Jones Family Papers, 1832-1999 | Oberlin College Archives

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Subgroup I. Lynds Jones Papers

Series 1. Diaries, 1883-1951 (1.4 linear feet)

Consisting of two filing units: personal diaries, 1883-1951; and travel diaries, 1898-1926.  This series contains diaries kept by Lynds Jones before, during, and after his years at Oberlin College.  Information in the personal diaries includes the day-to-day activities of Lynds Jones, as well as temperature and weather data he recorded for each day of the year.  Travel diaries also exist from Lynds and Clara Jones in which is recorded their travels between 1898 and 1926--primarily to the western United States.

Series 2. Correspondence, 1896-1954 (0.2 linear feet)

The Correspondence series contains Lynds Jones' contributions to the Jones Family Circular, as well as his general correspondence from family members, ornithologists, and members of the Oberlin College administration and faculty.  Begun by his mother Lavinia Jones (d. ?) in the 1880s, the Jones Family Circular is a series of letters written by Lynds Jones and other family members that was annually circulated within the family.  The family members mostly wrote the highlights of the year and commented on the activities of other family members.  Also included here is the general correspondence of Lynds Jones covering seven decades.  The correspondence is largely from his wife Clara, but also includes letters from his son George and his brothers Burton Jones (d. ?), as well as other family members.  Of particular interest is Henry Churchill King's correspondence with Lynds Jones regarding Jones' reappointment as Associate Professor of Animal Ecology in 1908.

Series 3. Biographical Files and Genealogy, 1849-1956, 1968, 1977, 1986, n.d. (0.8 linear feet)

The biographical files includes biographical sketches and articles on Lynds Jones, various writings on ornithology authored by Jones, bird migration records, work records, material on Jones' retirement from Oberlin College in 1930, material on his Draft Board service during World War II, and material concerning the various memberships and honors that were bestowed upon Jones during his career. Family trees of the Jones and Tallmon families are also contained within the series

Series 4. Grade Books, 1895-1930 (0.2 linear feet)  (Restricted)

This series contains the grade books of Lynds Jones from his Ecology I (1920-1929) and Ornithology 2 (1929-1930) classes.  (Added to collection April 1995.)

Series 5. Wider Jones-Tallmon Family Correspondence, 1832-1956 (0.6 linear feet)

Arranged into four filing units (letters received and sent by Clara Tallmon Jones, 1873-1956, n.d.; letters received and sent by Jones family members, 1875-1926, n.d.; letters received and sent by Tallmon family members, 1854-1924, n.d.; and, miscellaneous, 1832-1835), this series contains correspondence from members of the Jones-Tallmon families.  The bulk of the series consists of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Clara Tallmon Jones.  Correspondents include her husband Lynds Jones, mother Susan Tallmon, and her siblings Margaret, Susie, and Edith.  Other significant documents are the letters received by Susan Tallmon.  Included here are letters from husband George W. Tallmon, who served in the Union Army in Vicksburg, Mississippi, between 1862 and 1863.  (Included are Confederate stamps and a bullet casing.)  Arranged alphabetically and thereunder chronologically.

Series 6. Additional Correspondence, 1880-1954 (1.8 l.f.)

This correspondence was added to the collection as part of an additional installment to the Jones Family Papers. The series contains both personal and professional correspondence of Lynds and Clara Jones, as well as correspondence with colleagues concerning the Wilson Ornithological Club. It includes correspondence with Althea Sherman, an Oberlin graduate and ornithologist who was the first to observe and document the life cycle of chimney swifts.

Series 7. Financial and Property Records (Sample), 1892, 1901, 1905, 1919, 1923-1954, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)

Contains financial and property records for Lynds Jones and family. Also includes the will of Lynds Jones, dated 1951-52.

Series 8. Writings and Notes, 1886-1930, 1944, 1947, 1959, n.d. (1.4 l.f.)

The writings and notes series primarily relates to Lynds Jones’ professional ornithological work as it mostly contains research materials (data sheets and field studies), and articles (drafts and published copies) of the professor’s. Also found here are the personal writings and public speeches of Clara Tallmon Jones, as well as a small amount of miscellaneous writings of others.

Series 9. Artifacts, c. 1890-1920 (0.2 l.f.)

The artifacts series holds bird feather specimens collected by Lynds Jones.

