John P. Jones

John Percival Jones ( born January 27, 1829 in Herefordshire, England; † November 12, 1912 in Los Angeles, California ) was an American politician of the Republican Party, who represented from 1873 to 1903 the state of Nevada in the U.S. Senate.

Early years

John Jones was one of 13 children of Thomas Jones and his wife Mary. The family left in 1801, their British homeland and immigrated to the United States and settled in Cleveland. There, Thomas Jones acquired land and was active in the marble trade.

In 1849 John Jones was lured by the gold rush to California. He lived there in the Trinity County and was active both in mining and in agriculture; In addition, he served as sheriff of this county. From 1863 to 1867 he was a member of the Senate of California; a candidacy as vice governor of the state on the side of George Congdon Gorham was unsuccessful.

Jones retired in 1868, the Gold Hill in Western Nevada. There he served as head of the Crown Point - silver mine, the Comstock Lode belonged to. As there 1870 silver ore was discovered, acquired Jones and his partner Alvinza Hayward enough shares to take control of the mine.

With his first wife, Hannah, whom he married in 1861, Jones had a son. After her death in 1871, he went in 1875 a second marriage with Georgina Sillivan one. They had three daughters together, including the tennis player Marion Jones, both in single as well as in the Mixed won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Paris in 1900. Another daughter, Alice, married the sculptor and painter Frederick William MacMonnies.

U.S. Senator

The Nevada Legislature chose Jones in November 1872 U.S. Senator, where he became the successor of James W. Nye on March 4, 1873. After multiple re-election he was able to spend up to March 4, 1903 five terms. During this time, he was from 1877 to 1881 and from 1883 to 1893 Chairman of the Committee on Auditing the Contingent Expenses. Between 1893 and 1903 he also chaired the Committee on Infectious Diseases.

Jones was involved in the introduction of the 20 -cent silver coin that was in circulation 1875-1876. How many Republicans from the western United States, he returned his party because of their attitude to bimetallism in 1896, the back and joined the Republican Party in Silver. Later he went back to the Republicans back, but he renounced in 1902 on a re-election.

Commercial Activity

Together with his co- senator from Nevada, William M. Stewart, Jones invested in 1874 in the Panamint silver mines near Independence, California. He planned to set up a rail link from the mines to the Pacific Ocean near Santa Monica; in 1877, the silver of the Panamint mines, however, was already completely broken down, after which the plant was closed.

Together with Robert Symington Baker called Jones 1875 Town of Santa Monica to life. The year before he had acquired in the area of the later city of a ranch of Baker. Jones also founded the first from Los Angeles to Santa Monica leading railway, but which he had to sell to the Southern Pacific Railroad Los Angeles and Independence Railroad due to financial problems in 1877.

After the end of his time in Congress, Jones retired to his estate " Miramar " in Santa Monica, but oversaw further its business activities. Shortly before his death he sold his house to King Camp Gillette. This in turn sold it in 1921 to a hotelier who made ​​it into the "Hotel Miramar ". Even today one can see - after several conversions and changes of ownership - the Fairmont Miramar Hotel.