance of a pioneer camp. All around the little log house of entertainment where Benaiah and Lois Jones made so comfortable a welcome as to cause the wayworn travelors to often forget the experiences in the tangled undergrowth and deep mires, White topped wagons were thickly packed together and the men, women and children engaged in earnest conversation. ---------------------------------------------------------------- More from 150 YEARS IN THE HILLS AND DALES. Vol 1 The peace of the settlement was interrupted by the Black Hawk uprising and every one responded. When Major Benaiah Jones received the call from General Brown at 4 o'clock in the afternoon of May 23, 1832, to call out his battalion and march to the defense of Chicago, it took him only until 10 O'clock the following morning to muster his three companies. One from Hillsdale County and two from Branch Counties. There was about thirty men eligible to fight in Hillsdale County, Of those going were Major Benaiah Jones, commanding, Ambrose Nicholson, his nephew, Staff officer, Edmund Jones, Quartermaster, James Olds Captain of the 2 nd Company and Dexter Olds, his brother, a Corporal When the troops reached Niles, they found that Black Hawk had been captured and the war was at an end. The Indians in Hillsdale County remained friendly but were ordered to go to a Kansas Reservation. They resisted but were forced by soldiers to leave. Pg 218 About 1835 Benaiah and his eldest son. Croesus, decided to go to Texas. They ran out of money on the lower Mississippi and he started building boats at $ 100.00 each and living in the brush. Then in a letter dated 10 January 1835 he wrote about running the rivers. He eventually had two 60 foot boats which were towed up the river and then came down loaded. In Louisiana he built a large home and several buildings for a Mr. Bemen Texas was still in the war with Mexico and was not now a part of the United States but he decided to go there anyway. While there he became a spiritualist and was very devoted. In 1854 he wrote that he was looking for Leonidas and family to return and wished that Claudius would come so he could show him the good life. The feeling between the North and the South became more intense Many issues brought feeling to a white heat. Benaiah Jones's sympathy was with the North and he let everyone know. Regardless of veiled threats from his neighbors he never failed to express his convictions. Not even when his life was menaced did he falter his path. In 1863 he was captured by a posse of his political foes . An outspoken partisan to the last, he was hanged by them for his Union sentiments, sacrificing himself for his country's cause as truly as though he had died on the battlefield. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From 150 YEARS IN THE HILLS AND DALES. PAGE 103 VOL 11 - The old Indian trail from Detroit to Chicago went down what is now the main street of Jonesville. Benaiah Jones's wagon was the third to pass over the road. They went west of the home of Mr. Allen who was the first white settler in the area. They had no room in their house for another family but allowed the family to live in his corn barn.. That summer Benaiah and his eldest son built a log cabin on the site he picked for his home. In 1831 Benaiah built the block portion of the Fayette House. the first hotel. The next year a frame addition was made. He was also the proprietor of the stage coach line running over the Detroit Chicago line.. He probably operated between Tecumseh and Coldwater. He established the first school with the help of his brother-in-law, James Olds. He furnished the schoolroom and boarded teachers. In 1832, the school was held in a small bedroom of the Fayette House which he owned. In 1832 the town consisted of one log tavern ( hotel ) 4 log buildings, 1 small frame building and 2 barnes. 8 buildings in all. Page 99 Vol 2 - the Jonesville Post office was established in 1829 with Benaiah Jones Jr. as the first postmaster Page 100 Vol 2- Benaiah Jones Jr. who had gone to Texas was killed by some Confederates on account of his professed Union sentiments. Page 101 Vol 2 - The first school was opened at Jonesville in the fall of 1832 in a bedroom of the Benaiah Jones's tavern at the north west corner of Chicago and Water Streets. Page 106 Vol 2- Early Jonesville - The Hillsdale County Village dates back to the fall of 1828 when Mr. Benaiah Jones located there... This is questioned as a A. B. Markham on a business trip in 1827 says that he stopped at the home of Mr. Jones for the night. Mr. Jones started the first saw mill in the County. It consisted of a pit built on the bank of the river. Logs were rolled over the pit. One man stood on the log and the other in the pit. They then whip-sawed the log by a hand held saw.. Later James Olds and others built a saw mill in 1835. The pioneers