Subgroup II. George Jones

Series 1. Biographical and Family History, 1983, 1986  (2.0 linear feet)

Contains the chronicles of two members of the Jones Family that were written by George Jones.  The first chronicle is entitled, "The Chronicle of Lynds Jones of Oberlin College".  Written in 1983, this chronicle contains very detailed information on the life of Lynds Jones during his years in Oberlin.  Background information is also provided regarding his childhood and young adult life in Grinnell, Iowa.  One folder of black and white photographs of Lynds Jones and his family are also included with the chronicle.  The second chronicle, "Reminiscences of Marcus Eugene Jones," written in 1986, provides a brief synopsis of the life of Marc Jones, the elder brother of Lynds Jones. Other materials relating to George Jones found here include his correspondence with Professors Cowles and Kraus from the University of Chicago, as well as miscellaneous documents concerning Mr. Jones’ education and marriage to Mary Burwell Jones. Biographical files of Mary Burwell Jones are also stored in this series; the materials include a birth certicate and teaching contracts, as well as various Burwell family histories. Several documents of a similar nature also exist here for Frances Burwell Jones.

Series 2. Autobiography, 1970-1991  (2.2 linear feet)

Written in several stages, the "Autobiography of George Tallmon Jones", documents the day-to-day activities of George Jones from his early childhood, up to the time of his last written draft which was in 1991.  The autobiography provides information on the family of George Jones and their life experiences in the town of Oberlin.  One folder of photographs of George Jones as a young man is also included in this series.

Series 3. Correspondence, 1835-1979, n.d.  (0.8 linear feet)

This series is divided into three subseries: 1. Family Correspondence, 2. Former Student Correspondence, and 3. General Correspondence.  The first subseries of the represents George Jones' contributions to the Jones Family Circular.  His contributions to the Jones Family Circular cover the years 1929-1947 and are arranged chronologically.  The second subseries is made up of correspondence between the botanist and his former students. Arranged alphabetically by the former student's last name, the correspondence also contains photographs of several former students and their families.  The third subseries consists of letters and memos written to George Jones from friends and associates in the field of Botany as well as from individuals affiliated with Oberlin College.  It is also arranged alphabetically by the individual's last name.

Series 4. Writings and Notes of George T. Jones, 1900-1908, 1922-1985, n.d. (2.8 linear feet)

This series contains published and unpublished material written by George Jones during his years as both a student and teacher of botany.  Included in the series are Jones' master's thesis, "A Discussion of the Geographical Ecology of Western United States", and his 1935 doctoral thesis, "Dormancy and Leafing in White Elm (Ulmus Americana)".  Also included are lecture notes from the various botany classes that Jones taught at Oberlin College.  Topics of the lecture notes include dendrology, plant ecology and plant taxonomy.  Lastly, this series also consists of essays authored by Jones that relate to various aspects of the history of Oberlin and Oberlin College.  These essays cover topics such as: the history of science at Oberlin College, the history of transportation and utilities in Oberlin, and the history of the trees of Oberlin's Tappan Square.

Series 5.  Additional Correspondence Received, 1908-1995 (10.6 linear feet)

This correspondence was added to the collection in two installments – one in 2002 and the other in 2003. The series holds letters sent and received by George T. Jones, Mary B. Jones, Frances Jones Whitaker, and Margaret Jones Doyle, spanning the years 1908-1995 and cover both personal and professional matters. The last box in the collection holds correspondence and miscellaneous mementos regarding Lynds Arthur Jones, George and Mary Jones’ son who died a the age of 18 in 1950.

Series 6.  Diaries of George T. Jones, 1928-1996 (2.0 linear feet)

Sixty-eight volumes of George T. Jones’ personal diaries are housed in this series, covering covering most the of botanist’s lifetime in the years 1928-1996, with the exception of 1932.

Series 7. Files Relating to the Ecology Trips, 1898-1973 (2.66 linear feet)

The Summer Ecology Trips material consists of detailed written accounts of the trips, (1915, 1919-1926, 1928) in which George Jones participated with his father, Lynds Jones.  The information provided in these written accounts was taken from diaries, letters and the strong personal recollections of George Jones himself.  Photographs of these trips are also included in each of the individual written accounts.  Also included are the planning papers, related correspondence, and notebooks of Mary Burwell Jones’ notebooks.  Notecards with attached photographs document field work by student Eleanor Johnson during an Ecology Trip in 1926.  A set of 36 photographs by George Jones, previously in frames with notations on the backs, cover several Ecology Trips in the summers of 1921-26.

Series 8. Financial and Property Records (Sample), 1924, 1932-84, 1988, 1991-94, 1999 (0.6 linear feet)

The financial and property records series houses various bills, real estate documents, paycheck stubs, savings account information, insurance, and last wills and testaments of George T. Jones and his family.

