Alfred Miles Jones (February 5, 1837 – July 8, 1910), nicknamed "Long" Jones, was an American politician and businessman. Born in New Hampshire, Jones came with his family to Illinois in 1847. Jones became a prominent politician in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, eventually rising to deputy sheriff and the leader of the county chapter of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. He was elected to two terms in the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

, then received two positions under the spoils system. Jones was chairman of the Illinois Republican Committee for twelve years. In the 1880s, he assumed control of the Bethesda spring in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and helped turn it into one of the most prominent spring water companies in the nation. He moved to Waukesha in 1896 and was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate three years later, serving one term.

Biography

Alfred Miles Jones was born in

New Durham, New Hampshire New Durham is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,693 at the 2020 census. It is drained by the Merrymeeting, Cocheco and Ela rivers, and is known for Merrymeeting Lake. New Durham is home to the Pow ...

, on February 5, 1837. He was the eldest child of farmers Alfred S. and Rebecca (Miles) Jones. When Jones was ten, the family moved to

Hebron, Illinois Hebron ( ) is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is a commuter village within the Chicago metropolitan area. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,368. It is also the headquarters of Vaughan Manufacturing, one of the l ...

, to establish a new farm. When he was sixteen, Jones moved to Michigan to work in a lumber yard. He later operated a raft on the Mississippi River. After saving some money, he moved to

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

, and attended a school there. Graduating in 1856, Jones returned to the family farm in Hebron, teaching a school there in winters. Shortly afterward, the family moved to

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...

. There, Jones opened a store selling books and jewelry. However, he was financially ruined by the

Panic of 1857 The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Because of the invention of the telegraph by Samuel F. Morse in 1844, the Panic of 1857 was ...

. He left Illinois with a friend to join the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. He found little of value and decided to head east to

Kearney, Nebraska Kearney is the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 in the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave new birt ...

. He then returned to Warren to work as a laborer. He was appointed constable of Jo Daviess County, Illinois. Jones became involved in the farm machinery trade and sold such items for five years. He then studied law and became involved with real estate. He rose in county politics to become deputy sheriff and

coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

. He was named the chairman of the county

central committee. Jones became a member of the State Republican Committee in 1871, serving twelve years as its chairman. In 1872, Jones was elected to the

for the 10th district, serving two two-year terms. He was the Majority Leader for the second term. To distinguish him from fellow representative Benjamin L. Jones, Alfred Jones was nicknamed "Long" Jones (for his height), a nickname that stuck for the rest of his life. After his second house term expired, Jones was named a commissioner of the Joliet Penitentiary. He was the secretary of the board of trustees for three and a half years. President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Jones a tax assessor for Sterling, Illinois, in 1880. The next year, President James A. Garfield named him

marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

of the Northern District of Illinois. He held the position until 1885. At the

1892 Republican National Convention The 1892 Republican National Convention was held at the Industrial Exposition Building, Minneapolis, Minnesota, from June 7 to June 10, 1892. The party nominated President Benjamin Harrison for re-election on the first ballot and Whitelaw Reid of ...

, he had control of Benjamin Harrison's presidential campaign. In 1885, Jones assumed control of the Bethesda mineral spring in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He became its president and manager three years later, eventually purchasing almost 75% of the company stock. The company was extremely successful, selling over one million bottles of water a year by 1892. He co-founded the Waukesha Beach Electric Railway and was elected its first president. He also purchased the Terrace Hotel. In 1894, he decided to leave Illinois and permanently settle in Waukesha. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1899, serving a four-year term.'Wisconsin Blue Book 1901,' Biographical Sketch of Alfred Miles Jones, pg. 739 Jones married Emeline A. Wright on October 13, 1857. They had two children: Alfred Wirt and Ernie. Alfred Wirt served under his father as secretary of Bethesda. Alfred Miles Jones was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and Baptist. He died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 8, 1910, and was buried in Prairie Home Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Alfred M. 1837 births 1910 deaths Schoolteachers from Illinois Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Republican Party Wisconsin state senators People from Warren, Illinois People from New Durham, New Hampshire Politicians from Waukesha, Wisconsin Businesspeople from Illinois Businesspeople from Wisconsin United States Marshals 19th-century American politicians People from Hebron, Illinois People from Rockford, Illinois People from Sterling, Illinois Burials in Wisconsin Baptists from Wisconsin Baptists from Illinois Baptists from New Hampshire 19th-century American educators 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century Baptists