many times in the old days received letter mailed to Fayette, Mich, the name of the Jones's hotel. The only reason that Hillsdale became the leading city was the panic of 1837. The Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad was being built and the terminus when the panic occurred was Hillsdale the end of the railroad for about 10 years. This caused Hillsdale to be a thriving town Major Jones received his military title as a member of the territorial militia for he was commander of the third brigade, second division in the famous Black Hawk uprising to serve his country, mustering one company in Hillsdale County and two in Branch County on May 23,1832. Major Jones went into the Civil War to serve his country despite the fact that he was 71 years old.. The regret of the villiage today is the fact that this hardy pioneer and distinguished resident lies in a lonely grave in the southland.. When Benaiah Jones 3 rd came to Michigan with his wife and five small children, the trail had been surveyed but was little more than marked trees. He used oxen to draw the covered wagons. they intended to stay at Wolf Lake but the demonstrations of friendly Indians were so great that they decided to go on to what in now Hillsdale Co. He has the first settler being proceeded by Capt. Moses ALLEN. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FROM TYPED SHEETS FOUND IN THE JONESVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY Some time in 1834 Benaiah Jones, taking his son, Croesus, with him started for " the Texas " not at that time a part of the United States. Two of his other sons eventually joined him there, but Keonidas returned to his native state, Benaiah and the others never again saw the thriving village they had founded. True to type, Benaiah led an adventurous existence during the years of his absence and his letters of that period of his life showed us an entirely different sort of poineering. For some reason not quite clear, Benaiah left Jonesville in 1834, somewhat under a cloud and settled in Texas. Enclosed is a copy of a copy of a letter written by him. " how to begin, or where, almost confounds me to think of; and were I not confounded perhaps you may feel as tho you could do it to me for claiming brotherly love or affection at this time. And should you consider those ties forfeited by me - I could have no grounds for complaint, neither shall I attempst an excuse for past events. It would be folly in the highest degree and should I plead repentance, that would be considered only a cloak for a rotten heart.- I can say that there may be incidents that may drive a fearless, ambitious person to almost any extremity to support himself and withstand the wrongs, injuries and even no better than robberies committed by those who had aught to be his friends.- As the scales have turned I can feel every repugnance on the part of my friends and family and for them feel every pang of heart rending sensibility for their suffering on my account. For myself I cannot mourn. You cannot imagine how much my wife has suffered. I hope God will bless her for it and give me a chance to do it too. - I have all the sympathetic feelings for my family that my mind is capable of possessing, for I believe my family to be dear to me as any parent and trust the time will soon come when I may assist them all. - I used to tell my wife that I scorned to shed a tear for my own miseries ( Nor ever I did ) but for her, my little ones, twas due " he never returned to Jonesville and his father mourned his wayward son and refused to be comforted. In 1834 he wrote " Benaiah is where I know not. His family lives with Edmund." Benaiah's sisters continued to love him loyally, though Abigail seems to have been the only one who kept up a correspondence with him. Fanny, under the date Aug.20, 1841. " We received a letter from Gillet in Texas last march. he and brother Goldsmith have seen our dear loved brother, yes ALWAYS loved. I believe that you alone appreciate my feelings to him. It kills me to think that he will never know that I even love him at all. I have begun several times writing to him but it seems as if he could never get it should I send one." During the first years of Benaiah's absence he went under the name of F. B. Mann but later went back to his own name. Pg. 247 While in Texas, Mr.Jones became a convert to the principles of spiritualism and gave to that faith the same enthusiastic support given to any of his interests. When the Civil War broke out his sympathies were all with the North and he voiced his sympathies with his usual outspoken frankness. In this way he earned the antagonism of his equally hotheaded Southern neighbors, who were the lawless class so often found in frontier settlements. Once too often did he denounce the Confederacy. In the dead of night, a posse of his political foes