Alfred D. Jones (January 13, 1814 – August 30, 1902) was a late 19th-century lawyer, surveyor and politician in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

. In 1846 he

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted Fort Des Moines, Iowa,Gue, B.F. (1903) ''History of Iowa from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century.'' Century History Company. p 402. and in 1854 he platted

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. He became the first settler in Omaha,(1888
History of Douglas County.
''Andreas' History of Nebraska.'' p 18. Retrieved September 17, 2007. as well as the first

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

, a member of the first

Omaha City Council The City Council of Omaha, Nebraska, is elected every four years on a nonpartisan basis. The next election will occur in 2025. Omaha has a strong mayor form of government. Members are elected by district. Currently seven city council districts a ...

and the first Omaha School Board, and was among the first

legislators A legislator (also known as a deputy or lawmaker) is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people of the state. Legislatures may be supra-national (for ex ...

of the

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska ...

Biography

Alfred D. Jones was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1814. He was appointed to the clerkship of the district court in

Polk County, Iowa Polk County is located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 492,401. It is Iowa's most populous county, and home to over 15% of the state's residents. The county seat is Des Moines, which is also the capital city ...

in 1846, and in July he

ted Fort Des Moines. Jones married Sophronia Reeves on September 15, 1847, and in 1849 he opened a store in

Madison County, Iowa Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,548. The county seat is Winterset. Madison County is included in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

where he became the postmaster. In March 1853 Jones was instrumental in the foundation of

Harrison County, Iowa Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,582. The county seat is Logan. The county was formed in 1851. It was named for ninth US President William Henry Harrison. Harrison Coun ...

as a county commissioner. He determined the location of the county seat of

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

and platted that town as well. In May 1853 he was employed as the surveyor of

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...

. In the fall of 1853 Jones crossed the Missouri River to stake a claim that he called "Park Wilde". He was accompanied by Thomas Allen and William Allen, and their claims were allowed to stand by the local Indian agent before a treaty was signed with the local tribes in possession of the land. Early in 1854 Jones spoke with William D. Brown, suggesting that a city be built on the land he claimed in Nebraska Territory. In the June 1854, after the creation of the Nebraska Territory, the Council Bluffs and Omaha Ferry Company including Brown hired Jones to conduct the first survey of Omaha City. Omaha was founded on July 4, 1854. Immediately after that Jones became Omaha's first postmaster, operating out of the city's first store, called the "Big 6", which was a general store/ saloon located on the north side of Chicago Street west of 13th Street in present-day

Downtown Omaha Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and ...

every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evening, shortly after the arrival of the stage. Jones used his

stovepipe hat A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally m ...

to deliver the mail from. Later in July 1854 Jones became instrumental in the establishment of the vigilante

Omaha Claim Club The Omaha Claim Club, also called the Omaha Township Claim Association(1954 ''Omaha's First Century''. Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 7/14/07. and the Omaha Land Company, was organized in 1854 for the purpose of "encouraging the building of a city"Mo ...

. Two settlers argued in a dispute between two settlers who claimed the same land. When both parties agreed he was a fair judge, they allowed him to determine the outcome, and were satisfied with the outcome. Soon thereafter a meeting was held and the

claim club Claim clubs, also called actual settlers' associations or squatters' clubs, were a nineteenth-century phenomenon in the American West. Usually operating within a confined local jurisdiction, these pseudo-governmental entities sought to regulate lan ...

was created and Jones was named the secretary of the club. Within a month he was the official judge of the club, and was called Judge Jones by many for the rest of his life. Jones is also credited with writing the first "Pass-book Code", or rule book, which governed the actions of the Omaha Claim Club's

posse Posse is a shortened form of posse comitatus, a group of people summoned to assist law enforcement. The term is also used colloquially to mean a group of friends or associates. Posse may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Posse'' (1975 ...

throughout its existence. In 1859 Jones participated in the citizens' committee of Omaha that called upon the federal government to build the

first transcontinental railroad North America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the " Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail netwo ...

across the

Platte River The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself ...

Valley of Nebraska. This effort eventually led to the establishment of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

headquarters in Omaha. In a speech to the territorial legislature in opposition to a territorial bank law, he said he would like to have on his gravestone the words "Here lies an honest man who voted against Wild Cat Banks in Nebraska.""Street Names"
Douglas County Historical Society. Retrieved September 17, 2007. Jones died in Omaha on August 30, 1902.

Legacy

Aside from the success of the cities he platted, Jones Street in Omaha was named in tribute to him.

References

External links

Period photo
* Nebraska State Historical Society. * Nebraska State Historical Society. - An account by Jones. {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Alfred D. Lawyers from Omaha, Nebraska Pioneer history of Omaha, Nebraska People from Iowa Members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature 19th-century American politicians 1814 births 1902 deaths Omaha City Council members

Biography

Legacy

See also

References

External links