By Sue Hunter Weir
James Jones
James Jones was an American success story. An Irish immigrant, he worked as a common laborer for many years. After he moved to Minneapolis, he started a boarding house which, through his hard work and effort, grew into the Minneapolis House, one of the city”'s most respectable hotels. His hotel was located at the “corner 1st and Utah,” or, or as we know it, First Street and First Avenue North. Mr. Jones died in Minneapolis on July 11, 1872, from cancer of the liver at the age of 58 years. He is buried in Lot 96, Block C near four children who, judging from their ages and when they died, were his children and grandchildren. Mary Jones died on February 4, 1863, from measles at the age of six years, four months and 20 days. Emma Jones died on February 28, 1863, from diphtheria at the age of four years, three months and 19 days. According to cemetery records, she was born in the United States. Charlie Jones died on August 25, 1873, from cholera infantum at the age of two and a-half weeks. Mary Francis Jones died on April 2, 1874, from congestion of the lungs at the age of three years.
Mr. Jones”' obituary ran on the front page of the Minneapolis Tribune and gives us some idea of the type of man that he was and how highly regarded he was.
Death of Another Old Citizen
James Jones, proprietor of the American House, died yesterday morning at 7:30 o”'clock. His family and friends were not wholly unprepared for this event, as Mr. Jones had been declining several weeks. From the first, the nature of his disease left little hope of his recovery. He bore the painful affliction without a murmur, and looked forward to death and the future with hope.
Mr. Jones was born in the Northern part of Ireland, August 1st, 1814, and when quite a young man came to America, finally settling in Newmarket, Rockingham county, New Hampshire, where he was employed as a laborer for years, much of the time as a hand in one of the cotton mills at that place. Determined to better his condition, and satisfied that he could do better in the West than in an Eastern manufacturing village, he came to Minneapolis about fifteen years ago. Soon after reaching here he started a small boarding house, and gradually prospering opened the American House a number of years ago. By attention to business, never allowing another to do for him what he could do for himself, he acquired quite a competency. In all his dealings he gave evidence of the strictest integrity, and with all who knew him his word was his bond.
For a number of years past Mr. Jones has been a member of the Centenary M. E. Church, in this city. He was a consistent Christian, and among his latest utterances was, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, for his end is peace.”
His funeral will take place from the Centenary Church to-day at 4 p.m.
Mpls. Tribune, July 12, 1872