came to his house, dragged him outside, and, in the presence of his family, hanged him in front of his house. Thus, as a Martyr to the Union cause did he expiate. ----------------------------------------------------------------- My note- Benaiah Jones left in 1634 under clouded circumstances. This is just my idea but he had been postmaster in Jonesville and a Alexander Jones was postmaster at the time of the theft. The post offive had been in Benaiah Jones's building. This happened at the same time that Benaiah Jones left and went to Texas. Also, the Alexander Jones convicted of the theft escaped from jail one went to Texas. the below is taken from pioneer collections of the PIONEER SOCIETY of the State of Michigan Vol 1V "In the winter of 1833-34 a firm was occasionally remitting sums of money by mail to the Bank of Michigan, at Detroit, and several packages had failed to be received. Addison Smith, being postmaster, decided to mail a package and follow it up. He and Mr Lothrop took a post-bag key and at the first opportunity after passing a post office, the mail bag in the stage was opened and examined. All was right till at Jonesville, where they arrived about midnight,on opening the bag soon after leaving the hotel and postoffice, both kept by one Alexander Jones, the package was missing. ( as far as is known there was no Alexander ) They returned and taxed Jones with the theft and the case was so plain that he owned up and said that he had just paid the money to Judge Baxter. Baxter was found and with some reluctance he restored the money, but the theft of former packages of course could not be proved. Jones was taken to Detroit where the U.S. Court was in session, and in a day or two, he was convicted and sentenced. Not long after, with outside assistance, he broke jail, went to Texas and took part with the revolutionists in freeing the State from Mexico." ----------------------------------------------------------------- From 150 YEARS IN THE HILLS AND DALES VOL 1 The Jones's arrival relieved the lonliness of the Allens, gave them near neighbors and increased the County's population to 14.. The land was surveyed and ready for purchase by 1828 and on June 8, Moses Allen and the two other settlers, Benaiah Jones Jr. and Edmund Jones appeared at the Monroe Land Office. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From 150 YEARS IN THE HILLS AND DALES Vol.1 Pg 12. In June of 1828 Benaiah Jones , his wife and five sons migrated from Painesville, Ohio,to settle at the junction of the Chicago Train and the St.Joseph river. To insure less comfort to his pregnant wife and smaller boys, while he was erecting his cabin, Benaiah bespoke of Allen's aid. With true pioneer hospitality , Captain Allen offered the empty corn barn - all he had - and there the Allens lived till October. Pg 12 Benaiah Jones was more ambitious than Captain Allen. He plotted a village, which he envisioned as a county seat and built a tavern. One of his early guests wrote " Here ( at Jones's ) iI found Mrs. Jones in a small cabin with only half the floor laid no other place save Indians neared than Allen's Prairie so she said. They built a fire in one end of the cabin as there was no fireplace or chimney. Pg 12 His adventurous spirit on west to the Texas ad he called it by way of Mississippi River and New Orleans. In Texas he spent the remained of his days. He was lynched by a Texas posse for his outspoken Union sentiments during the war between the States. It is said that he gave his life for his country 's cause as truly as if he had died on the field of battle. ---------------------------------------------------------------- There is no proof that he was in the war of 1812 but in letter to Abigail Jones Goldsmith from her husband at a camp during the war leaves a doubt. The letter said that " Mr. Jones is far from being well from his wound" --------------------------------------------------------------- From PIONEER SOCIETY OF MICHIGAN - Report of counties and towns. May 23, 1832, Major B. Jones received orders from Gen. Joseph W. Brown to muster his battalion in the Third Brigade, Second DivisionM.M. May 25, present on duty: Major , Benaiah Jones, Adjutant, Enoc Chase: Quartermaster, Edmund Jones, quartermaster Sergeant Abiel Potter: staff Officer, Ambrose Nicholson. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Benaiah and Lois Jones 111 had six children live to adulthood ato an average age of 79. ---------------------------------------------------------------- I cannot put more under Benaiah 111 because of computer capacity but more is under his wife Lois #751. ----------------------------------------------------------------- YANKEE JONES DEATH CURSE- Russell Holcomb & Ralph Powers
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Benaiah Jones donated two acres of land for the Bliss, Nye Cemetery