Richard Jones, Sr

Richard Jones Sr. was the son of Elisha and Margaret Talbot Jones. He was born in Warren Township, Ohio on January 1, 1836. He was the third child in a large family of 14 children.

In 1848 with his parents and siblings he started west, arriving at Council Bluffs, Iowa where they remained two years. It was here that he and his family embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In 1850, when he was just 14, his family and many other emigrants joined the Aaron Johnson Company to cross the plains. Upon their arrival in Utah, they took up their abode in Salt Lake County, where they resided three years, afterwards moving to Provo, Utah. It was here on December 12, 1855 that he married Mary Jane Cummings, daughter of John and Rachel Canada Cummings.

Not much is known about this man and his wife other than they experienced many hardships in the early formative years of Heber Valley when it was first called Provo Valley, and were with the very first company who came and brought their families with them with the intention of making homes and trying to raise grain and potatoes in the climate. The people of Provo City had used the Heber Valley as a summer herding ground for some years, and there had been a little hay cut and a few head of cattle fed through the winter of 1858.

In the spring of 1859 some 17 families came to the Heber Valley, when it was first called Provo Valley, determined to establish homes where the land and water were ready to be used by those who had the courage to risk raising crops; where the seasons were known to be very, very short, and winter meant that those who came were practically shut in from December to April. This was the condition that Richard Jones Sr. and his wife Mary Jane Cummings and their young family were faced with.

A survey of what was called the big field had been made. These pioneers such as Richard and Mary brought their plows and a few farming implements with them and went to work on their claims. These claims were usually 20 acres each. The land was not surveyed into sections by the government until about 1875, or 16 years later. They had only what was called squatters rights to their land up until it was surveyed.

Richard was elected Sheriff of Wasatch County in 1868, serving the people in that capacity continuously since that time until 1893, with the exception of one term beginning in 1883, making in all about twenty-three years that the people chose him as their servant in the responsible position and office of sheriff.

His last sickness was of short duration, lasting but a week, but the grip of pneumonia fastened its hold upon him, which eventually resulted in his death November 13, 1895. Funeral services were held in the Heber City Stake House; he was later laid to rest in the Heber City Cemetery on November 15, 1895.

• Emigration: with his parents and siblings he started west, arriving at Council Bluffs, Iowa where they remained two years. It was here that he and his family embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. - 1848
• Emigration: just 14, his family and many other emigrants joined the Aaron Johnson Company to cross the plains. Upon their arrival in Utah, they took up their abode in Salt Lake County, where they resided three years - 1850
• Emigration: his family moving to Provo, Utah - 1853
• Emigration: 17 families came to the Heber Valley, when it was first called Provo Valley, determined to establish homes where the land and water were ready to be used by those who had the courage to risk raising crops - 1859
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Mar 28 2016, 4:04:19 UTC