Series 9. Materials Relating to Mary B. Jones, 1923, 1926-1990 (1.2 linear feet)

This series consists of several collections of writings by Mary Burwell Jones, as well as a couple of baby books for her two sons Frances Burwell and Lynds Arthur Jones.

Series 10. Photographs, ca. 1840s-60s, 1919-1991, n.d. (1.4 linear feet)

The photographic series is made up of family photographs and includes visual documentation of Jones, Tallmon, Burwell, Simpkins, Jewett, and Gillet family members and events. The cased images (daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes) are in small boxes. Photographs are held in envelopes as well as photo albums (8 vols).

Series 11. Awards and Certificates, 1922, 1980, 1982 (0.2 linear feet)

This series contains three awards/certificates presented to George T. Jones throughout his lifetime; a certificate of affiliated membership to the First Congregational Church in 1922, an alumni award from 1980, and a community service award from 1982.

Series 12. Artifacts, 1935 (0.2 linear feet)

The lone item house in the George Jones artifacts series is a Ph.D. hood from Universty of Chicago, 1935.

Subgroup III. Other Family Members

Series 1. Publius Jones Diary, 1865  (0.02 linear feet)

The diary of Publius Jones contains entries on the birth of Publius Jones' son Lynds Jones and on the family's move to Grinnell, Iowa in the Spring of 1865.

Series 2. Shurtleff/Burton Correspondence, 1835-1944  (0.02 linear feet)

Consists of letters written to various members of the Shurtleff and Burton families.  Includes one letter that is addressed to Lavinia Burton Howard from her mother concerning the death of Lavinia's first husband.

Series 3. Missionary Letters, 1839-1844  (0.08 linear feet)

Consists of letters written by young missionaries to India.  The majority of these letters were written by a young missionary named Mary Burgess to her parents who lived in Millbrook, Connecticut.  Mary Burgess died of Cholera in 1842, and her husband Edwin died two years later.  These letters were given to Mary Burton Shurtleff after their deaths.  Mary Burgess is thought by some members of the Jones Family to be the aunt of Mary Shurtleff.

Series 4. Scrapbook of Mary Burton Shurtleff (copy), 1888-1922  (0.08 linear feet)

Series consists of photocopied news clippings, articles, and obituary notices,largely taken from the UOberlin on various members of the Shurtleff, Burton, and Jones families, which were kept by Mary Burton Shurtleff as a scrapbook.  Also included are news clippings on Oberlin College.

Series 5. Harold C. Jones, 1880-1913, 1956, 1966, 1976-77, n.d. (0.04 linear feet)

Contains biographical materials, family photographs, films, and correspondence of Harold C. Jones, brother of George Tallmon Jones. A scrapbook (1880-1913) of clippings, stories, and illustrations made from a Congressional Record book is also housed here.

Series 6. Shurtleff and Burton Families (Additional materials received), 1853-1863, 1880-1891, 1901, 1923, n.d. (0.04 linear feet)

The series consists of Shurtleff and Burton family mementos. The items include an autobiography and diary of Mary Burton, as well as the correspondence of several family members. Please consult the inventory for a listing of family member correspondence.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

For over a century, the Jones Family has figured prominently in the life of the Oberlin community. The first member of the Jones family to settle permanently in Oberlin was Lynds Jones (b. 1865), the son of Publius Virgilius Jones. Coming from a long line of Puritan/New England stock, Lynds Jones was born on January 5, 1865 in Jefferson, Ohio. He was the third youngest in a family of eight. When he was only three months old, the Jones family moved to a farm outside of Grinnell, Iowa. It was here that Lynds Jones first became interested in the study of birds and their migration. His formal study of birds began in 1886 at Grinnell College (formerly known as Iowa College), near the family home. Lynds Jones' studies at Grinnell were often interrupted by farm chores in the spring and fall. Here also Lynds Jones, along with other individuals interested in the study of nature (including future wife Clara Tallmon), founded the Agassiz Association in 1886. Subsequently, in 1888 Lynds Jones would establish the Wilson Bulletin, an Oberlin-based journal devoted to ornithology (the scientific study of birds), of which he became the first editor. He was also one of the founders of the Wilson Ornithological Club, for which he later served as President from 1927 to 1929.

On the recommendation of his half-uncle Giles Waldo Shurtleff (1831-1904), then treasurer of Oberlin College, Lynds Jones transferred from Grinnell College to Oberlin College in 1890. He received his A.B. degree from Oberlin in 1892. Later that same year he married Clara Tallmon, the daughter of George Washington Tallmon of Grinnell, Iowa. Shortly after receiving his degree, Lynds Jones began teaching Oberlin students in private, non-credit classes in ornithology. Three years later in 1895, a course in ornithology was finally accepted by the General Faculty into the college curriculum.  Oberlin College was the first college in the United States to offer coursework in ornithology. One of his great sponsors was Althea Sherman, Class of 1874, who pushed for an academic chair in ornithology.

The teaching career of Lynds Jones at Oberlin College covered six decades. Beginning as an assistant in Geology and Zoology in 1892, Lynds Jones was appointed as an Instructor in the college's Zoology Department in 1899. In 1905, Jones was elevated to Associate Professor after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Three years later he became Associate Professor of Animal Ecology, and he rose to the rank of Professor in 1922.

Although he retired in 1930, Lynds Jones continued his affiliation with Oberlin College by serving as Emeritus Professor until his death in 1951. In addition to his teaching duties, Lynds Jones also served Oberlin College as both Assistant Curator and later, Curator of the College's Zoological Museum. Jones, as the ornithologist, is also well-remembered for the series of summer ecology trips he led with his wife, Clara.

Beginning in 1915 and continuing into the 1920s, Jones’ credit-based expeditions were designed to give his students a basic understanding of the ecology of the Western United States. (Note: The College Archives holds a number of the paper projects produced by the students.) He is also to be remembered as one of the pioneers who taught in the field of ecology.

Aside from his teaching duties and curatorial work at Oberlin College, Lynds Jones was actively involved in a number of other activities related to his devotion of the study of birds. In 1902, Jones prepared a revised catalogue of the "Birds of Ohio." It was later revised at the solicitation of the Ohio Academy of Science. His writings, which numbered in the hundreds, often appeared in the Wilson Bulletin and in other prominent publications dealing with ornithology. During different summer sessions, Jones taught at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and at the Ohio State Lake Laboratory in Sandusky, Ohio. Jones for many years also served for the U.S. Biological Survey by making annual observations and reports on birds in the district in which he was living. His study of birds in all of the forty-eight states on the U.S mainland, as well as in Puerto Rico and five Canadian provinces, made him one of the foremost authorities in ornithology in North America.

Both before and during his retirement from Oberlin College, Lynds Jones played an active role in the civic life of the town of Oberlin. He served on the town council and was a member of various special committees. Jones was also chairman of the Oberlin School Board and a trustee of the local Pleasant View Tuberculosis Sanatorium. During the Second World War, Jones served as the chairman of the Selective Service Board and was later awarded a medal for his honorable service. Lynds Jones, active in the First Congregational Church of Oberlin: he served both as treasurer and deacon. In his spare time he enjoyed playing a round of golf at the Oberlin Golf Club.

In 1892, Lynds Jones married Clara Tallmon (1868-1956). Clara, the daughter of George W. and Susan Tallmon of Grinnell, Iowa, met Lynds while a member of the Agassiz Association. Clara shared a strong interest in the natural sciences with Lynds, and in later years, would often accompany her husband on ecology trips with Oberlin College students. Five children were born of the Jones-Tallmon marriage, four of whom attended Oberlin College: Lynds Leo (1893-1952), Theodore Burton (1896-1908), George Tallmon (1897-1998, 1920 A. B.), Beth (1899-?), and Harold Charles (1903-1994, 1928 A.B.).

For nearly all of his career at Oberlin College, Lynds Jones and his family lived almost exclusively in Oberlin. One of their first homes was located at 160 North Professor Street. After briefly residing in a rural farmhouse in Birmingham, the Jones family moved back to Oberlin in 1912. Their next Oberlin home was located at 143 West College Street. A few years later, they made their permanent residence at 352 West College Street, where Lynds Jones grew vegetables on a four-acre plot of land. It was here that Lynds Jones lived out his remaining days with Clara, who would outlive him by five years. During the last two years of his life, Lynds Jones was afflicted with arthritis of the lower spine. Owing to arteriosclerosis, Lynds Jones died at his home in Oberlin on February 11, 1951, at the age of eighty-six.

George Tallmon Jones, a son of Lynds and Clara Jones, represented the second generation of the Jones Family who left his imprint on both Oberlin College and the town of Oberlin. George Jones was born on August 28, 1897, in the Jones' first home in Oberlin. Much like his father before him, he also developed a deep abiding interest for nature. Although George Jones studied all aspects of nature, he concentrated his formal studies on plants and trees instead of animals.

After graduating from the Oberlin Academy in 1916, George Jones enrolled at Oberlin College where he took classes in botany under the direction of Frederick Grover and Susan P. Nichols. During America's involvement in the First World War, George Jones participated briefly in the Oberlin Student Army Training Corps (SATC). In 1920, he received his A.B. degree and began his graduate studies at Oberlin College that same year. After receiving his A.M. from Oberlin in 1923, George Jones continued his graduate work in botany at the University of Nebraska, the University of Illinois, and the University of Chicago (he would not earn his Ph.D. until 1935). He went back to Oberlin College in 1924 to serve as his father's assistant in animal ecology. In that same year he married Mary Burwell, a native of Benton Harbor, Michigan and a member of the Oberlin College Class of 1923.

The teaching career of George Jones at Oberlin College began in 1924 when the young botanist was appointed Instructor in the school's Botany Department. His fields of specializations included animal ecology, plant ecology, and plant morphology. Early in his teaching career, Jones served under Professor Frederick Grover who at the time was a noted scientist and teacher of botany. Upon obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, George Jones rose to the rank of Assistant Professor of Botany.  In 1952, George Jones became the Dascomb Professor of Botany, a position which he held until stepping down as department chairman in 1963. After 1963, George Jones continued to work for the college by serving as Emeritus Professor until the end of 1968. However, he continued to lead or participate in field trips conducted by David Benzing and other members of the Department of Biology. Like his father Lynds Jones, George Jones was affiliated with a number of scientific organizations. These organizations included the Ecological Society of America, Sigma Xi, and the Ohio Academy of Science, of which he was a fellow.

One of Jones' most notable achievements during his long association with Oberlin College was his work at acquiring species of plants for the Oberlin College Herbarium. As a curator of the herbarium, which was begun in 1834 by Dr. James Dascomb, George Jones collected thousands of plant specimens for the herbarium's collection. In 1973, George Jones completed a catalog that lists all of the individual species of plants in the herbarium. The catalog also provides information on where each of the plants can be found in Ohio and its individual counties. Aside from his important contributions to the herbarium, George Jones was known for his popular "Sunday Afternoon" field trips in and around Oberlin. Beginning in the 1940s and continuing into the 1990s, Jones conducted field trips every Sunday for both students and individuals interested in learning about tree and plant life in the local area.

During his years at Oberlin College, George Jones, his wife Mary Burwell (b. 1900) and his children Frances Burwell (b. 1926)  Margaret Susan (b. 1928), and Lynds Arthur (1932-1950), resided at the home located at 322 West College Street. While living in Oberlin, George Jones was affiliated with the First Congregational Church in Oberlin. Among his many activities was his service as church treasurer for a number of years. The hobbies and non-professional interests of this botanist included traveling, ecological photography, and playing handball.

During his fourth decade of retirement, George Jones remained active in the civic and academic life of the town that he lived in for one hundred years. Included among these was collecting plant material for the herbarium, assisting biology students in the labs, and conducting tours of the trees of Tappan Square during commencement/reunion weekends. Well-liked and admired by many Oberlin College students and residents through the years, George Jones was a living repository of local, botanical and academic history. In August 1997 he celebrated two milestones: he became a centenarian and he celebrated seventy-three years of marriage with Mary.

After a short illness, George Jones died on 3 March 1998 and was buried at Birmingham Cemetery in Birmingham, Ohio. His body was later moved to the Westwood Cemetery in Oberlin.

The Jones family of Oberlin has family ties with two other prominent families: the Shurtleff family of Oberlin, and the Burton family of Jefferson, Ohio. Mary Burton Shurtleff (1836-1924), teacher, temperance organizer, and the wife of Civil War hero and Oberlin College Professor Giles Waldo Shurtleff (1831-1904), was the daughter of the Congregational minister and Jefferson, Ohio resident William Burton. William Burton had another daughter named Lavinia Burton Howard from a previous marriage. It was this daughter of William Burton's who married Publius Jones, the father of Lynds Jones. Mary Burton Shurtleff is thus the aunt of Lynds Jones. Mary Shurtleff's brother Theodore Burton, an Oberlin College alumnus and a well-known U.S. Senator in the early twentieth century, was the uncle of Lynds Jones. Mary Burton Shurtleff lived in Oberlin until her death in 1924. Theodore Burton died five years later in Washington, D.C.

SOURCES CONSULTED

Former faculty, Staff and Trustee Files (RG 28): Lynds and George T. Jones

Jones Family Papers (RG 30/107)     

    Subgroup I. Lynds Jones Papers

          Series 3: Biographical sketches and articles

    Subgroup II. George Jones Papers

          Series 1. "The Chronicle of Lynds Jones of Oberlin College”

          Series 2. "Autobiography of George Tallmon Jones”